People, like novels, have themes.
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"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!
How I feel one hour after a salad-only lunch.
Actually, it's a pair of Rüppell's vultures (Gyps rueppelli). Despite their grumpy appearance, these guys can soar high. One confirmed sighting was at 37,100 ft, a world record in bird world.
Unfortunately, the poor chap didn't get a gold medal. Instead he was ingested by a jet engine.
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!
Our travelers prepare to compete!
Everybody knows this Serengeti resident. But do you know that one scrambled ostrich egg can feed 8-10 people? (By the way, this is a big male. He’s not going to advance this conversation.)
The ostrich is also mentioned in the Bible. See Job 39:13-18.
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.
Since we're on a roll, how about a little Pumba inspiration! Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Phacochoerus Africanus, or the common warthog, so they say. Do you think he's cute?
Ready for takeoff!
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.
See the Panathenaic Stadium where the modern Olympic games got their start.
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 smallness of the village of Olympia belies the greatness of the games that originated there.
