Pied Kingfisher…. What’s hiding in the reeds?

On my recent visit with “Boy” to Upington, work of course, I had an early morning photo session. I managed to get myself amid the reeds and the birds flew in mostly without seeing me….

This Pied Kingfisher landed three metres from me and was just not sure what the hell it could see… of course it was me…

“What the … is that the Bulldog sitting there?”

“I’m sure that is the Bulldog, but he has an odd eye…. big and black…”

“May be I should skedaddle…. but he is not moving….”

“Lets give him a portrait photo and then move… he looks as though he needs to take a breath….”

and then it flew off…..

Home improvements

This little Southern Masked Weaver was quite the entertainer as he busied himself improving his home…. the reason?? To attract a mate… he would look so busy ‘til a female flitted past, then he would fly up and try to get her attention… you could almost hear his pleas… “Come and see the home… please”

I wonder how many men have done the same.??

He seems to be tightening the anchor ropes…..

“What was that.?? a female?” …

“May be up there … oh well back to work…”

Meerkat and a few observations…

Some have already commented on the length of the Meerkats nails… the front are definitely made for digging and probably protecting itself…The back legs seem to be equipped with shorter ones…

The hair is long and thick… I wonder if this is also a type of armour against snakes, scorpions and the like…

 

But don’t they have the cutest darn faces.????……

always covered in sand it seems…… but they never stop digging so I suppose one can expect sand on the nose…

Frog went a courting… but ended as a meal…

“A frog went a courting and he did ride,

Rolyborinktumkimo, and he took miss mousey by his side……. “

BUT a meerkat caught his scent…. and the pictures tell the story further…..

And then a Glossy Starling decided he might get a morsel….

But before that angry encounter could take place one of the others dashed in for a fight…

and the birds returned to find all was gone….

This was the most amazing thing to experience… how it kept its back to the birds and then had to swallow really quick before the mate too it away…

I knew I heard a beetle … crunchy…

There has to be something down here… I heard it…

I’m telling you I heard a noise….

See I told you………

A snack for now…. this is yummy….