Victoria Falls, Zambia - River Safaris and more

For a river safari so close to the falls it is best to take a boat with a spare strong engine just in case ... or many strong rowers!

Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park ("The smoke which thunders") lies on the Zambian side. There are no cats but antilopes, giraffes, zebras and many birds. We also saw a few hippos and crocs in the water. On the Zimbabwean side of the falls the protected area continues as the Victoria Falls National Park.  

These hippos were very relaxed.

well hidden in the dappled shade

Reed cormorant (Phalacrocorax africanus)

White-fronted bee eaters (Merops bullockoides)  

Black egret (Egretta ardesiaca)

Hadeda Ibis (Bostrychia hagedash)

Whitecrowned Plover in flight (Vanellus albiceps)

 

Cattle egret at their morning toilette 

Redbilled Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala)

Close-by a little upstream is an "elephant encounter" enterprise which is very well managed and elephant friendly. A family of African elephants lives here that visitors can interact with, feed and watch. Most were saved from culling or droughts as young animals. They are free to roam; in the evenings they often go down to the river Zambezi to take a bath. Elephants have long memories. One lady elephant left for a few months and came back with a young one that was integrated into the herd. 

 I know this motion from my horses ... 

... he is begging, he is hungry!

Good-bye, Zambia! 

Up in the air ...

Wish I were a bird .... travel would be easier, no visa restrictions, and no luggage either. I could see the sun rise every morning, warming the globe, lifting spirits for the day. I'd rather be a morning swallow or an early melodious blackbird than a night owl. 

"Morning has broken" (a modern version)

Cat Stevens's classic composition "Morning has broken", in my opinion, belongs in every church songbook in the best tradition of my favourite hymn writer Paul Gerhardt from the 17th century, praising the wonders of the earth on the day of creation, in a dancing 3/4 beat... 

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

 Little egret (Egretta garzetta)

I might want to be a large bird, maybe a bird of prey or one who needs not land very often, but can sail for days on end,  definitely a single bird or part of a small family, not part of a large flock, and certainly not a strutting peacock always on display and anxious about appearances, too decked out to fly.... large and agile and strong for protection against groups of crows, or possibly a stealthy bird flying at 30000 ft ?

 rather a hawk ..

....than a finch? 

admiration

Great Frigatebird

A vulture has been seen at 37000 ft!

Cormorants and darters in Preak Toal Bird Sanctuary, Cambodia

A recurrent dream since my childhood is the dream of being able to fly -  it seems to be a common dream for many people. I start running, spread my arms out sideways, flap them up and down, harder and harder until the air underneath thickens, carries me,  lifts me up and lets me rise. I don't know whether I grow feathers or whether my arms flatten otherwise or turn into plane wings - I don't dare look to the side when I am up in the air for fear of losing balance. I acquired the technique in a first dream when I was hunted and trying to escape some situation that I don't remember - and probably woke up on. But once I had gotten the gist of it, a sequel of dreams developed.  I diligently practised the ability to fly in subsequent dreams, during the long afternoon walks that we as kids had to take with our parents. When hiking through forests, I flew alongside the rest of my family for short distances by skipping every second step or so, so that no one would notice my abilities. I got better and better and could fly alongside for longer and longer stretches without them knowing. Later I practised alone, at night, using the front lawn as runway and flying up on to the flat roof of our house in moonlight. I remember the first time I landed on the roof in my dream - it had a dark grey gravel surface and the edge of the roof was slightly elevated with black slate - I didn't dare go close to the edge but landed in the middle as I am scared of heights  - very weird. I wonder whether birds can be scared of heights and have to overcome that fear when learning to fly   .. 

... will those twigs carry her?  ...

Nevertheless, I love that dream. When I wake up from it nowadays, I have a good day ahead of me. It gives me confidence, that even if I can't manage, I will be able to escape unharmed. Unfortunately I cannot call it up at will, I have to wait for it to enter my dreams, and then it will surprise me every couple of years or so.

Here are more birds in flight or spreading their wings: 

red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus)

Galapagos shearwater (Puffinus subalaris) 

Pelican

diving

white egrets on the Zambesi river

Enjoy!

In Hongkong Park again ...

When I was in Hongkong this week, I visited the birds of the aviary in Hongkong Park again - it is a peaceful, green area in the bustling city, full of birds' twitter and flutter, bustling in their own way. I brought my new Nikkor 200 to 500 mm telezoom lens to test in these controlled, predictable surroundings, rather dark with green foliage but with mostly stationary birds.

Detail of the Maroon-breasted Crowned Pidgeon (Goura sheepmakeri)

I saw the Bali Mynah couple again...

 

 .... still squabbling....

"Not too close, please!"

Bali Mynah (Leucopsar rothschildi)

Crested Pidgeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

White-necked Mynah (Streptocitta albicollis)

The shy and tiny Silver-eared Mesia (Leiothrix argentauris)

Longtailed Broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae)

Black-capped Lory (Lorius lory) 

I like the lens a lot, it is ultrasharp and easy to handle without tripod, even with slow shutter speeds. The only significant drawback compared with the classical Nikkor F4.0 200 - 400 mm wildlife telezoom is the much slower autofocus which makes it nearly impossible to follow a bird in flight.  For the next safari, it seems that I have to bring both lenses.   

Java sparrows (Padda oryzivora)

"holding hands"