Impala are important prey animals for several apex carnivores, including lions, leopards, Cape hunting dogs, spotted hyenas,crocodiles and pythons. An alert and wary animal, the impala turns motionless on sensing danger. It will scan the vicinity with its eyes to spot the predator, and rotate its ears to catch any tell-tale sounds. It stares at and moves its head to get a better view of any object it can not identify.
Or it stands around without what appears a care in the world, as depicted in my Grandson’s photos… it might even be his wife’s photos… who cares I stole them….
“Hello… anyone home!!!!”
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
Now, I cannot decide which photos I like better – yours or your grandsons. 😉 I am being silly, of course. Both of you are obviously very talented. And both your captures are fantastic but I give prop for the bird socializing with the impala in these photos. 🙂
He and his wife are both very good photographers… and unlike me prepared to experiment with camera settings… some work and others don’t… but they are both very very good…
I see that amazing photography runs in the family Bulldog! Love the bird too, wow, what incredible wildlife you have, just love it 🙂
Thanks Sherri…
I love the bird photos! Wonderful, Bulldog!! You truly live in a magical place.
Thanks Skye.. I love the tick birds when they are around… in and out of ears and all sorts of other places…
Awww. and they all have their own handy 🙂 Your Grandson is a good photographer too, Bulldog…it all runs in the family I guess. Pawkisses 🙂
Thank you…
Wonderful portraits, bulldog. Your grandson takes after you for great photography. LOL @ the bird in the ear. 🙂
Thanks AD…
These are lovely. No wonder you borrowed them 😉 I did not know you have a grown-up grandson :O
Paula I have a few of them… I’m getting on.. thank you for the lovely comment…
Bless 🙂
Really, these are very pretty animals! They seems so graceful…even when birds peck their ears!!! LOL
Thanks I love this antelope, probably the tamest of them all so easy to photograph…
Beautiful animals. And those pictures… wow…
Thank you very much for the visit and nice comment…
Your grandson was clever enough to take those pictures, but you were clever enough to take them away from him; at least you gave credit to the photographer; he should be happy with your credits to him.
He will be I’m sure… he hasn’t commented so we will see what is forthcoming…
At least I got the earworm out. 😛 Nice pics!
Me too till I looked at another blog and her title was “Stuck in the middle with you”… started up all over again…
ohhhh nooooo say it isn’t so!!! Thanks a lot! lol
Such a gorgeous animal, such a precious face. I love how the birds hitch a ride on many animals, getting a treat in the process. Father, son, grandson, all photographers. I wonder who was the teacher? 😉
God does his best to instruct us… but he gave us my father (bless his soul;) who taught me all I know about the bush and animals, which I have passed on down the line… I think Dad still watches over us all from above to make sure we don’t make mistakes…
I am sure that is true Bulldog. 🙂
Your grandson or his wife has done a great job Rob. I like the second photo in particular.
I like that one as well… they have some good stuff…
They are so very beautiful, Bulldog. Their faces look as though they’ve been airbrushed. Love your photos, they really are fab!
Thank you Michelle…
Doesn’t matter whose they are, they’re gorgeous photographs. Impalas are such graceful animals. I love the birds! 🙂
Thanks George…
It’s cute how little birds land on them.
Thanks Genie… those birds do a good job…
What do they do? Eat feas?
They are better known as tick birds and eat parasites off the antelope…
Excellent. I could have used some of those birds… had a tick bite a few years ago and of course my dog gets one at least once a year.
If not treated my dogs get them everyday… we have collars for the dogs that kill ticks and fleas before they attach themselves to the dog… quite a problem here…
I remember one ranger on a game drive saying he wouldn’t stop for Impala fotos, you have proven how wrong he is. We are going back to Kruger in 15!! Woo Hoo!
Oh dear another stupid ranger, one can learn so much from this animal… the ewe is one animal that can defer her giving birth till it rains and the grass grows, There is so much to this antelope that one can share I can’t believe rangers drive past them… just sitting and watching a herd with the ram trying to keep a harem together whilst chasing off suitors and getting rid of the young ram… the herds of “bachelor” rams, the young and their antics…. in 15 you tell your guide you want to take photos and he must tell you a bit about them, and if he can’t get his name I’ll talk to him…
Nice steal, Rob! LOL. I love the bird in the Impala’s ear – what a brilliant shot 😀
I thought that was good as well.. I have a similar photo with a zebra, but I didn’t think the impala would put up with a bird in the ear… but then some people are lucky to capture such photos and others are lucky to be in a position to steal the photos… lol
Love the bird hanging around on the Impala. Talent runs in the family 🙂
Thanks Ingrid… I taught him everything he knows… lol
Beautiful animal (and who cares whose photos they are – I never get to see animals like this in the wild, so really enjoy seeing these).
Thanks Vicki… I enjoyed these captures myself… they are always so good at first light…
Lovely captures of a lovely animal!
My Grandson thanks you Jewels…
Such sweet photos.
Thanks Cee
I bet the birds eat pesky insects off the impala, right? Otherwise, why would they put up with a bird hanging off their ear?!
Diana xo
The birds are known as tick birds and yes the eat all the parasites off the antelope… better known as the red-billed oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) also known to open new wounds and enhance existing ones in order to drink the blood of their hosts. Such is life…
Nice. Maybe there’s some benefit to that as well? I mean humans used to think there was some benefit to bleeding patients….
There is one thing that pleases me about that, if there’s no ticks and they have to resort to such behaviour to feed, it could be seen as a good sign…
LOL
Another set of great photos!
Thanks RoSy
These are gorgeous – no matter who took them. I love the bird on the Impala.
Thanks Maralee…
Sono bellissime, adorabile quella con l’uccello appoggiato sull’impala!! Che splendidi animali 🙂
Ciao, Pat
Thanks Pat..
Wow great photos. Love the ones with the bird – they are amazing!
Thanks Jan… these are actually very good captures as this bird is not often seen on the impala as it is the smallest antelope on which it perches…
That would tickle. Wonderful photos.
Could also be that word “ow” these birds are also known to open new wounds and enhance existing ones in order to drink the blood of their hosts. My grandson thanks you for the complement… I’m getting quite jealous of all the nice comments…
LOL! A bird in the ear is worth two in the bush! Thank you for the fun post, bulldog.
Russ
Thanks Russ… that goes well with the photo…