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The Did-dik is a tiny antelope, maybe 12" at the shoulder. It is uniquely built for life in the African savannah. It has a nose that functions like a bellows, cooling the blood as it circulates. It has huge eyes and excellent vision to spot approaching predators. It even has a special gland just below its eye that secretes a sticky substance used to scent-mark territory.
I think this one is Kirk's Dik-dik (Madoqua kirkii). He found us in the central Serengeti (Tanzania).
Mom and them (see the littlest one?).
Since African bush elephants (Loxodonta africana) are the largest land animal on earth, it shouldn't surprise you that they also have the longest gestation period of any creature: almost two years!
Hard to say; easy to love!
Many names have been given to this majestic antelope of the Serengeti. The one that has stuck is the topi. Damaliscus lunatus has patches of blue-black and yellow on its legs and flank, making it easy to identify.
Sadly, one-fourth of antelope species in the world today are threatened with extinction. This includes the African topi.
"Shaddup with the 'pretty bird' already!"
The Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudatus) has attitude. You can hear it in its harsh, "Rak, rak, rak!" vocalization.
I think the roller is among the most colorful creatures of the Serengeti. Don't you agree?
Duck. Duck. Goose.
The "Egyptian Goose" (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is actually a member of the duck family. It walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and perches in trees like a duck.
It will attack you like a goose, however, so look out! They are very territorial.
This duck-duck-goose is pictured in ancient Egyptian art, hence the name.
The black and white plumage of this African waterfowl makes it easy to identify. This includes the bright red of the skin, visible when the Sacred Ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) raises a wing.
The "sacred" label arises because of the presence of this bird in Egyptian mythology. It is personified in Thoth, the god of wisdom, magic, and writing.
As a footnote, the Egyptian name Thutmose (assigned to several pharaohs) means "born of Thoth."
That's not so flattering, given this bird's pinheaded appearance!
So we're out of Africa now and working at home on the photos. I'm flipping through the set, sorting, labeling, and identifying species. I'll keep posting some of the better ones here. Enjoy.
Mom and baby elephant trundling off in the central Serengeti.
Come on a Tanzanian safari!
These guys stand motionless until they spear their prey in a flash. Came across a flock of Black-headed herons (Ardea melanocephala) hanging out in a tree. The Serengeti, Tanzania.
Found this handsome fella. He is a native to the scrub areas of east Africa. Males of this species have a colorful red bill; females have black bills. Say hey to Von der Decken’s hornbill.
Zebra, wildebeest, and insects. Ngorongoro crater, Tanzania.
Q. Do you know what to call this bird?
A. A lost Oxpecker
For real. It's a Red-billed oxpecker (or Buphagus erythrorynchus) hanging out with some zebras. Don't confuse him with his cousin, the Yellow-billed oxpecker!
Lioness. Central Serengeti.
Giraffes along the Tarangire River, Tanzania. To see one of these creatures in the wild is amazing, to see a group of these gregarious animals is stunning.
A troop of vervet monkeys was fooling around our lodge this afternoon. Their antics took me back to 7th grade all over again.
I grew up thinking starlings were ugly and mean. Of course, that's the American version. Check out the "Superb Starling" of East Africa. They still fuss and bicker like their cousins, but what magnificent colors!
I'm also enamored by my new (used) Nikkor 200-500 mm zoom. I can't wait to get it out in the big Tanzanian parks!
The young men in the camp teach us a new old game.
The Great Migration is the largest seasonal movement of land animals on the planet. Pursuing this odyssey is our goal in 2024.
