SANParks.org Forums

Its great when you get a pair like this - you can see the difference between the sexes. Male has the brown eye with a small yellow wattle - the female has yellow eye and no wattle.

Richard

In the 80s there were less than 10 breeding pairs according to the literature of the time, but nowadays, I see them at many watercourses.

My 83 year old dad who had no interest in birds until he was 81, when he forgets their name, calls them 'the big fellas in the dinner jackets'.

We saw a pair fishing on our first visit to Grootvlei Dam last year where you can drive on the dam wall to get great birding views.

Saddlebills are really such beautiful birds and always a treat to see, especially now that RH has pointed out the differences in sexes, something I never knew and will in future look out for.
We often see them in the river on the right hand side of the bridge at the Gezantfombi Dam just outside Croc Bridge, and once saw a pair fishing there first thing in the morning and still there when we came back almost at gate closing time!!
Fishing must have been particularly good that day but not sure how much fish could have been left at this point.

We had about 14 sightings of Saddle-billed Storks in August. Our favourite sighting was at Skukuza where we saw one catch a fish.



Another favourite was of this one in Letaba taking a bath and then drying its feathers.

Saw a pair at malelane gate (croc river) on 2 occasions
Saw pair at sunset dam (lower sabie)

I would be interested to find out why this bird is classed as rare/threatened in the Kruger. I had a look back at my bird lists for the last couple of years and I have seen them on every trip. This year there were a few on the Sabie river above and below LS. I think I saw them everyday and not always the same birds.

A few years ago there were as few as about 10 breeding pairs, but the numbers have grown steadily, I am happy to say.

in the Sabie River

What a first sighting - in the Phabeni river by the Phabeni gate.

I was wondering if this fellow has had his legs broken because he owes on his rent or is this a way of resting those long legs.





Here is another fellow doing the same.
I hope he didn't have the same landlord.

Possibly my favourite bird - and possibly my best photo from my recent trip.





large version if you have a fast connection

http://www.pbase.com/richardharris/image/88643320/original.jpg

Richard

Wow, excellent photo, very clear and sharp, Richard.

Here is one I took in Kruger in Sep 2004 with my Fuji. I have just 'started' birding and am going through all my pictures of birds. I never realized that there were not too many of these birds when I took the photo.

I got this by shorten my time during waiting for lions to come back from the water.

The whole story you can find in my Kruger story: "June 14th, Sixth day, Really coming home - my Olifants, Thursday – Part 1".
Just follow the below link.

Great shot, Ludwig.