Dominic is dead keen on
wildlife. I have been busy teaching him how to shoot it or hoik it out of the
water on the end of a hook ever since he learnt to walk. I suspect, however, he
prefers to fire digital bullets.
Among other things I bought
him a camera for Christmas. Nothing special, just something called a Panasonic
HC-V100. Sounds fancy as hell but it was less than 200 bucks so was good for
me. It is a HD video camera but it also takes still pictures. I wasn't after
rocket science when I bought this. All I wanted was for his eyes to light up
and say, 'Wow Dad! Thanks!' and then learn how to use it or break it like kids
do.
Well, he didn’t break it
and I think you would agree, he knows how to use it.
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| Bird with orange beak |
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| Another bird with an orange beak |
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| The coast just up the beach |
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| Sunset over the Atlantic |
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| Kingfisher |
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| 'What are you looking at? You looking at ME? |
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| Lizard |
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| Odd fish doing press-ups |
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| Bird with big beak |
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| White bird with long legs |
I rather think I need to buy him that book about Birds of Southern Africa. In the meantime, answers on a postcard, please...
From the bottom; Egret, non Egret, non Egret, etc.
ReplyDeleteWow, the young gentleman has an eye for composition! Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteDear Cro,
ReplyDeleteI am not much use to him either. I will have to buy him the book!
Sir Owl!
I told Dominic about you. Mainly at night when the wolves were howling outside to encourage him to behave and not set fire to the servant's accommodation lest you came and got him. I did mention, however, that you weré also a professional photographer so he will be really chuffed when he reads your comment!
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pin-tailed_Whydah
ReplyDeleteThat's the first one. It looks like a finch so I googled southern African finches and eventually found the pin tailed whydah!
Great photos! Like Cro, i could pick out the egret but wasn't sure what any of the other birds were, although the one with the orange beak reminds me of the grosbeaks we see here. Not the orange, but the beaks are shaped similarly.
ReplyDeleteDominic
ReplyDeleteYou have a talented eye!
Could you take a photo of a hippo
I love em
As NOT to encourage you I shall refrain from remarking on Dominic's varied takes on beaks. His time will come.
ReplyDeleteLove the Kingfisher with attitude. The sunset is either announcing the next coming of Christ in Angola or a retro a la Courreges or Mary Quant ca 1966 (reference geometry).
The coast line as recorded by your in-house photo journalist is dismal. It sure could do with some shoring up.
I am with John: What we want is the sight of a hippo's hind. Only horses do it better.
U
Ian,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that, glad at least one of them has an outrageously exotic name! Mum? Wydah hell did you call me dat?
Megan,
I am absolutely hopeless when it comes to birds!
John.
Dominic says the only Hippo around here is too fat and ugly to waste a photo on...
Ursula
The only beaks I had anything to do with were usually handing me custodial sentences. I liked the Kingfisher too, I am sure that if Dominic kept still long enough, it would sit on the end of his rod (fishing rod). Re the sunset, Mary Quant seems more likely. Like you, this coastline is ancient and full of fossils. Sight of a Hippo's hind? What hind? His pet male deer? His model of Drake's Golden Hind? Be specific, Dear.
Get him that bird book! It will be the beginning of a fine career for him. He definitely has a talent for photos and apparently some patience.
ReplyDeleteP.s. the fish doing press ups is freaking me out....maybe the kingfisher or egret will find him tasty....
Terrific sunset shot: it reminds me of the opening credits of Hawaii-5-0.
ReplyDeleteA good start for you:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.birdsangola.org/01_information.htm
Also, there is a good wikipedia entry:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Angola
Now, your birds:
1. As Ian pointed out, pin-tailed Whydah;
2. Woodland kingfisher (Halcyon senegalenses) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodland_Kingfisher
3. Crowned hornbill (best guess) (Tockus alboterminatus) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowned_Hornbill
4. Little egret (Egretta garzetta) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Egret
Wonderful images. I'm trying to identify raptors I've seen at the Chianga Agronomic Research Station near Chiva. Harrier-like behaviors and another species similar to Buteo sp. No images yet.
ReplyDelete