Suzanne’s Favourite Lumix Photos from Texas

I thought it was about time I shared some of my photos from the trip before I head out to the Birders’ drinks to drive all over East London dropping the Boozy Birders home…

They are certainly not my favourite birds and I also took lots of flower and dragonfly photos but these are the ones that I want to share for now. They’re the ones that remind me what Texas was like for me. There will also be lots of links to my bird videos to follow. I discovered that this was the one thing that I could definitely do better than David. I think they’ll have to wait until my time is my own again once the kids go on study leave next Friday though.

Brazos Bend – my favourite placeSnowy EgretYellow-crowned Night-heronSome kind of Swallowtail!Aransas National Wildlife RefugeMenacing Croc…Wild TurkeyBrown PelicanLaughing GullRoyal TernParadise Pond, RockportBlack and White WarblerUnimpressed Great-tailed GrackleGreen JaySwamp RabbitWe really wanted to know what the Pelicans do but alas they did not perform for us…Tricoloured HeronSanta Ana National Wildlife RefugeRuby-throated HummingbirdLost Maple State ParkConcan Bat Cave187 miles on one long straight road to HoustonHoustonRoseate SpoonbillEastern KingbirdCommon NighthawkWilletMulberry-stained Blue JayMulberry-stained Lizard!WG Jones State Park, managed woodlands for Red-cockaded, Red-headed and Pileated Woodpeckers

Suzanne’s month in Ghana – bad photos of birds, plus a few extras…

I think David was mildly impressed by how well thumbed my Birds of Western Africa book was when I got back. Mostly I was just thinking about what I might see next time when I take David back there but I did see a few things and some of them are even one up on David! They’re not in any particular order…

Laughing Dove in Accra

African Pied Wagtail at Axim 

Cattle Egret at the Botanical Gardens, Accra 

African Wattled Lapwing at the Botanical Gardens in Accra – I got attacked by ants for these shots…   

Cattle Egret at the Botanical Gardens in Accra  

The first of many. Pin-tailed Whydah in Osino 

Northern Grey-headed Sparrow at the project site in Adabaze 

Yellow-mantled Widowbird at The Sabre Trust’s long term project site 

Firefinch sp. at Cape Three Points – can’t decide which one! 

Bronze Mannikin at Cape Three Points   

Woodland Kingfisher at Cape Three Points 

Another Pin-tailed Whydah at Cape Three Points   

Water Thick-knee at Cape Three Points  

Plantain Eater at Cape Three Points  

Sunbird sp. at Cape Three Points – I think Copper but David wasn’t convinced 

Vieillot’s Black Weaver at Cape Three Points  

Orange-cheeked Waxbill at Cape Three Points  

Common Bulbul at Cape Three Points  

Definitely a Copper Sunbird at Cape Three Points  

Black-necked Weaver at Cape Three Points  

Senegal Coucal at Cape Three Points  

Very distant African Green Pigeon at Cape Three Points  

African Pied Hornbill at Cape Three Points 

Do you see why I was oh so smitten with Cape Three Points. It was heaven. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend the Ecolodge we stayed at, which is run by Akwasi and Ketty. Their website is http://www.escape3points.com. They are interested in the local birds and butterflies and would love someone to go out and do a three week project surveying and photographing their birds to give their guests an idea of what they can expect to see during their stay. Does anyone know someone who might be interested??? It’s a cracking spot. The rainforest comes right down to the beach so there is a great variety of birds just on their land. I didn’t stray too far and was thrilled with what I found in just a day and a half.

 

Bats at Wli waterfalls rudely awoken for the tourists’ satisfaction… Mind you, it was quite a spectacle and the noise was unreal.

Lizards in various locations  

I really couldn’t hold myself still enough to get a focussed photograph of this Scorpian 

Finally, Mona Monkeys at Tafi Atome