Long-tailed Cormorant: Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — A Long-tailed Cormorant showing off its tail on the same island of reeds in the Kazinga Channel where we saw the Goliath Heron. Cormorants somehow are never graceful or elegant, no matter how they pose. Handsome, maybe, but even that might be a stretch. It is, perhaps, something about their eternally stern expression. Okay, enough with anthropomorphizing! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5.6 @ 1/1000th.

Goliath Heron: Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — We move from a small heron with a world-wide distribution to the largest Heron in Africa (and, I believe, in the world). The Goliath Heron stands almost 5 feet tall with a massive body structure and a huge bill and is found in small numbers at select locations all through sub-Saharan Africa. I had a glimpse of one on this same island in the Kazinga Channel on my 2018 trip, but I was delighted with this view this August! Sony Rx10iv at 458mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5 @ 1/1000th.

Black-crowned Night-heron: Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — I know, I could just walk down to the pond or along the river right here in Kennebunk, Maine to see one of these…they are relatively common across much of North American, through Central America, and everywhere in South America except the Amazon Basin. They are also common in all of Europe, India, much of South-east Asia, and you can find them in select regions of Africa. The only thing special about this Black-crowned Night-heron is the location, in Queen Elizabeth National Park, in south central Uganda…and even that would not be special if I lived there, or visited more than every few years. 🙂 Still. Nice bird, and this one was photographically cooperative. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 400 and 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

White-throated Bee-eater: Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Just down the channel from yesterday’s Madagascar Bee-eaters, we found this White-throated Bee-eater. The White-treated is another inter-African migrant, breeding to the north along the southern edge of the Sahara, and “wintering” from East Africa down to South Africa. I have seen it in South Africa, in grater Kruger National Park. Have a look at that tail! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5.6 and 7.1 @ 1/1000th.

Madagascar Bee-eater: Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Well it is not actually a bee…but it is a bee-eater…the Madagascar Bee-eater, from the tour boat on the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Distant shots from a moving boat. 🙂 And not the most cooperative light. Still! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f6.3 @ 1/1000th.

Woodland Kingfisher: Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, August 2022 — Both sides of the Woodland Kingfisher taken from the moving boat on the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Yes we have seen both sides now 🙂 And such nice sides they are. I like Kingfishers…one of my favorite families of birds. I have only ever seen one in flight briefly as we passed in Kenya, but it is an amazing sight with the bold turquoise and black pattern! Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Photo and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th.