With a 10,000 Birds post arriving tomorrow, BLW should be back on track Saturday if all goes well. For now here's a recent Martial Eagle portrait to tide you over.
Your Patience Deserves a Duck /
Like this Falcated Duck that should be wintering at about this latitude but on the other side of the Pacific.
It seems comfortable in its new role as the main attraction at Colusa Wildlife Refuge.
The new guy isn't shy or retiring in the least. Lucky for us because this is a stunning bird.
It was often busy teaching the American Wigeons some sort of lesson.
After the chase, it strategically placed a stick between itself and the throng of photographers, then contentedly preened in all its falcated glory.
By the way, thank you for your patience. My Internet drought should be over by Friday. I'm posting by phone right now but soon the daily posts will begin again.
White-browed Coucal /
This bird is as close as you can get to being a raptor without a hooked bill and talons. It is a fierce hunter and haunts the dreams of lizards. Plus it is a looker too.
My mother has one nesting in her backyard. As yard birds go this one is pretty thrilling. She also has Bronze Manikins, Spectacled Weavers, Common Bulbuls, Amethyst Sunbirds, and Speckled Mousebirds... but the skittish Coucal is the star of the show.
Pin-tailed Wydah Bird /
The Pin-tailed Wydah bird is striking and improbable looking. It is one of my favorites.
This one heads out to forage along the roadside in the Serengeti but I've seen them in Dar es Salaam as well.
They have a beautiful rhythmic pulsing flight, no doubt caused by the aerodynamic challenges inherent in carrying such a fabulous tail.
I wish I knew more about them. I'm glad they are fairly common in Tanzania.
Ngorongoro Preview /
I'm going to start a multi-part series on the Ngorongoro Crater soon... but I'm working on another big project now and my internet is... you guessed it, down for the count. So in a few days, once the dust settles, I'll start the series. For now here's a snarling preview. A young male Cheetah.