thecaveofthedead's photostream

Some of you might know that the Scarlet Ibis is not one of the Ibises to be found wild in South Africa. This was taken at The Birds of Eden, a huge single aviary created near Jeffrey's Bay by enclosing a valley in netting on poles.

Lovely to see these exotic birds in a space big enough for them to really live.

Not the sharpest pic, I know, but I did love the shape this one formed. Most captive Scarlet Ibis I've seen do not manage to reach this spectacular colour - as you'd see them in the wild in Florida or Central America. But Birds of Eden must be feeding them right. Because this is as I saw this guy caught in a shaft of late afternoon light.

Aparna once went with her folks to Addo Elephant Park and saw not a one. I was eager to convince her that the name was not a preposterous lie.

Luckily it turned out not to be.

A reprise of a picture the last time I was at Panorama Paul's place to "Shoot the Little Karoo."

What a privilege being there. Wonderful location and wonderful people. Aparna and I had a blast all over again.

The Taj Mahal is a thing not easily shot differently. I make no claims for the uniqueness of this one either.

But I was struck by how familiar the traditional straight on view of the monument was, and yet how unfamiliar the beautiful grounds of the complex. It seemed to me that the gardens surrounding the Taj were as beautiful a place to spend a day as any on earth. Ring-Necked Parakeets flew overhead constantly like little green fighter-planes. The grass was lush and beautiful. It's a total escape from the dust of Indian cities - especially when I'd only been in the country three days and was a bit rattled by the mad busy-ness of the place.

If anything in the medieval world lives up to the story books, it's the palaces and monuments of the Islamic empires - so wonderfully luxurious compared with the dour and fortified Christian world. I've seen one or two of the famous monuments on the tourist map, and the Taj Mahal lives up to the hype beyond any other I've seen.

It's a bit sad when a single view of a famous subject becomes so famous that any other view is shockingly unfamiliar.

Shot on the flawless Nikon F100 with a 24-85mm lens and Fuji Provia.

I love how the Strandfontein Sewerage Works are like a paradise. This is not the typical impression people have of places where a city's excrescence is processed.

But of course all that yummy muck supports an ecosystem, starting with bacteria and algae and moving up the ranks until you get to these zany outliers of evolution: Greater Flamingos.

I can get despondent about living in South Africa, but being able to see stuff like this 15mins drive from home helps to put things in perspective.