BIRD PHOTOGRAPHY #SOUTH AFRICA

Good day Steemians.

While I had the chance to visit the Kruger National Park in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa I was fortunate enough to encounter some great bird species in the early morning hours.

The Location
Situated against the border between South Africa and Mozambique, at the most eastern tip of South Africa is the famous Kruger National Park. The Kruger National Park is our number one tourist attraction in South Africa. Featuring the wildest wildlife we have to offer.
The BIG FIVE is world renowned and features the Lion, Rhinoceros, Cape buffalo, Elephant and the Leopard.

Upon arrival the first striking thing is the dry air and the intense heat. After a day or so, the heat is bearable after acclimatization and being distracted by the abundance of wildlife.
During my stay I was fortunate enough to see all of the BIG FIVE animals within a weeks’ time. The Leopard is the rarest of the BIG FIVE to see, with its super stealth and camouflage it was a privilege to see one.

I will do a post a bit later in time about all the animals that I saw and photographed during my week at Kruger National Park. Please be on the lookout for my future posts. @rslabbert

The setting
In the mornings I was up and out of bed by 04:30 in the morning, the heat made it impossible to sleep later than that. Already by 05:00 it was 29°C .
Coffee was the first order of the day to get me up and running for the day ahead.
Sitting outside as the sun rises there is lots of bird activity in the trees to be seen and heard. I always have my camera ready at hand to try and capture the perfect moment.

I am not a professional photographer, nor do I have an expensive camera. I take photos with what I have learnt myself over time. There is something mystical about capturing that moment of perfection forever. Patience is the key, and taking quite a few photos, you never know when it might be the perfect picture.

The Birds

Black Head Yellow Finch

Fork-tailed drongo

Red Head Weaver
Because of the time limit involved I could not get the focus on the bird with the branch in front. I think it still looks pretty good in a strange way.

Black-collared barbet

African green pigeon

Knysna woodpecker

Black Head BulBul

Kurrichane Thrush

Cape Glossy Starling

Sharp-tailed starling
These birds were also very far away from me. but you can still see the amazing metallic shine on their wings in the sunlight.