Vultures

White backed Vulture

To continue with some more photos from our recent safari in Kenya here are a couple of vulture pictures and I've updated my website with several more including some feeding on a wildebeest carcass.

Not everyone's cup of tea I know but they fascinate me and they also serve a very useful purpose in tidying up the remains after one and a half million wildebeest have moved on!

See more by going to my website by clicking here...

Ruppells Griffon Vulture

Lions in the Maasai Mara

Lioness on a kill

Linda and I have just spent 9 days on a safari in Kenya, visiting Samburu, Aberdares, Lake Nakuru and finishing off in the Maasai Mara for 4  nights.

The number of animals was astounding and one started to get blase about "just another elephant"!

Here are a few lion images and there are more on my website by clicking here....

Male Lion

Lion cub at the kill

Curlew Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper with Dunlin in the background

This Curlew Sandpiper was on the island in the centre of the bridge in Wadebridge this afternoon.

It was amongst a handfull of Dunlin and some Black Tailed Godwit. There were also about 100 Redshank present but not a Spotted one amongst them!

Thanks to Will Delacour for alerting me.... and a warning to anyone birding here is to pay the parking charges on Commissioners Quay because they employ agents that can't wait to ticket you or clamp you if you should be a bit late back or don't park between the lines etc. (Fortunately not talking thro' experience other than watching others!).

Curlew Sandpiper

A young Puffin

Juvenile Puffin

We came across this young puffin about 2 miles north of Mouls island this afternoon.

A very encouraging sight as I'd watched adults carrying sandeels to the nest earlier in the summer.

Hopefully this is a bird from that island and thus a successful breeding result for Cornish puffins.

It was spending a lot of time peering in the water and scuttled across the surface away from us which looked like it was still unable to fly yet.

North winds push the Gannets close to shore

Gannet

The strong northerly winds were making the gannets on the north Cornish coast hug the shoreline as they passed down the coast.

I took advantage and set my camera up between the mainland and Mouls island off the Rumps near Polzeath.

Many birds passed by and just a few of them were really close. So close on occasions that I couldn't get the whole bird in frame with the 500mm lens.

Great to see!

Gannet

Gannet

Gannet

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Buff breasted Sandpiper

 

Davidstow airfield came up trumps again with an almost annual North American vagrant with this Buff breasted Sandpiper.

It took a bit of tracking down but out of pure luck it pitched up on the old runway near the tower with some dunlin and ringed plovers where they all preened and dozed.

Buff breasted Sandpiper

 

 

Buff breasted Sandpiper

Dolphin delights

A dolphin leads a fishing boat out of the Camel estuary

An early morning departure from Wadebridge on the flowing spring tide at 05:45 paid dividends this morning as we encountered a pod of Bottlenose Dolphins feeding on the Doom Bar at the mouth of the Camel estuary.

There must have been up to 20 individuals including several youngsters.

Dawn was just breaking and the light levels were low so high ISO was the order of the day until the sun rose over the clifftops and lit the sea.

My grateful thanks to Will Delacour who persuaded me to set the alarm for 4:30 am. I wouldn't have missed it for the world!