Second Time Round Sometimes Better Than The First

Bird Watching My Most Thrilling Sights Encountered

This free theme I am going to share perhaps re-share sightings that took my breath away, some seen previously at a distance, birds tend to leave me gaping at majestic beauty. Returning home often enjoy research finding some are rare sightings, being in the right place at the right time.

When visiting any corner of South Africa one is thrilled, transformed by how much lives on the continent, all wildlife is precious one needs to remember looking up and down or into the bushveld.

Southern Banded Snake Eagle first sighting in 2018 was at a distance when I first learned it is a rare bird. During our 2022 visit into iSimangaliso Wetlands looking at buffalo right beside the vehicle I noticed slight movement up an old tree, rolling the vehicle quietly forward for the best sighting I most probably will ever have.

These birds are critically endangered in South Africa with human habitat invading what once was their domain! Perhaps in more north-eastern regions from southern Somalia a thin strip of land hugging the eastern coast there are better conditions of which I am not sure.

Southern Banded Snake Eagles, (Circaetus fasciolatus), also known as Fasciated Snake. Eagles, are classified as critically endangered in South Africa

Next Up!

Brown Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinereus) first sighting of both male and female each taking up a telephone pole, dark brown overall appearance, large head and upright stance with male approximately 5% larger than the female there is little to tell which sex other than size.

Widespread in sub-Saharan Africa is non-migratory except in Senegal where it breeds then leaves after breeding season. Birds of the World these birds appear to have healthy populations large regions to live.

Big Stork Patrolling

Saddle-billed stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) large wading bird. My first sighting was a nest with three at a distance high in the tree, a widespread species which is a resident breeder in sub-Saharan Africa.

Classified endangered in South Africa with slow breeding, heavily dependent on extensive wetlands, many regions under pressure from human development.

I am not sure about conditions from Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya south, and in The Gambia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and Chad in west Africa.

For me seeing a bird closer or simply knowing they still visiting the region delights me, so much has been lost over the years from droughts, flooding, human habitat encroaching into areas animals once freely roamed below or soared in the skies above.

Preserving our waterways is critical currently with many rivers bleeding into the sea through urbanisation, deforestation, destruction of wetlands, industry, mining, agriculture, energy use, and accidental water pollution.

Thanks for visiting Feathered Friends, Entry to #SMAP No. 162 - Bird Contest with host @nelinoeva Free Theme

Feathered Friends Community gratitude to @melinda010100 for sponsoring the contest. Our talented artist @barbara-orenya for on-going creative support and curation reports.

All photography and stories are my own, photography taken out and about, thanks for reading and visiting here.

Thought for Today: "It is only the eagle that can give an account of the whisper of the cloud."" - African Proverb

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