October 30, 2022
October 29, 2022
Mating Malachite kingfishers at Rondevlei
It was my dream to get a photo of a Malachite Kingfisher at Rondevlei. They are like tiny jewels and one of my favourite birds. I chose a little section of river with a photogenic branch and waited. About half an hour later, to my utter delight, a beautiful Malachite perched on the branch in the sun. It sat contentedly and every so often, did a dive into the water to catch something. I didn't think it could get better but then it did. Another Malachite arrived from nowhere and they started to mate! Then afterwards, they lovingly touched beaks and exchanged food. One of the highlights of my birding and photography career.
I also got to photograph a couple of other birds on the same stretch of river.
