283 : White-crowned Lapwing

White-crowned Lapwing - Vanellus albiceps

I do have a need for a database that I carry in the field that can tell me very quickly whether I have seen a bird and whether I have photographed it before. I had an "incident" last month when I double posted an Emerald Spotted Wood-dove - With this bird I am almost passed it by because I thought it was a Yellow-wattled Lapwing - penny a dozen I thought - wrong continent Neil ! Its understandable - these birds have the longest yellow wattles I have ever seen however that does not make them an eponymous shoe-in. The name was taken by an Indian Lapwing leaving the discoverer of this wader scratching around to find another distinguishing feature. Well forgive me if the white crown didn't exactly leap at me from the river bank.

I have to say I have never seen a bird sitting in the position. It seems to be resting on the backs of its lower legs and actually propped up on it tail. This must be how a bird sits on eggs but with longer legs like these they cannot all tuck in underneath if that makes sense. Anyway I was looking at this picture and thinking weird stance - while I was making sure that it wasn't a Yellow-wattled Lapwing (linked here from a trip to Sri Lanka two years ago).

I thought I would throw in one of our favourite animals as a family today - a Bat-eared fox. On arrival at Kwihala the guides were quizzing the boys about what sort of animals they wanted to see - leopards, lions cheetahs they were asked ? No out comes various snakes, pangolins, aardwolfs (because they are "aard" naturally), honey badgers (I could write a dozen posts on those if I haven't already), Aardvarks, but also these beautiful little foxes - Bat-eared foxes. Now we had never seen one and a guide once in Ngorogoro tried to convince me that a Golden-back Jackel was a Bat-eared Fox (we were too polite to insist otherwise) but a lifetime of animal books and the BBC prepares you for each encounter doesn't it.

We pulled off the road after Tony had spotted this pair squatting under bush in the shade. Faces from a cartoon - eyes slightly too close together and the obvious apendages ! Our love affair with the underlooked and driven past in Africa will be hard to shift. Lions - you run over them everyday (well not exactly but in a good park in the right season the liklehood is that your guide knows where to find them). A bat-eared fox on the other hand - I don't know but we seemed to be the only people in camp getting excited about these "critters". Ah ?!? You can see people thinking "weird" people when you swapping a picture of a Bat-eared Fox for one of a Leopard or a male Lion.

We had one other lovely little encounter - same pair on a different day and a roll in the dust - or I think ash from a burnt part of the bush. The whole encounter lasted a few seconds I just held down the button like a paparazzi at one point. They are so skittish and full of energy when active.

Lovely - the Bat-eared victory roll.

And back to camp - a picture here of the tent I shared with my eldest son - the dry season coming into full swing and the Autumnal shades on the different types of willow.

In the height of the busy season at work (which is now) I often think I should have spent more time just sat by my tent flat watching the world go by - during the longish siesta I would churn through photos - saving down into albums for each game drive. There is a whole year to edit photos but only 3 hours a day to sit and watch the bush from the veranda of your home away from home. By the time you get back from the evening drive its usually dark and time for a shower and dinner - the only free time really is the siesta. Small birds in the bush, the odd impala, sometimes a giraffe walking through camp. Wheres the airport !

Life has cooled down a touch in Dubai so early mornings I should be able to get out and see whether I can pick up some more local pictures. 300 is coming up soon so something special for that would be good.

Yellow-wattled no ! White Crowned Lapwing, Vanellus albiceps
Tanzania, Ruaha National Park
July 2013