"A wonderful bird is the pelican . . . "
Do you know that the Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) is a hefty bird with a wondrous gular pouch. The pouch hangs under the jaw (like a hammock), is expandable, and is used as a scoop for fishing.
I found this flock basking in the shallows of Lake Manyara, Tanzania.
Oh, and for the curious: the pouch can hold up to three gallons, three times more than its bellycan.
Sporting the colors!
This Yellow-billed stork (Mycteria ibis) is flashing extra color in the breeding season. Its back has adopted a magenta hue, its brown legs have turned pink, and its face and bill have taken on an extraordinary glow.
I captured this image back in 2019 near Lake Manyara in north-central Tanzania. Lake Manyara, a feature of the Great Rift Valley, is part of a great flyway for migrating birds. For storks like this one, it is a "honeymoon" site. Pairing is common.
See the African flyway yourself! Come on a Tanzanian safari. But don't delay. Our August 2025 is practically sold-out; our trip scheduled for February of 2026 is getting ready to open. Contact Bible Land Explorer for details.
Sporting the Colors
This Yellow-billed stork (Mycteria ibis) is flashing extra color in the breeding season. Its back has adopted a magenta hue, its brown legs have turned pink, and its face and bill have taken on an extraordinary glow.
I captured this image back in 2019 near Lake Manyara in north-central Tanzania. Lake Manyara, a feature of the Great Rift Valley, is part of a great flyway for migrating birds. For storks like this one, it is a "honeymoon" site. Pairing is common.
See the African flyway yourself! Come on a Tanzanian safari. But don't delay. Our August 2025 is practically sold-out; our trip scheduled for February of 2026 is getting ready to open. Contact Bible Land Explorer for details.
Farm of Dream
The Farm of Dream is a lodge nestled in purple hills above the Great Rift Valley. The nearby town, Karatu, is conveniently positioned between Lake Manyara and Ngorongoro Crater. Knobby-tyred rigs like TIK regularly rattle down its mudded street like a military convoy. Karatu’s nickname, unsurprisingly, is “Safari Junction.”
A good park for beginners
The sign at the entrance read “Home of Tree Climbing Lions.”
I thought it best to keep one eye skyward at all times. Having 400 pounds of tooth and claw fall on your head would be terrible surprise. It also would make an end to a lovely safari that Vicki and I and Mr Nixon had planned in the East African country of Tanzania.
