1.  Twig in the beak

Brisk eye, blade of grass in the beak, this common ostrich is pecking, and pecking. The color of its skin almost blends in this pink bed of wild flowers. Black plumage, with white tips of the wings and white tail : it's a male, with no doubt. Not very far, a female wanders. Grey-brown plumage.

📍Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, August 2023

2. Iridescence

The healthiest a superb starling is, the brightest he shines… This one must have had a feast ! The blue and greens of his plumage are not derived from pigments but due to the arrangement of melanin granules within his feathers. As the light hits him in layers, the superb starling catches our eyes and strikes us with his glittering beauty.

📍Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, August 2023

3. In formation

Alert, these small mammals will often stand on their feet, one behind another, spying on us, or assessing danger. Jackals might be closeby, hidden by the tall grass, Marabou storks and other raptors could erupt by air. Mongooses are carnivorous themselves : they relish rodents, lizards, birds, insects, eggs or carcasses. They also make a feast of ticks off warthogs, a symbiotic relationship which inspired an animated movie grown up kids from all over the world may have watched.

📍Serengeti, Tanzania, August 2023

4. A Lion's feast

You will mostly see them lying on the blond grass of the savannah, resting or playing with each other, while gazelles and other food purveyors peacefully pass right next to them. If they have had their share already, no need to hustle, lions can go a week without eating. But it doesn’t mean they don’t eat heavy, when a Lion’s stomach is empty, his appetite is voracious. This female is feasting on a wildebeest, she can swallow up to 50 kg of meat at a time, up to a fourth her weight. Soon it will be her cubs turn, the whole pride will take their share.

📍Serengeti, Tanzania, August 2023

Tanzania 2023-2024