Three of my young guests at Thanda over Christmas and New Year took up birding as a new hobby during their stay.
They became very enthusiastic about it, and their families named them lovingly “The Birdy Nerdies.”
Over the last few days, their birding life list grew from 0 to over 150 species, which we spotted together at Thanda Safari and on the St Lucia Estuary boat ride.
My tracker (and birding specialist) Bheki and I very much enjoyed introducing them to birdwatching at Thanda Safari.
We had some great sightings together (see collage), including my ‘Bird Picture of the Year 2025’ of a Gorgeous Bush-Shrike.
Just send me a message if you are interested in birding with Bheki and me at Thanda Safari.
Topic: A Black-backed Jackal is trying to get his share from a recent (Cheetah) Impala kill, as many White-backed Vultures compete for the remains of the antelope.
Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 1600 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode
Topic: Above are the last mammal picture and the last bird picture of 2025. I took them on last nights’s game drive. A beautiful Lioness and a Malachite Kingfisher at Thanda Safari!
Technical data (both pictures): Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm
Topic: It is not easy for me to pick a favorite picture for any given time span. But yesterday morning, I took my favorite bird image of 2025. This Gorgeous Bush-Shrike was posing in the sun on Thanda Safari for a series of beautiful portraits. One often hears this bird, but it usually only allows a brief glimpse through the branches of trees. For this reason, the occasion and the resulting picture are very special.
Technical data: Canon R6 with RF lens f11/800mm | ISO 800 | 1/500sec | ev+0 | WB 6500K | AV Mode