Skywatch Friday - Kgalagadi Sunset and Bateleurs

The Kgalagadi has definitely become one of my favourite spots in South Africa, in spite of its harsh and inhospitable climate, but for me that is part of the attraction.

Add to that its rugged beauty and its variety of wildlife from antelope to predators and the unbelievable variety of bird-life from the little brown jobs to the magnificent raptors. It is no wonder the place is fully booked a year in advance. Once it gets into your soul you can't get it out.

This sunset scene was captured along the Nossob River, with the clouds starting to build up at the beginning of the rainy season.

I usually keep my posts to one picture, but today I have decided to also include some of the magnificent raptors I was waxing lyrical about. The Bateleurs do not subscribe to the old adage that the early bird catches the worm. They are late risers and prefer to wait for the sun to rise before they do. Bateleurs are scavengers and set off as soon as the air to warms up, so that they can catch the thermals and look for their prey, or should that be carrion.

For more super pictures from around the world visit the Skywatch site.

Lappet-faced Vulture - Kgalagadi

The Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park can become a special place, if you allow it to get into your soul. I did not feel like that on my first visit last month, because the place is so hostile. It is almost as though it is conspiring to see how it can make life uncomfortable for you, but the heat, wind storms, dust storms and thunderstorms all become part of the experience and is what sets it apart from other parks.

Processing my photos after the trip is what has done it for me and I will have to start planning the next trip soon. It's not as though you can just decide to jump in your car and go there. You have to book your accommodation a year in advance - that tells you something about the place and its popularity.

One of the amazing features of the Park for me was the variety and number of raptors that one gets to see there. The Lappet-faced Vulture is just one of these - a magnificent bird, always ready to clean up after the predators.

Bateleur

This was one of those moments in photography that you dream of.....getting this close to a Bateleur. We disturbed him while he was on the ground at Melkvlei in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and followed him to a tree where he had settled.

After taking a number of photos from various distances before  he was frightened off, we were eventually parked under the tree with him peering down at us through the sunroof.

These are truly magnificent birds.

Red-necked Spurfowl

Since the birding specialists decided to harmonize the names of birds around the world, I along with many other mortals, have had to adapt to the new names. It's not that I resist change, but let's face it, the new names very often do not have a good ring to them.

Take this Red-necked Spurfowl for example - it used to be called the Red-necked Francolin and I still think of them as Francolin. My grandfather called them pheasants and so did I for many years, until I adapted to Francolin.

I suppose those massive spurs on its legs give credence to its new name and so I will just have to adapt.

Inner City Birds - Yellow-billed Egret

A Yellow-billed Egret captured at the Donkin Reserve today. It is not a bird I have seen in the inner city before, but it is number 25 in my collection.

Birds of the Inner City - Common Fiscal

Juvenile and adult Common Fiscals surveying the scene

Juvenile pouncing on some unseen prey

Skywatch Friday - Birds and Clouds

A smattering of clouds and a Kelp Gull are enough to make one look skyward with interest..........

......but sometimes the sky, with the help of a few clouds, just takes your breath away.

For many wonderful pictures from around the world visit the Skywatch Friday site.

Birds of the Inner City - Burchell's Coucal

I started a project a few months back, to see how many birds I could photograph in the inner city. Though many of the birds live quite happily in the concrete jungle, we are fortunate to have some well treed public open space alongside our neighbourhood, which makes it attractive for the more shy birds, like the Burchell's Coucal.

So far I have managed to photograph 24 birds and am still trying to get some elusive characters such as the Cape Eagle Owl and the Cape White-eyes.

Birding in the RSA - African Hoepoe

African Hoepoe photographed at Addo.

Birding in the RSA - Ostriches

It is easy to take these birds for granted, because they are fairly common and have also been domesticated. So, you've seen one ostrich you've seen them all. I find them fascinating birds and always have time to stop for a photograph.

Domesticated ostrich photographed on the side of the road near Oudtshoorn.

These ostriches are taking the gap at the Camdeboo National Park.

Birding in the RSA - African Spoonbill

I photographed this African Spoonbill near Jack's Picnic Place at Addo. Birding is such fun.

Birding in the RSA - "Love birds"

When it comes to photographing wild life I have often found that many of my favourite shots taken when I was fortunate to be in the right place at the right time. Sure, you can sit and wait to capture a picture, but you may not get the spontaneity of the moment.

These two White-faced ducks were photographed alongside a small pond at Tsitsikamma, "loveingly" preening each other.

Birding in the RSA - Cape Weaver

I've enjoyed wildlife for as long as I can remember, but more recently I have taken my interest one step forward and become a "birder". I am perhaps not a very serious one so there won't be many rare or shy birds appearing on this site, unless they come and pose right  in front of me. But still, whenever I get the opportunity to photograph birds I take the opportunity and snap away.

The series I am starting now is to post pictures of the birds I have photographed on trips around South Africa and those I have discovered living in the inner city of Port Elizabeth.

This Cape Weaver was very actively building nests at a campsite where we were staying at Matjiefontein, near Nieuwoudtville....the guy just never stopped.