Last Saturday Critter Party for July 2014

This post is the last I'm doing from Tanzania for now. We're on our way out on our break in South Africa. 

A drive through the bush last week, delivered many birds and several mammals, some of which I managed to photograph and others which we just saw and enjoyed! 

While at Songwa last Saturday evening, I spotted many birds but close by a pair of raptors gave me ample opportunity to photograph them. 

 A pair of African Harrier Hawks

 African Harrier Hawk 

On Sunday a drive through the bush we spotted several birds, the first one being a White-browed Coucal.

White-browed Coucal 

In the bush beyond, we saw a quick movement. I lifted my camera, focused and captured this pretty buck.

 Dik-dik 

Along New Alhamasi Dam edge, we stopped to photograph a couple of waterbirds. Apart from a Little Egret, a Hamerkop, an Openbilled Stork, I also photographed a Yellow-billed Stork foraging in the shallows. When I downloaded the photos, however, I noticed a beautiful pinky-maroon sheen on the covert feathers. When I sent this off to Jez for an explanation, he replied that it was a breeding adult!

 Yellow-billed Stork in breeding plumage. Don't you just love the long, double-jointed legs?

Just around the corner, at our favorite patch of water (away from New Alhamasi Dam), Grant stopped for me to photograph the herons which always sit in a tree over the water. As always I love the pond-lilies and took several photos! 

 White Pond Lily

On the way home we stopped to photograph several Little Bee-eaters sitting on a dry bush nearby. Before I could focus on the one bird, it flew off and all I got was the image below. (This was before I learned about the "fast" function on my camera! 

Little Bee-eater in flight

Back home on Monday morning after I'd hung the washing on the line, I sat in the sun with the cats. As I watched a Kingfisher flew in and sat on a tree branch above. (If I hadn't seen it flying in, I would not have seen it!) I took several photos...

 Woodland Kingfisher in my garden

Yesterday I saw our smallest and youngest cat, Ambrose (he, who does a Sunday post!) with his head stuck in the airbricks on the veranda. Grant and I are always amused by this and call him the headless cat. I couldn't see any birds out in the garden, so decided to go outside and check what was so fascinating to this sweet little boy of ours. First I saw nothing and then something scuttled past my feet and up a tree trunk near Johan's cottage. I rushed inside, grabbed my camera and snapped away.

 Agama Lizard in my garden

And finally a few photos of darling Princess who, at seven months, is a sweet young dog with the most amazing nature.

 Is this my best side?

 Or is this better?

Oh OK, this is my demure young lady look! 

I'm linking today's post to Saturday Critters Party with Eileen which you can visit by clicking here

I hope you're all having a really great weekend!