Out of Africa - Part 1

[WesternGuy]

Recently, my wife and I went on safari in northern Botswana in an area known as the Okavango Delta. We spent time in three different parts of the area and in three different camps. Over the next few weeks, I will try and post a small selection of the images that I captured and I will include both the birds and the major animals that we saw on our journey. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them...the journey was absolutely incredible and we are seriously thinking of returning in a couple of years. We would go to a different area to see some of the animals we did not see in the Delta, specifically Serengeti and ther Ngorongoro crater.

1. Little Bee-eater - they took bees and other insects on the fly at times (so I'm told).


2. Hadeda Ibis - these were very plentiful and we often found them in groups (flocks?) in dead trees...don't know why...


3. African Fish-Eagle. Looks a bit like the American Bald Eagle, but it is a bit smaller and when mature, the breast is white unlike the bald eagle...


4. African Grey Hornbill


5. Male lion and a herd of Red Lechwe in the background. We were never sure if they were a food source, because the lechwe could escape into the water, but if it was shallow, the lions could follow them. This guy had a small pride of 2 females each of which had three cubs (pics to come).


Cheers,

WesternGuy

[Old Timer]

Your first group is wonderful, love the birds but that last shot of the lion with the prey in the background is golden. Hope to see lots more in the near future.

[mjs1973]

Very cool! Takes me back... Can't wait to see more!

[ksbryan0]

Very nice! The Little Bee-eater image is great.

[CaraRose]

Love that last shot!

[OldClicker]

Very nice! OK, I'm convinced. Terry

[Loupey]

Love the first and last shots!

Waiting to see more :thumbsup:

[Eric D]

what an experience....keep on shooting!!

[frog4gators]

Takes me back as well!!! Are you sure the Fish Eagle is smaller than the Bald Eagle???.... I remember thinking that they dwarfed our Bald Eagle! Beautiful pics!

[frog4gators]

Takes me back as well!!! Are you sure the Fish Eagle is smaller than the Bald Eagle???.... I remember thinking that they dwarfed our Bald Eagle! Beautiful pics!

I was mistaken the Fish Eagle is considerably smaller than our Bald Eagle.

[WesternGuy]

Thanks to all for your kind words. I am working on more to come, but I have been without Internet access for about 2 days - my ISP isn't exactly into providing good customer service, but this is what happens when the government regulates this service and you don't have much choice for an ISP - unfortunate - but something we folks north of 49 have to live with...

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[CaraRose]

Thanks to all for your kind words. I am working on more to come, but I have been without Internet access for about 2 days - my ISP isn't exactly into providing good customer service, but this is what happens when the government regulates this service and you don't have much choice for an ISP - unfortunate - but something we folks north of 49 have to live with...

Cheers,

WesternGuy

Don't feel bad. I have the choice of about three services here... you have the choice of fast internet with crappy service, mid-speed internet with seedy billing techniques, or snail slow internet and mediocre customer service.

[WesternGuy]

Don't feel bad. I have the choice of about three services here... you have the choice of fast internet with crappy service, mid-speed internet with seedy billing techniques, or snail slow internet and mediocre customer service.

I don't feel bad NOW - thanks for sharing - I have fast internet with crappy customer service, so I guess we have something in common... ...anyway, it is fixed for now. Who knows how long it will be before...well you know...:mad2:

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[paulnj]

These are some amazing shots you have here!

[WesternGuy]

These are some amazing shots you have here!

Thanks Paul.

WG

[dana m.]

Congrats on your Picture of the Week award for the bee-eater.

[Iguanamom]

all terrific so far. looking forward to more.

[ksbryan0]

Congrats on the feature!

[WesternGuy]

Congrats on your Picture of the Week award for the bee-eater.

Thank you very much. This was quite a surprise to me when I first read of this and I consider it an honour to receive such recognition. I feel very humble when I consider the quality of images that others post on this forum. :blush2:

Kindest regards,

WesternGuy

[Eric D]

Congrats on the FP......nice job!

[WesternGuy]

Congrats on the FP......nice job!

Thanks Eric, I appreciate the sentiment, particularly when it comes from someone whose work I admire.

WG

[buglinbilly]

Very NIce.

Have a good one. BB

[DennisT]

Congrats on the feature RON!!! - All your shots are great though I also agree that the bee-eater has that something special. We have the hadida in our garden often and it seems to be proliferating everywhere. Did you get these hand-held???LOL

[WesternGuy]

Congrats on the feature!!! - All your shots are great though I also agree that the bee-eater has that something special. We have the hadida in our garden often and it seems to be proliferating everywhere. Did you get these hand-held???LOL

Thanks Dennis. Yes I got these hand-held with my 100-400, pretty well fully extended most of the time...plus a bit of editing and the like in Lightroom. My 5D never ceases to amaze me as to how much I can crop the images and still get very sharp results for posting.

Regards,

WesternGuy

[armando_m]

Great series, thanks for sharing your shots

I had not commented on this thread as I believed it was still the coca advertisement