The Yellow Billed Stork dined on catfish tonite.
The poor catfish was given no say in the matter.
The stork’s eyes seemed bigger than his beak,
and the meal was almost more than he could swallow.
The Purple Herons,
were busy Hippo surfing.
But even they thought the stork caught more than he could swallow!
Cheers to you from Sunset Dam & Lake Panic Bird Hide Kruger National Park~
Fantastic pics, again, Cindy! You have quite a knack for capturing birds. What lens did you use for the storck? With my zoom lens, it would be difficult to have both the body and the head in sharp focus like you did.
Yes, I find it quite difficult to get all parts of a bird in reasonable focus with full zoom. I used a Sony 400X with 1200 mm zoom. I am finding the camera to be a little too sensitive to the rough travel and dust in the bush though. Not meant for such intense use/conditions.
Despite the challenges, you did a wonderful job!
Awwwww ❤
Well captured, Cindy. I have friends in the park on a tour and I dare say, their pictures won’t compare. 😊
Oh that is such a generous comment and so encouraging. Chees to you Lynne~
Fantastic photos, thanks for sharing
Thank you for appreciating my friend~
Fantastic as always, Cindy. I remember seeing a pelican trying to swallow a flounder once and it was too wide to get down its neck. It was quite hilarious to watch like your stork.Wish I could carry your suitcases! xx Rowena
A flounder and a pelican!! Wow, I wish I could see this, and we could share a braii in the bush! ❤
Most annoying. Didn’t have my camera with me at the time. Damn!
🙂
What an amazing bird – almost looks like it is wearing a quilt. Love seeing the elephants – good travels Cindy!!
Ladies used to deck themselves out in these feathers. Took a horrible toll on the species. And the elephants, well no words……
Oh Cindy these photos are fabulous! Those glorious stork photos wrestling with the catfish, and then I gasped when I saw the herons on the hippo. I am SO glad you are enjoying your African adventure my friend…. 😀
I am so glad to have you virtually along with me, and I thought your elk shot was a classic!
HaHa, great story and photos, Cindy!
Yay!! ❤
I love, love, love the closeups because of the fine details I can examine at my leisure. Every single feather. Your photos are such a treat. Thanks so much for sharing. ❤ ❤ ❤
So grateful and pleased that you enjoy looking at the details we can’t see with our eyes only. I am always surprised what the camera sees. Thank you so much for appreciating & visiting! ❤ ❤ ❤
Your first photo of the yellow billed stork has to be the best bird picture I have ever seen. While I felt sorry for the catfish, I couldn’t help thinking it would be delicious served cajun style!
Oh, laughng about the cajun catfish! It’s true too, but sadly the stork may prefer it unseasoned…….hard to swallow, I know. 🙂
Thank so much you for the very encouraging feedback~ ❤
¡Qué interesante secuencia! El triste final del pez gato muestra la crudeza de la vida misma. El posado de las garzas sobre su isla-hipopótamo hace sonreir. Y eso que los hipopótamos, según se dice, no son muy amigables 😉 Sigo disfrutando de su visita al Parque Nacional Kruger desde mi sillón. Gracias ❤
Si, es la vida y la muerte en África. Natural pero dura. Muchas gracias por sus amables comentarios y hermosa blog! ❤ ❤
Looks like you live in a beautiful place, love your blog and photos! Melody
Thank you!
Amazing photos. Cindy. 😃
Grazi my friend and hope you sleep on your flight~
these are some great shots, I’m going to put them in with the best 25! Have an awesome weekend my dear.
Wow, thank you Antionette. You are so much fun to travel with! ❤ ❤
Beautiful pics. They are birds with such big personalities.
They are indeed, like feathered dinos!
Exquisite photography ! Have I mentioned how much I love watching the world through your eyes? Your posts never fail to mesmerize 🙂
It is your eyes that find the good in them. Thank you for being eager to see!
Our guide had a vast knowledge of birds and amazing vision to find them. We stood by Sunset Dam for some time watching more birds than I can remember (we picked up one of the animals/bird list books at the first gift shop and checked off about 135 birds by the end of our trip). No storks they day we were there (We traveled in their Spring, so the migration patterns were at a different time of the year). Enjoy our wildlife spotting…. and good luck finding internet service!
Oscar
Yes, we were at Sunset on our first trip too. No guide just us turkeys! Lots of kingfishers, a green boomslang, the second greenboomslang on this trip, fishing eagles, balateurs, tawny eagles. We have lost count of the number of species on this trip, but did keep a list last time. Although I am keeping track of each new species seen. Got photos of a leopard. Saw a lot of ostrich a few days ago. Seeing some very rare birds and uncommon species, genets, civets, caracal, lots of amazing creatures. We tend to drive down dirt roads to water holes for hours at a time and are frequently quite alone. Thrilled to know you have been Oscar! You know what the experience is like~
The heron perching on the hippo was such a good shot Cindy.
So pleased you enjoyed him, as did I, not sure about the hippo though!
The look on the hippos face, with eyes shut, he looked to be enjoying the scratchy massage.
Laughing, hippos sleep in the day and leave the water to graze at night. I got a hilarious shot of a hippo rolling over in his pond with his muddy hooves in the air, so comical!
Wonderful photos
Mil grazi Marko~
Hello Cindy
I invite you to see new photos on my blog.
Have a nice weekend.
BEAUTIFUL! There’s so much beauty on earth!
Yes, and we all get to experience it for a brief time. Hugs to you Resa~ ❤
Excellent sequence !
Happy you enjoyed it!
Oh dear! Poor Catfish!! Those storks suddenly look rather fearsome! lol 😉
Definitely does from the perspective of a catfish! 😉
Fantastic post! I wish I could be there to witness this, phenomena, first hand, but your photos really take me there, and are truly amazing! 🙂
So encouraging and so kind! Thanks & cheers to you~
Stunning photos, Cindy!
Awwww, thanks much & cheers to you Cynthia! ❤
Woooowwww Beautiful Pictures, thank you very much Cindy….💗💗💗
Thank you more for the wonderful appreciation my friend!
Your sense of humor adds so much to your gorgeous photographs, Cindy.
Takes one with humor to appreciate humor Robin. ❤ ❤
You ARE in Africa!!!! OMG!
Such an amazing place. The animals just make my heartbeat right. Be well my friend~
I once had such a great sum in aquarium
Super shot
Thanks much & cheers~
🙂
Fantastic set of photos. I saw these after you posted them, but didn’t get time to comment.
Well thanks so much for coming back Timothy! I was just enjoying your photos~
I love giraffes, they are so interesting animals !
They are! Elegant and sorty of gangly at the same time~
Amazing pictures 🙂 I’ve tweeted it!
Awwwww, so grateful!
These are great shots!
Well visa versa 2 U X 2! I’ve just been admiring your pairings~
Aw, you really outdo me every time!
Ha! I wish~ ❤
It’s been a while since I’ve visited your blog, but I am delighted to be catching up today. Your photography, and sense of fun, are stunning! Thank you for sharing them.
What a lovely comment. I am honored. Thank you & cheers too~
It’s really my pleasure. Your experiences sounds amazing. I don’t think I’d have the courage to be a wildlife photographer, but it was always one of my childhood dreams.
Great catch for you & the stork!
LOL on the hippo surfing. 😆
It was pretty hilarious, pleased it laugh!
Woooooow dis is amazing capture ♡
So happy you enjoyed and thank you!
♡ Pleasure is all mine dear 🙂
❤
🙂
Great colour in these stork shots, and beautiful plumage detail.
I’m surprised that the hippos — being that they’re so extremely territorial, don’t freak out on the herons being so close.
The herons pick bugs off their backs and hippos have sensitive skin. Hippos are mostly peaceful grazers, but you definitely do not want to make one mad!