african jacana

Showing a bit of foot action

I've been having a productive day at work today. Been a while since I've gotten any writing done, but now close to finishing a paper. Time to stop for today, post these 3 images (all of them lifers that day), then hike home, make dinner, and catch up browsing after that. Here's another shot of...

Next day was bright and sunny, with clear, fresh-washed air. The most perfect photography day we had all trip :D We started out with a pre-breakfast excursion to the camp's water reservoir, then a walk around the shrubbery areas of the campground, then ... well, we'll get to the rest of the day...

In the wetland outside the garden

On the way down river to the rapids Elis spotted an African Jacana this was our first Wader Quest tick of the morning. http://www.waderquest.org/

Very elegant. Unlike the Fats Waller song, her feets not too big.

The male African jacana has evolved some remarkable adaptations for parental care, such as the ability to pick up and carry chicks underneath its wings. If you look closely at the picture you will see four pair of legs. These chicks are a little big to pickup but they can still hide under...

African jacanas has evolved a highly unusually polyandrous mating system, meaning that one female mates with multiple males and the male alone cares for the chicks.

Photographed from the info centre/hide in the Abuko Reserve.

Lake Panic in Kruger NP is one of the few places where there is a hide in the park. Apparently some people have had really interesting mammal sightings from there, but with the exception of crocodiles we only saw birds. Very pleasant place.

A close-up taken at Lake Panic hide, Kruger National Park.

These birds are sometimes known as Lilytrotters. The large toes spread their weight allowing them to walk on floating vegetation. What is less well known is that like Dotterel and Phalaropes it is the males who tend to the young.

This was one of two jacanas foraging atop the water lilies at a small "dam" at Mankwe Wildlife Reserve in South Africa.

These birds are very common in the wetlands of Uganda

Even this African Jacana was struggling with the thick glaur!

While waiting for the ferry to the south shore of the Victoria Nile, I spied this bird in a small marsh by the ferry dock. The bird was on the move when I photographed it.

Taken at the lily pond - Kotu