Out to lunch

We went out to lunch on Wednesday and luckily for me, we were right next to the Charente River. Although nothing exciting in the way of feathered friends, I do not often see ducks, so that is all I have for this week!

Mallard male (Anas platyrhynchos)... I see they all have rings...

Female...

as above.

Male ready to shoot the rapids, I was not quick enough to catch them in the foam...

Presumably, it was lots of fun though as they flew back for another try.  Sadly I did not have the time to wait around and see what else might have happened.

Male, he was swimming against the current and not going very far!!...

 a pair.

and a final male...

and female.

Linking up to 

Wild Bird Wednesday

and

I'd Rather B Birdin.

Post number 5 on the birds I saw in Southern Africa.

Cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) seen on buffalo.  Botswana.

 Squacco Heron (Ardeola ralloides).

Little egret (Egretta garzetta).  Botswana.

Yellow-billed Egret (Ardea brachyrhyncha). This is the only photo I managed so hope the identification is correct.  Botswana.

Red-billed oxpecker (Buphagus erythrorhynchus) on a giraffe. They feed almost exclusively on ticks or insects collected from the skin of large African mammals. See notes below on the Yellow-billed oxpecker.  KwaZulu-Natal...

Red-billed on a wildebeest. Botswana...

As above on an Impala. KwaZulu-Natal.

The yellow-billed oxpecker, (Buphagus africanus), is from the starling and myna family. It feeds exclusively from the backs of large mammals, eating ticks and insects on their hides. It is good for the animals and provides food for the birds, a win-win arrangement as with the cattle egrets.!

The red-billed spurfowl (Pternistis adspersus), also known as the red-billed francolin. Botswana.

The spur-winged goose (Plectropterus gambensis). Botswana.

As above.

The red-billed teal or red-billed duck (Anas erythrorhyncha).

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Wild Bird Wednesday 299

Post No 3 on the birds I saw in Southern Africa.

African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer), Botswana, Chobe river.

If you have never heard the call of the fish eagle, one of the best sounds in Africa, click here

Reed cormorant (Microcarbo africanus). Botswana.

African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus). Botswana.

White-faced whistling duck (Dendrocygna viduata). Botswana.

As above.

As above, seen in KwaZulu-Natal.

Cardinal woodpecker, female (Dendropicos fuscescens).  Botswana.

African Paradise Flycatcher, female  (Terpsiphone viridis). Botswana.

As above, male. Botswana.

Common bulbul (Pycnonotus barbatus). Botswana.

Blacksmith lapwing,  formally called a blacksmith plover (Vanellus armatus).  Botswana.

As above.

Southern carmine bee-eater, formally called simply a Carmine Bee-eater, (Merops nubicoides). Botswana.

Three-banded plover, (Charadrius tricollaris)  also known as the three-banded sand-plover, treble-banded (sand-)plover, and as the tri-collared (sand-)plover.  Botswana.

As above. 

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday 297

To be continued.....