Kgalagadi: Here Come the Birds (and Happy Thanksgiving!)

As I mentioned before, there are over 200 species of birds in the Kgalagadi.  Whenever and wherever you are, if you are quiet, you will see some member of the feathered family – from the world’s largest bird (the Ostrich), to the world’s heaviest flying bird (the Kori Bustard), to small, iridescent beauties (the Cape Glossy Starling.)  They are a great reminder to look for beauty even in the harshest places.

It’s an extraordinary place for bird lovers, especially because the sparse vegetation makes it easier to spot them. In fact, we stopped most often to take pictures of birds, and they were – of course – the most difficult to capture.  Every time we had the perfect shot, the little (or big) buggers would turn around, walk into the shade or fly off. 

Still, we managed a few good shoots – or a few really great shots and a fair number of nice ones :o).

ENJOY!

PS: As you enjoy an altogether different kind of bird, I want to wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving!  We are going to be lucky enough to be having a big Thanksgiving celebration here in Cape Town.  Of course they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving here but our friends the Glasses are keen to experience this most classic of American holidays.  We’re having 2 turkeys!  One American style and one Salvadoran style!  Pies, mashed potatoes, curtido, salsa … It’s going to be EPIC, like a full 48 hours of cooking!   I’ll be taking pics and posting recipes (which might be nice for Christmas) …  SMOOCHES KIDS!

Here's one of our favorite shots, A Tawny Eagle in flight.

Here's a juvenile Tawny Eagle.

An African Hoopoe, this was one of the ones that kept teasing us, flitting up into the tree whenever we tried to get a shot.  This is the best pic we got, too bad because it doesn't do justice to his stunning plumage!

The gorgeous Bateleur.

The first animals we saw in the park were these ostriches, look how nicely they posed for us!

This crappy picture is the best we got of ostriches taking a dust bath (to get rid of parasites), it's quite a beautiful, if slightly bizarre sight.

When you see ostriches up close you truly appreciate what odd, strangely proportioned animals they are!

And here's an ostrich momma with the kids!


Another favorite shot, this is the Swallow-tailed Bee-eater.

A raptor defending his/her turf.

A White-backed vulture.

Classic vulture profile.

Here are a pack of both White-backed and Lapped-faced Vultures feeding.  

The Kori Bustard, the heaviest bird capable of flight.

A not so pretty picture of a very pretty bird, the Lilac-breasted Roller.

A Black-shouldered Kite.

The kooky Secretary Bird. 

This gorgeous Laughing Dove greeted me in the early morning light.  

Eat your heart out Tucan Sam, this is a Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill.

The next few shots are all of the Cape Glossy Starling.  I was trying to capture its blue-green iridescence. 

A Kalahari Scrub-Robin.

A Northern Black Korhaan.

A Spotted Eagle-Owl, just as the light was fading.

This is a sociable weaver, hundreds of these handsome little guys live together in huge nests.

Close up of an abandoned sociable weaver nest.

It's a bird party up in here!  We haven't been able to identify the little guys, but the big one is Cape Turtle-Dove.  If any bird experts can help identify them, please let me know!