Lanner Falcons hunting

Part of every visit to the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is to try and photograph Lanner Falcons hunting at water holes.

One's photographic skills has to be quite sharp on this, since the speed with which the Lanners dive on to their prey, usually finches, or francolins, together with the flurry of birds trying to get away form the hunter, is simultaneously exciting and difficult.

On my last trip, it took me five days of driving to a certain waterhole, sitting for two to three hours each, waiting for the lanners to strike, trying to figure out their flight pattern, predict where to focus my shortisch 200-400 lens, before I could get something decent on the last day prior to leaving the park!

The Lanner wait until a bunch of birds comes to the water hole to drink, and then strikes from a nearby tree, first trying to hit a bird with full force, and then turning in the air, coming back for the bird lying on the ground, pick it up an then fly to a nearby branch where it would start picking the feathers and eating its prey.

We also witnessed a Lanner chasing a francolin from the water hole by air for a very long distance, until my wife could only follow it with binocolars, witnessing it eventually catching its prey.

On this occasion, the Lanner picked up the finch, and flew to a nearby branch to take a snack!

After finishing the catch, it took off - back to the tree from which it launches its attack - usually about 40-60 meters from the water hole.

To us it seems that the francolins are the favourite meal by choice, and if a Lanner falcon is in the vicinity, one can be sure that it will try to strike when the francolins comes flying in for a quick sip of water.

Although I am ecstatic being able to catch some of the action, being a novice, I for certain will try again when times come!

Thanks to my wife who sits with me in the car, not interested in photography, reading a book, scanning with binocolars, pass on the snacks, being patient with me trying to achieve something unique and enjoying nature with me!

Flight of a Spoonbill

These funny looking birds are a treat to watch in flight. Their out of place looking bills do attrack one's attention together with the gracious movements of their wings. Each and every one of their wing flaps is a beautiful picture that lets one appreciate the wonders of nature.

Contempt!

Study in Cormorant landing....!

Cormorants are to be seen everywhere over the world! There are lots of different species everywhere - ask the birders for specific names etc!

It is always a pleasure to see these big birds coming in to land or take off. I got a chance to capture a landing series at Intaka sanctuary situated in Canal Walk near Cape Town:



Another successfull landing and all in a days work! Nature is wonderfull and beautiful!

Kgalagadi (2) Birds

Being interested in birds, makes the Kgalagadi experience a lot more exciting...

It seems that a lot of visitors do not know that stopping to watch these birds, can make the whole Kgalagadi experience much more interesting than just looking for animals.

By keeping an eye on this vulture, I was lucky and prepared to capture it when it decided it was time to take off.  From the time we saw it near a waterhole to the time it set off was about one hour...

The Pygmy Falcon, being about 18 cm in length, can easily being missed while driving and looking for animals. This morning we were fortunate to spot about three of them at two different locations, actually hunting. Sitting on the branches, looking for prey, and then suddenly taking off.  The car must be parked in such a way that one can manouver the camera into the air, and then one must be prepared to predict and wait for it to take off if you are keen to capture a "bird in flight" picture. On this occasion this picture was my best - I should go back to the Kgalagadi and try again next time!

One of the favourites for the keen photographers in the park, is the Lanner Falcon - they hunt from perches like these, other birds like doves, etc especially at waterholes. To catch these birds in action can be a fulltime affair because of their speed!

I worked a bit on the background of this picture to remove a manmade structure for pumping water to a waterhole in the park

This White-faced Scops Owl is a local resident of the Mata-Mata Campsite, which we found one evening when entering camp and seeing other people's interested in a tree!

...and just after stopping at our own campsite, my attention was directed to an unfamiliar sound in the tree above our campsite - just in time to capture this little Pearl Spotted Owl, also a local resident of the camp. It about 10-14cm in size.

Southern Yellow-billed Hornbill