WHOOOO's Out There?

 Winter BirdWatching

The owls are out there somewhere, because you hear them, but where are they?  Then they fly into their tree (a magical sight) just before the sun comes up!  What a discovery and sight to see, two GREAT HORNED OWLS hanging out together. They try to be very cordial when the camera appears--they look down, maybe trying to open their big beautiful yellow eyes.  But sleep is what they want!

Owls breed in the winter but many begin their courtship and mating in the late fall.  In the fall, the owls are more vocal and active. 

If you can hear them, you may be able to find them.  All of a sudden you are owling!

 

These are the two owls that live up in the tree--if you are out early enough you may catch them coming in from their night out or leaving for the night life!  Some days there is no sign of them.  So maybe they have another tree that hasn't been found yet? 

Whooo's Whooo, the females are moderately bigger than the males.

                            I was in Africa! (Nine Times)

 Africa is my Happy Place

Ultimate Africa, Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe©

Oh , how the plains and savannahs were filled with families of animals, as well as the mix of many animals living together! But in 2022 we are saddened and disappointed.  Climate change, pollution, and poaching have taken a toll on the countries and their animals. Always traveling  between November and February, the rainy season, we found the rivers were full and flowing and the animals were around every turn!  

The Impala never let you down!

On this trip, the birds were less plentiful than on prior visits. Usually there are birds everywhere.  When the big animals aren't around one can still see lots of birds.  The beauty of the birds are a highlight of visiting Africa.  Most travelers to Africa are there to see the Big Five, but as you explore a colorful bird will ask to be noticed!  

The Big Five:

African Lion,  the only social big cat

Leopard, the most elusive and are distinguished by the unique characteristics of their coats

Cape Buffalo, a big and dangerous animal

Rhinoceros, of which there are two species: the Black Rhino, and the White Rhino

    The Elephant, a highly intelligent and social animal

This baby owl was a surprise!

The Majestic Long Crested Eagle

Being an amateur bird watcher and on the look out for birds in flight, perched on a branch or hidden in a tree is so rewarding!

 

 Carmine Bee-eater 

Lilac-breasted Roller 

Woodland King Fisher 

 White Fronted Bee-eater

White-bellied Sunbird 

Crested Hoopoe

Ground Horn-bill 

Hammerkop

The Ground Horn-bill is as big as a turkey if not bigger! The bigger birds are amazing! The Hammerkop's nest is as big as a house--unbelievable!  The Grey Crowned Crane mating flight is spectacular!  The White-bellied Go-away-bird is very talkative! 

Gray Crowned Crane 

White-bellied Go-away-bird or Gray Lourie 

The Gray Crowned Cranes are monogamous and mate for life. During the breeding season the birds perform beautiful displays: dancing, bowing, running, and jumping while making low booming calls. These elegant birds are one of Africa's most majestic birds.  They are often photographed as a pair because the mates seem to move together , as if choreographed.

The birds of prey are big and strong

The Secretary Bird, a favorite for anyone who has been a secretary! The bird walks on its toes as if wearing high heels, and the head feathers stand up like old fashioned pens made of plume!  The Secretary Bird stomps its victims to death

The Black Kite, is notorious for snatching food from the hands of picnicking tourists.  

All African birds of prey (raptors) can and most do kill with their feet, using talons which are their most important tool.  Birds of prey are large predatory bird species that have hooked bills, sharp talons, strong feet, and great eyesight and hearing.

The Tawny Eagle

The Brown Snake-Eagle

 The Brown Snake Eagle is a quiet bird, only vocalizing in flight during displays or when carrying a snake.

Wildlife

After a rain these 3 beautiful young male lions come out on the road to drink from a  nearby puddle.  They stare at us in the vehicle; as they come much closer and lay in the grass, our anxiety rises!

This female lion decides to hold up the traffic and comes right out into the middle of the road!

Then there is this male lion who is hiding!

Both the white and  black rhinoceros or rhino is endangered by hunting and poaching. A very large, heavily- built plant-eating mammal, the white rhino is a grazer. With its head held low, the broad mouth sweeps the ground, almost like a lawn mower. Its cousin, the black rhino is a browser that consumes significant roughage, the thorny branches of acacia or fleshy plants like euphorbia. Browsers favor leaves, twigs and hanging fruits which focuses their attention above eye level. Browsers are like pruning shears, with narrower lips reaching upwards into the trees.  

The ox-pecker is a curious bird--hitching a ride on most large African mammals.  It is not clear if it is really helpful or a nuisance and more harmful? 

Two species of oxpecker, yellow billed or red billed, are small dull-colored African birds of the starling family that feed on ticks which they pick from the mammal's back, nose, ears, and from open wounds or sores.

African or Cape buffalo are grazers with their unmistakable feature being their majestic set of horns ! No wonder they graze with those heavy horns--easier to lower the head and eat at ground level.  Telling the males from the females is easy--the male horns are much thicker and heavier than the females. The herd will spend as much as 18 hours a day either grazing or chewing the cud, watching the world go by!

Buffalos are usually seen with their bird friends, ox-peckers and/or cattle egrets. Cattle egrets scoop up insects flushed out of the grasses as the buffalos move along..  Ox-peckers eat the biting insects and ticks off the buffalo's skin--an interesting relationship.  

This relationship happens with all the big mamnals, what an unlikely friendship! 

The elephants are the gentle giants of the bush, the landscapers and gardeners. They are browsers that consume 50 gallons of water and 600 pounds of food in a single day.  

Elephants are like humans in that they establish kinships and bonds.  Elephants are physical animals, and family members often stand touching while drinking or resting.  They lean and rub their bodies together, and contact each other with their trunks! 

The elusive leopard--the tail says, here I am !  Leopards spend the day and part of the night inactive, draped over a tree limb.

Leopards are graceful, powerful big cats and are solitary animals of the bush. The leopard is mainly nocturnal in habit, although it can be found basking in the sun.

The Big Five

Lions roaring, elephants trumpeting, buffalos lurking in the long grass, rhinos standing stately under a thorn tree, leopards prowling in the darkness.  

Coming face to face with any of the Big Five will be one of the most exciting and memorable experiences of your life!

Santawani Okavango Delta Camp

The morning was perfect.  There was a kill that morning and on the way to the dug out canoes the driver found the lions!  As we approached there were 3 females with 4 cubs--all getting full bellies from the nourishment of their kill, a zebra.  

The fittest survive (sad but true). 

The canoe ride was a pleasant glide down the small water way.  Then we had lunch under a huge African tree with a table as long as a bowling alley. The camp staff was there with a wonderful picnic!

After lunch the plan was to go back and check on the lion family!

The first thing we saw was one of the female lionesses with worry all over her. Something was wrong, but what?  The driver went on looking for the rest of the family 

but only a baby laying down was found. 

As the driver approached it was apparent that the baby was dead.  

A radio call came to the driver, and he was told that all the babies had been killed.

Two big male lion intruders came to challenge the resident males with plans of taking over their territory.  The first thing they did was kill all the cubs so they could take the females and have their own cubs. 

It really makes a person want to dislike the king of the jungle.

The Okavango region will be at war for a while to see who will keep the pride going.

These tall blondes are gangly and lanky giants, and seeing a large herd of giraffes coming into view is astounding. 

When walking they can be called a stride of giraffes.

     

Male Giraffes have more social connections than females and older males roam widely amongst a tower or journey of giraffes ( a group of giraffes can also be called a herd, a troop, a crop, a kaleidoscope). 

It's quantity over quality when it comes to relationships for the male giraffes.  A study showed that female giraffes have closer friends than the males but the males have more acquaintances.

Giraffes have to spread their front legs and bend their knees before they can lower their necks and head to reach the water. They become very vulnerable to predators 

such as lions and crocodiles.

Then there is this guy who is either licking his chops or sticking his tongue out! 

These hitch hikers get a free ride and dinner at the same time!  It is a beautiful sight to see oh so many ox-peckers up and down the long necks of the giraffes.  It is a benefit for both--the giraffe is freed of all the insects, ticks and bugs from everywhere on its body and the ox-peckers get a free meal.

Jock and Edd