Afternoon Game Drive in Xakanaxa

 In our afternoon game drive, our guide Water took us to a large pond of water with all kinds of birds.  There were yellow-billed and saddle-billed stork, marabou stocks, greater egrets, wattles crane (with wings folded back to look like a long tail) and pelicans.  

We also saw a croc with its mouth open, to cool off.

There was a brief pas de deux as a crocodile swam into shallow water, approaching a group of storks.  They didn't look very worried, as the croc already had a fish in its mouth.  One bird in its direct path took a small step backwards, but other than that, the birds totally ignored the croc.  

When we arrived, there were just two pelicans among the other birds.  

Then more pelicans started flying in from another pond.  They came and they came and they came.  They flew in single file and did a sharp U-turn to land.  As they turned their white wings glinted in the sun against the beautiful blue sky.     

 Spectacularly beautiful.  Soon there were so many, we couldn't figure out how they could fit on the shore.  

We met some people at dinner who had watched from the departure pond, who said that even after such a flock had flown to our pool, there were many left at theirs.

Jamie got a good picture of a Marabou stork

And of a hammertoe

 And of a Grey Go-Away Bird

Since we're on the topic of birds, I'll include two other birds that we loved.  I got a close-up of a starling, a bird whose green iridescence I love.  And those orange eyes are startling.

Jamie had earlier got a great picture of an African roller

OK, let me fly away for now . . .