[aslyfox]

Pay attention now

Photo taken by my wife Judy using the Nikon Coolpix P610

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[noelcmn]

LOL! As long as there are no predators around.
Another of that rogue Cheetah

[WPRESTO]

A youngster so relaxed you might think it had expired, but not so. Being tended tenderly by its mother.

[noelcmn]

Wildebeest and Elephant-Pilansberg National Park

[aslyfox]

Vultures moving in

the object on the lower right is the top of the vehicle we were in. Its "twin" is shown in the upper left. These show how close we were and adds scale

these two vultures were acting like most. They would land in one area and then walk slowly in to the carcass. They did not fly directly to the carcass

the vultures did not move fast until a number had started to feed and then the frenzy hit

[noelcmn]

Wildebeest enjoying some peace and quiet in Pilansberg-never mind that a km to its left was a leopard and to the right some lions.

[WPRESTO]

I think this is a female black-bellied bustard.

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[aslyfox]

Wildebeest enjoying some peace and quiet in Pilansberg-never mind that a km to its left was a leopard and to the right some lions.

I was amazed how calm prey animals were when in the company of predators. It was conservation of energy, they only got concerned and agitated if they thought they were truly in danger, mere presence was not enough to trigger reaction - that was the wisdom our guide John with 18 + years of experience gave us

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this is the only bustard we saw, a Kori Bustard Ardeotis kori:

"A. k. struthiunculus has an east African distribution, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya into northern Tanzania . . . Along with condors, swans and turkeys, the kori bustard is one of the world’s heaviest flying birds, as well as being the largest of all bustards . . . Being primarily a terrestrial bird, the kori bustard is reluctant to fly unless in serious danger . . . Like other bustards, it forages on foot, taking a wide variety of food items including grasshoppers, dung beetles, small reptiles, rodents, seeds, roots and wild melons . . . " - Kori bustard videos, photos and facts - Ardeotis kori | ARKive

The first photo is truer to the real coloration of the bird and terrain the second shows that the bird has its meal

[noelcmn]

The Kori Bastard is the largest flying bird in the world. And its distribution extends down to South Africa.
Rhino from Pilansberg

[WPRESTO]

I am not the biggest flyer, but I am soooooo beautiful.

[aslyfox]

The Kori Bastard is the largest flying bird in the world. And its distribution extends down to South Africa.
Rhino from Pilansberg

that is what another source said, it is the largest (heaviest) bird that flies. the source I linked to does list the other subspecies kori kori as being in Southern Africa.

[WPRESTO]

I'll remark on one of my observations about human preoccupations, in this case with "-est" = biggest, smallest, tallest, longest, deepest, highest, fastest, widest, oldest, newest, brightest, firstest, lastest, etc, etc. (other preoccupations: the power of candles, the power in words, and as noted in my signature, the desire to deny truth)

[aslyfox]

I'll remark on one of my observations about human preoccupations, in this case with "-est" = biggest, smallest, tallest, longest, deepest, highest, fastest, widest, oldest, newest, brightest, firstest, lastest, etc, etc. (other preoccupations: the power of candles, the power in words, and as noted in my signature, the desire to deny truth)

in law school this distinction between English appellate practice and US appellate practice was pointed out: an English lawyer wants to cite the oldest case which is believed to be "controlling authority", the American lawyer wants to cite the case which literally had been announced minutes before

one of my favorite memories of presenting a case is when opposing counsel had cited a case to the Judge as controlling

I pointed out the the Judge that the paragraphs cited actually was the appellate court reciting the decision made by the trial court which the appellate court was overruling as being in error.

I actually had presented the same case to the Judge since it clearly supported my argument.

The attorney or his law clerk didn't read the entire case but rather just read a blurb. He didn't do his job.

[noelcmn]

Wild Dog, part of a small pack in Pilansberg National Park.

[WPRESTO]

Slate-colored junco, AKA "snow bird" - femalel. Quick to come when there are seeds in a feeder, but they greatly prefer to forage on the ground.