We are on Safari!!!

Tom and I are here in Tanzania and Kenya for a two week safari.  The weather has been terrific.  The photo opportunities are everywhere and we truly are having the time of our lives.  Here are a few of our first images.

Mom Giving Shade to the Kids 

"Bam"

Topi Mirror

Baby Elephant with Cattle Egret

Three Kittens on a Rock

Three Backsides in the Serengeti

Little Silver Backed Jackal

Serval Hunting

Elephants Play Fighting

Rock Hyrax

Handsome Baboon

Green Heron in the Morning

Why did the Elephants Cross the Road?

The Gerenuk

Wrinkle Nose

Grey Headed Kingfisher

The Beautiful (according to his mother) Face of the Marabou Stork 

Cheetah Watching a Dozen Thompson Gazelle

A Dozen Gazelle Watching the Cheetah

Tree with Tail

 

Eye Contact with Mrs. Harrier

At dawn this morning in Valley Forge.  Love when this happens!!!

 

A Morning in Valley Forge

 Got up early and out to Valley Forge and met my friend Alison and we found a bunch of good stuff.  Here you go:

Cooper's hawk

American Tree Sparrow

Next Year's Christmas Card

Valley Forge in the Snow

Flicker Coming Our Way

 One of the highlights of our time at cold, cold Mercer Meadows this week was a Northern Flicker.  He was sitting on a branch deep in the forest.  I told my friend Alison to focus on the flicker while I played a little flicker sound on my iPhone.  And look what happened:

Mercer Meadows in the Snow

I spent a wonderful evening and morning trying my best to photograph the short eared owls at Mercer Meadows in New Jersey.  It was colder than cold.  I went with my friend Alison and we both were layered from head to toe but still frozen after five hours in the cold.  We saw two short eared owls about a mile away, but lots of other critters posed for our cameras.  Here's a sampling:

Short Eared Owl from a Mile Away

The Gray Ghost (Male Harrier Hawk)

Bluebird in the Morning

Downey Woodpecker in the Morning

Male Harrier in the Morning

Hermit Thrush on Sumac

Flicker flying this way

Young Red Tail Flying That Way

Harrier checking out the Bird Box

Harrier Flying Low

Little Deer at Dusk

Alison with two other photographers

The Dancing Milkweed Borer wins First Place!!

    If you look closely and use your imagination, you can see a dancing Milkweed Borer with a tuxedo on.  He's got his arms outstreatched and his legs are dancing.  Valley Forge. Click on him for a better, closer view.

 

Stairing Contest with the Merlin Falcon

 Today in Valley Forge.  I was standing directly under him.

"Uh, Oh! Dropped the Seed"

Bluebird - Early morning - Valley Forge