So you may be thinking what the heck is this? Apart from being a photo of birds, obvs, and someone who has just got home from their first offical Xmas party (bit early I know, I refuse to put up the decorations before 1st Dec) let me tell you a little story. It was one of the most memorable moments of my life.
You get woken by a gentle knocking on your door in the middle of the night in your African hut. Or 5am’sh. In the middle of a South African safari park. Doesn’t help when you have been sharing the one that got away photo stories with fellow travellers at the bar the night before. You drag your sorry b%#^^ out of bed and put on layers of clothing. You get all your camera kit prepped. Sit in the back of an open jeep shivering in the pre-dawn darkness and cold in your beanie and gloves and scarf , knowing in a couple of hours you will be stripping off layers because of the stifling heat. You have seen Leopards, Lions, Buffalo, Hippos and all the magnificent wildlife of Africa. The tantalising anticipation, what lies ahead today? You sit in the back of your open jeep, smelling the stench of wildlife , their excrement, the kills , life and death. Life at it’s rawest. Will this drive bring any sighting? Will you see a predator drag it’s prey up a tree only to be surrounded by a pack of Hyenas. Will any stupid tourist get eaten because of their actions , they don’t understand these animals are wild, not there for instagram or TikTok. They are trying to survive. To live. As you drive along freezing in the dark and being jolted left right and centre, the astute tracker points his torch at something in the pre-dawn light. No, it isn’t a lion or leopard or a hippo or any of the big 5. It’s a family of bee eaters snuggled together. Be it for warmth or safety. It was amazing! Small and seemingly insignificant. But everything has its place in the circle of life. I particularly love the guy on the end keeping watch the other direction. I can relate, always looking the other direction. As the tracker said “no creature dies of old age here” . Was so poignant to me. Annnyyyway, thanks for reading my merry Christmas party ramblings if you bothered to. Hope you had an awesome day 👋😀
PS – I promise I will edit this text when I am un-merry tomorrow 😂
Posted by -Brad- on 2022-11-19 14:20:26
Tagged: , Birds , bee eaters , wildlife , nature , portrait , detailed , wings , beak , eyes , outdoor , natural , wild , ornithology , photography , close-up , SouthAfrica , avians , beauty , birdwatching , animals , colorful , colourful , macro , feathers
