South Africa Trip, Day 3: Hoopoes and Bataleurs

By -
Kimberly Writes: Today's adventure was like having awesomeness fired at you out of a machine gun! We focused on birds today, and the amazing birds just kept coming. Some of the species I hoped to see the most on this trip came one after another. Hoopoe, Bateleur, Lilac-breasted Roller, Hamerkop, Bee-eater, Go-Away-Bird, Hornbill, Turaco...and so many more! And you should see the Starlings here; they're absolutely dazzling!

I'm so happy to be able to share this adventure with all of you. At the end of the day, the excitement of telling you what we've seen and posting some of our photos extends the happiness of the day. And it means so much to me to see so many people celebrating this experience with us.

Purple-crested Turaco
There were several of them in the trees around the camp bungalows, and they woke us up in the morning!  Pretty cool alarm clock, eh?!?

Bateleur Eagle!
(I nearly fainted when we saw this bird!!!)
This is a bird that gives off power vibes even at a great distance. It's like an electrical current from the bird to you!
Common Waxbill 
European Bee-eater
Greater Blue-eared Starling!
Yepper, THIS is a STARLING!!
The Grey Go-Away-Bird: so named for its call, a harsh, nasal,
"kaaa-wayyy" which sounds like "go away."
Lilac-breasted Roller
Your eyes can hardly take in all this bird has to offer!
Magpie Shrike
The shrikes here are AMAZING!
African Hoopoe
(Isn't this the coolest bird?!?!)




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From Kenn's Drawing Table: Great Black Hawk

By -
Image
Kenn Writes: Some bird painters can put down just a few lines on canvas or paper and then start painting. I respect that, but it doesn't work for me; I have to have a detailed idea of where things are going before I start to lay in any color. I recently started a portrait of an immature Great Black Hawk, and the basic drawing evolved over a couple of days. On the left here is the subfinal drawing. After putting it aside for a while, I decided to change the position of the head, make the bill a little thicker, and make a few other adjustments. I'll probably make more changes in the process of painting, but at least the foundation is set in advance.
Read more

Which Way for ABA?

By -
From a state of contemplation, Kenn writes: The American Birding Association (ABA) has been an important part of my life ever since I joined, at the age of 16, back in the 1970s. The ABA was a brand-new organization then, and it served a unique role in connecting the active birders of the U.S. and Canada. Its little bimonthly magazine, Birding, was a treasure trove for me as a teenager, giving me tips on bird-finding and bird identification that I wouldn’t have known about in any other way. When I started traveling, as a hitch-hiking, teenaged birder, the ABA connected me with other enthusiasts and with prime birding hotspots, and helped to put me on a course as a professional naturalist. In subsequent years I was involved with ABA in many ways. I taught bird I.D. workshops at many of their conventions, and later I began giving evening keynote talks at these events; for a while, I had spoken at more ABA conventions than anyone else. I wrote dozens of pieces for Birding magazine, and...
Read more