Reach for the skies!!! My tern to fly high!

[pedro maia]

That’s a very nice photo for your #400, congrats for the milestone and for reaching your personal goal!

[Dave Williams]

407)Wire-tailed Swallow

Ndumo.

Wire-tailed Swallow.    BY407 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

408)Wood Sandpiper

Ndumo

Wood Sandpiper.   BY408 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

409)Woodward's Batis

St Lucia

Woodward's Batis.   BY409 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

410)Wooly-necked Stork

Richards Bay, KZN. We stopped off to investigate the town and left totally unimpressed other than finding a small group of W-N Storks, probably on migration, near the harbour. 

We won't be booking a stay there anytime soon!

Wooly-necked Stork BY410 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

411)African Golden Weaver.    Yellow Weaver!

I found this in my Yellow weaver file. The white eye says it's Golden but I'm happy to be challenged!

Seen at UMkhuze reserve, KZN.

African Golden Weaver.   BY412 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited October 22, 2022 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

411)Yellow-bellied Greenbul

Another lifer on my most productive woodland walk in St Lucia

Yellow-browed Greenbul  BY411 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited October 22, 2022 by Dave Williams

[Dave Williams]

412)Yellow-billed Hornbill

Kruger NP. Takes a lot of ants, even big ones, to satisfy the hunger of a big bird!

Yellow-billed Hornbill. BY413 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

Edited October 22, 2022 by Dave Williams

[Galana]

10 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

The white eye says it's Golden but I'm happy to be challenged!

Good to know. I don't think that is Holub's. The eye would be much paler.

 

10 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

412)Yellow-browed Greenbul

And while I am on, You mean Yellow-bellied Greenbul. Yellow-browed would be more than a lifer in South Africa.

[Dave Williams]

13 minutes ago, Galana said:

Good to know. I don't think that is Holub's. The eye would be much paler.

 

And while I am on, You mean Yellow-bellied Greenbul. Yellow-browed would be more than a lifer in South Africa.

 

Thanks Fred. Back on track again now!

[Galana]

21 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

The Big Year adds a little fun, a reason to carry on taking photographs but it can become a little tedious processing them all afterwards,

Perhaps just bang em up in order seen, and as seen, would help with some of the processing effort? That's what I do. I don't go for "wildlife photograph of the year" quality, WYSIWYG rules, although, as you have commented, my standards do slip from time to time and a decent snap gets posted in error.

Even sorting in alphabetical order must take time and get's bu**ered up when you find a wrong un. viz Brown Scrub-robin  in the plethora of whites.

But do please keep em coming. I like em all,

[Dave Williams]

4 hours ago, Galana said:

Perhaps just bang em up in order seen, and as seen, would help with some of the processing effort? That's what I do. I don't go for "wildlife photograph of the year" quality, WYSIWYG rules, although, as you have commented, my standards do slip from time to time and a decent snap gets posted in error.

Even sorting in alphabetical order must take time and get's bu**ered up when you find a wrong un. viz Brown Scrub-robin  in the plethora of whites.

But do please keep em coming. I like em all,

 

Photography is my hobby though Fred, not scoring lists. When you start hunting out more species you compromise on quality that you could achieve by concentrating on fewer species. If you saw the number of bad shots I took you'd be amazed. I have deleted literally thousands so I need to organise them by species to decide if I have something better at some stage. It took me a week or more to do that.

[Dave Williams]

413)Yellow-billed Stork

Sunset Dam,KNP.

Yellow-billed Stork.   BY413 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

414)Yellow-billed Kite

St Lucia. They had just returned from migration.

Yellow-billed Kite.    BY414 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

415)Yellow-throated Petronia

Mantuma Camp,UMkhuze.

 Yellow-throated Petronia.  BY415 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

416) Yellow-breasted Apalis

Mantuma camp,UMkhuze.

Yellow-breasted Apalis  BY416 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

417Yellow-fronted Canary

Mantuma Camp,UMkhuze

Yellow-fronted Canary. BY417 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[Dave Williams]

418)Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird

iSimangaliso Wetland reserve,KZN

Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird. BY 418 by Dave Williams, on Flickr

[xelas]

5 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

Back on track again now!

"Back on track" - that is our line! Yours must be "back on fast track"!!

 

[Galana]

4 hours ago, Dave Williams said:

so I need to organise them by species to decide if I have something better at some stage. It took me a week or more to do that.

Of course but what I was trying to suggest was two passes. I do that. A quick whizz through with, 'reject' - 'will do for BY' - and then from the keepers you can play and fiddle sorry, process and enhance, at leisure to your heart's content for the specials.The last is easy for me. 'Nowt special' is my mantra.

[Dave Williams]

Anyway, that's it for South Africa, we have got to the

Whale watching St Lucia, KZN. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

but we did have a 

Whale watching St Lucia, KZN. by Dave Williams, on Flickr

of a time.

193 additions for the BY, again my best for a single trip I think.

[Peter Connan]

Congratulations on the 400!

 

Some really scarce and beautiful birds and as always some magnificent photography.

 

I have been to uMkhuze, although only a day-trip, and spent about a week just the other side of the river from St Lucia once. One of the nicest areas I have been to with regard to bird sightings but I was warned so many times that what I was doing driving and walking around on my own there that it kind of put me off that area...

[Dave Williams]

6 hours ago, Peter Connan said:

Congratulations on the 400!

 

Some really scarce and beautiful birds and as always some magnificent photography.

 

I have been to uMkhuze, although only a day-trip, and spent about a week just the other side of the river from St Lucia once. One of the nicest areas I have been to with regard to bird sightings but I was warned so many times that what I was doing driving and walking around on my own there that it kind of put me off that area...

 

You surprise me about St Lucia Peter, the only threat I felt was from the Hippo that made a beeline for me as I walked towards my car. It was a bit scary but it had no interest in me it turned out and trotted on to the local park! 

The beaches are security guarded and it's an offence to take alcohol there. Cars are checked. The only people I saw on my woodland walk were birdwatchers and the odd dog walker.It's actually called the Iswalagwala trail.

St Lucia is a high end residential area and I have to admit I did feel a little uncomfortable at times in this enclave of wealth when you are made very aware of the difference between the haves and the have nots. The residents must do too for different reasons, despite their assurances all is well. The level of security for most properties is amazing .

 

[Kitsafari]

Ncongrats on the 400th and what a lovely sunbird.

[Peter Connan]

Dave, I think St Lucia is probably fine.

As mentioned, I was on the other side of the river (camping at Maphelane and exploring further south) Almost a world away as the nearest bridge is many kilometers away, and far more remote. 

 

I never actually experienced any agressive behaviour but was warned multiple times by locals. Even had a guy stop to "guard" me when I stopped to re-inflate my car's tires before getting back on the main tar road on the way home. I should also point out that Maphelane itself was also considered safe, the issue was primarily the area south of that.

Edited October 24, 2022 by Peter Connan