Birds

In Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa This martial eagle seemed to greet the early morning sun. When he took off he broke the rule and did not fly off towards the sun on his left. He plunged straight down to catch a large snake. So despite the long wait I missed the anticipated take off into the glowing sunlight

At Polentswa camp in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park a Swallow-tailed bee-eater (Merops hirundineus) makes a beeline to its nest in an embankment carrying back a damselfly for its nestlings. The bird seemed inexhaustible as he carried on collecting a varied array of insects to feed its young

Although the heronry was small, it was very busy with a lot of incoming and outgoing traffic as birds came and went. The nesting birds seemed to resent the returning birds choice of landing place. These black headed herons (Ardea melanocephala) were nesting along the Seronera river in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

We came across this pair of Tawny eagles (Aquila rapax) in the golden light of early morning at Cheleka water hole in Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in South Africa. The take off of the bird was not into the sun and I failed to capture it, but to my surprise and pleasure the eagle returned, from its brief excursion. The eagle landed with outstreched wings and talons glowing in the sun. bird, He proudly displays ferocity, power, beauty, and grace to the waiting mate.

Helmeted Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) alarmed while drinking, take to flight at Chudop waterhole, Etosha National Park, Namibia,

At Polentswa water hole in Kgalagadi Transfronier Park in South Africa the Lanner Falcon (Falco biarmicus) had just caught a Cape turtle dove (Streptopelia capicola). The yellow billed kite (Milvus aegyptius) muscled his way in to try and steal the kill. After a brief tug of war the triumphant falcon flew off with his prize, leaving the indignant kite behind Biology Note:- The kite often attempt kleptoparasitism at this waterhole. Sometimes with success. Kleptoparasitism (literally, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding in which one animal takes prey or other food from another that has caught it

An alarmed flock of guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) took to flight at Kalkheuvel waterhole in Etosha, Namibia. We then saw the martial eagle (Polemaetus bellicosus) spreading his magnificent wings to take off with his grabbed victim

Lappet faced vulture settles down to roost along the Boteti river bed, near Xhuma camp, Botswana

As the sun rose, a secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) patiently waited for us to slowly roll the car into position and quitely setup our cameras on their window mounts, before gracefully rising into the golden air

As the sun rises black-winged stilts (Himantopus himantopus) wade thru the brackish water at Fischer's pan in Etosha National Park, Namibia

Grey Crowned Cranes (Balearica regulorum) patrolling the edge of the river

In the early morning African Spoonbills (Platalea alba) fly in formation over Lake Manyara in Tanzania

After many near photographic misses the lilac breasted roller (Coracias caudatus), gave a helping hand and came in to land at the correct angle and into the rising sun. He had caught a damsel fly

Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) at Lake Manyara, Tanzania

This pair of blue cranes (Anthropoides paradiseus), were seen at Fischer's pan, Etosha National Park, Namibia

Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) protested when other birds wanted to land on his perch at Goas waterhole, Etosha nationalPark, Namibia

On the Zambesi river a Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis), feeding her rapidly growing nestling, returned without a fish on this occasion. (Kalizo Lodge, Caprivi Strip, Namibia).

A flight of African open-bill storks (Anastomus lamelligerus) find a perch in a tree in Chobe National Park, Botswana

Pale Chanting Goshawk (Melierax canorus) searches from its lookout perch for its next meal (Etosha National Park, Namibia)

Lappet faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos), drinking at waterhole along Boteti river, near Xhumaga camp, Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana

Wattled Crane (Bugeranus carunculatus) feeding at Paradise pool near Xakanaxa camp, Moremi, Botswana

Black Stork (Ciconia nigra) perched on one leg in a high tree in Kruger National Park, South Africa

Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) proudly demontrates his catch (Kalizo Lodge, Zambesi river, Caprivi strip, Namibia).