Watch the birdie

When Gail and I went to Kenya and Tanzania a few years ago, we found ourselves entranced by the bird life. People go to Africa to see the “Big Five” animals–Elephant, lion, rhino, hippo and leopard, I think. Or maybe giraffe. Or gnu. In truth, there are 10 or 12 animals of interest, and once you’ve seen 30 buffalo, they all start to look alike.

Then you find out that there are 452 or so different varieties of bird, from tiny hummers to enormous ostriches, storks, cranes and flamingos. Plus penguins. They nest in trees, they nest in holes in the ground. Some are incredibly drab to blend in, some are flamboyantly colorful. The birds of Africa are a never ending spectacle we enjoyed in East Africa, and were thrilled to see again in South Africa.

I got plenty of good photos, and I want to share them. Here’s a gallery of the variety and splendor of avian Africa.