Cheetah Cub in the Wildflowers

Bluebirds and the Cannon

I had walked through one major field this morning but nothing, through the big woods where I saw some deer, but nothing to write home about, through another woods with nothing.  Finally I crossed the big parking lot and headed for the cannons off of Gulph Road.   And there was a blue bird.  And he landed on a cannon wheel.  The light was in the wrong place, but shoot away I did.  And then there was Mrs. Bluebird!!  The two of them together. They were going in and out of the cannon, sort of cleaning out the debris.   Ahhhh, Valley Forge, makes my heart sing.

Add caption

Wildebeests in Ndutu

I was riding in a jeep with the great photographer and film maker Todd Gustafson.  He envisioned this scene and had our driver go across that field and up to the ridge where we stopped, turned around and just looked down and across the valley with all those wildebeest coming through the trees to the watering hole in a zig zaggy way.  Oh what a scene it was. (You need to click the photo to see all those layers.)

Mom and Baby Baboon in Arusha National Park, Tanzania

Harrier Too Close for the Viewfinder

This was one of two female Harrier Hawks in Valley Forge this morning.  One was flying around a lot looking for breakfast and this one was sitting in the field calling to the other one.   I got closer and closer to this one until she swooped up and came directly over my head and fluttered above me.  A little intimidating looking through that 600mm lens with a 1.4 extension.  Anyway, lots of fun today.

Bluebird Eyeing the Berries wins First Place!!!

It's March 1 - Rabbit Rabbit.  Or Bluebird Bluebird!!

Brand New Gift-Wrapped Zebra Foul

On our last day in Tanzania, we were in Ngorongoro Crater - one of the largest sanctuaries for African wildlife in the world.  It is the birthing season in Tanzania.  All the wildebeest have their babies at the same time as there is safety in numbers.  We saw lots and lots and lots of brand new baby wildebeest, but were even more thrilled when one of our crew recognized a Zebra Mom about to give birth to her foul.  We waited as she lay down, gave a few pushes, and voila - there was the newest little creature in the crater - still gift wrapped for all to see.  The baby was up in minutes and running around mom in ten minutes.  It is a game of survival for all these little beings and amazing to see how quickly the instinct to survive kicks in.

Mom and Babe Cheetah at Dawn in Ndutu

Sunset and Wildebeest on the Serengeti

Well, it's been a little over three days since getting back from Tanzania.  It was a spectacular trip in so many ways.  Learning once again how important the first and last light of the day is.  And all the behaviors of those marvelous creatures.  We saw a mother wildebeest give birth to her calf and within two minutes that calf was up and running around.  I've got ten thousand or so images to cull through.  What a joy it will be.

Sunset on the Serengeti

Mom Wildebeest seconds after giving birth coaxing her calf to stand up too

And that little one is up and running!