Grey Heron on Akabeko Golf Course.

I have taken to riding around with my camera near at hand, and how happy I am that I did this the other day.

I saw this Grey Heron as I past the one dam its attitude told me it was either stalking something or had seen food…

I got this photo just before the strike and then struggled to actually see what it had caught.. a struggle was on the cards.. something of length that could not just be swallow.. I continued to take photos until I could make out what it was… a small grass snake..

This snake was not giving up without a fight…

and even managed to encircle the beak of the bird..

Down the hatch you go… eyes closed…

But with a lot of head shaking and swallowing the snake finally disappeared down its throat… I nearly gagged thinking about that length going down my throat, and then it struck me… the snake was not dead when it went down.. why would it not bite the bird from the inside ? and would it be painful if it did ?

The bird was now disturbed by my proximity and flew off to one of the other dams, closely followed by me…

An odd stance and attitude.. was this bird regretting the meal?.. well it never regurgitated anything, had a drink and settled down to what looked like a further search for food..

This has taught me one lesson… “keep the camera handy!”…

Back to the Past…

How often do you return to look at certain photos you’ve captured? Having nearly 60 000 photos saved on my computer (I really need to delete the bad ones, that would reduce it to about 20 000) I often page back through the files.

One that I always spend time looking at is the file with over 200 photos I took when finding the flamingos in the middle of the city… I really love the captures I got that day and will never delete a single one (bad or not.)

So here are a few I do enjoy, you might have seen them before….

Oh NO it broke…. my computer that is…

PANIC…. turn on the computer and nothing happens…. oh no! when last did I back up?  So long ago I can’t remember… Quick change underpants…. now lets disconnect the battery and see what happens…. !!!

What are all those colours flashing across the screen, hell now they have disappeared and all I have is a blank screen….. is it a virus??

Let’s try again… hold on why is the screen of the laptop so wonky??  Sh…t it’s falling apart.. a bit of hand pressure and a click and something has repaired itself…. quick get the Elastoplast, apply to computer screen hinges and start again…..

Yippee the screen works as does everything else… now where is that external hard drive, lets do a backup …. 

I’m sure it has happened to all of you at some stage… I nearly had a heart attack… but all seems well now and I no longer have to try and catch up using my Tab (the small one that is)…

Here’s a few birdy picks, don’t know what it is have not had the time to look it up…

STOP HIDING…

THAT’S BETTER COME OUT WHERE I CAN SEE YOU…

DON’T LOOK AWAY WHEN I TAKE THE PHOTO… YOU’RE AS BAD AS LINDA….

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…..

Three little maidens from school are we…..

Many, many, maaaaannnnnyyyyy years ago, when in my first year at high school, I was shanghaied into playing a part in this Gilbert and Sullivan production of Mikado…. I was to play a maiden…

Now I have to thank my lucky stars that it was not a major part, but rather one of the young maiden chorus group… now stop that laughing… I may still need to visit a shrink in years to come…

When these three ducks or Cape teal came swimming around the corner the song came back to me as if it was yesterday…. Now I know I need psychologist….

Three little maids from school are we

Pert as a school-girl well can be

filled to the brim with girlish glee

Three little maids from school……………… hell I have a shiver going down my back….

Can you that know me, picture this body playing the part of a school girl ? Dressed in a pinafore reaching the ground…. and a bonnet six foot high (slight exaggeration) on my head and a forehead of curls that were made using curling irons ??  Didn’t think so… you don’t know how I prayed for the proverbial things to drop that my high voice would become a deep thunder……

But any way here is a few other photos of the Cape Teal…