Up, Close & Personal

Sometimes getting close is not an option!

Come closer for a Kick!

Hildebrandt's Starling keyna nakuru birdwatching

Come along with your camera, I ain’t shy…

Photographers, artists, poets: show us CLOSE.

Or so said the Daily Prompt for today…Well the two shots I have shared are similar only in the fact that both subjects are birds. That’s it. Rest is two different stories to ‘Up, Close and Personal‘ starring ME (annoying I know ! )

The first one was taken at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. The second at Lake Nakuru, Keyna.

First : This Ostrich, roaming the seaside at Table Mountain National Park, caught my attention en-route to Cape Point. I couldn’t resist stopping the car to capture it. Unfortunately Ostrich are unpredictable, short tempered and aggressive birds. A kick from the powerful legs with the wicked claws can disembowel! Still I crouched and slithered and crawled till I was maybe 7-8 meters from this intimidating, beautiful sight….then my courage gave way and I went no closer! A (very) few, quick, breathless shots later, I silently backed to a safer distance.

Second : This lovely little bird was merrily chasing and devouring insects as we waited to get our entry passes at the Lake Nakuru Park. Fortunately I had my cam out in anticipation of the beautiful sights awaiting me…and I was right! The birdie was flitting around barely a few feet from our parked vehicle and then a hop, skip and beat later it was gone! But not before I took the shot! Love the vibrant colours of the plumage.

P.S. I didn’t know the birdie’s name till I surfed and came across http://www.kenyabirds.org.uk/star-h.htm Great site. And the amber plumed darling is a Hildebrandt’s Starling….. Yay! I learnt something new again today!

8 thoughts on “Up, Close & Personal”

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both pictures are so beautiful – and well – thanks for taking the time to get that shot of the ostrich – the angle of the photo almost lets us feel as if we are “taking the shot” with you – you know, as you wrote “I crouched and slithered and crawled”
well – I looked up at the photo
and I could FEEL that crouching, slithering and stealth like movement –
and you did this all with the weapon of choice- your camera?? ha ha – nice field work.
(this post demos the power of photos – for sure).

Preeti says:

January 17, 2014 at 4:09 pm

I was delighted that I could capture not just the Ostrich but also the circumstances of the shot…to me the shot seems to portray the drama of the moment as well… am glad you liked it. And this weapon of choice agrees with me and my philosophy of life the most! Thanks!

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