EXTREMELY VOCAL, a squeaky conversational kittle-te-ker chatter delivered, found in almost every aquatic habitat. An opportunist fish feeder, diving conventionally from a perch, from the Kotu bridge in the Gambian, you would be very unlucky not to see three or four at any given time. Just love them to bits.

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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, the weekend is coming on strong, enjoy, but stay well and safe, God bless you..........................................Tomx

STONECHATS are easy to find if you visit a suitable habitat, birds often perch conspicuously and announce their presence with harsh, agitated calls. Seen at the ancient highway at Sandwich Kent.

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THANKING YOU, for your visit and friendship, its so good seeing your images, being transported around the world from the comfort of my home.

Stay safe and well, God bless...............................................Tomx.

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"JESUS loves you, YES YOU !"

Let him into your life !!!!

SEXES similar, a bulky dark ibis, normally associated with water, found in marshes, rice paddies and riverine forest. Feeds on mollusks, aquatic worms and divingbeetles by either probing or picking up food from the surface. Perches high, often in pairs, extremely noisy at dawn and dusk, particularly if disturbed. Not the most attartive Ibis, but was posing so well.

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THANK YOU for your visit, friendship, and kind comments,

Hope you all are safe and well.....................Tomx

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COURTSHIP DISPLAY VERY RARELY SEEN.

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My jaw hit the ground, when two of these beauties started a courtship display, have many images of the entire ferormance, something I will never forget.

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MY LAST GAMBIAN IMAGE. have over 1100 keeper images have posted only 33. Such a joy for me to show them.

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THANK YOU, for your visit, friendship, and comments, enjoy the LORDS day, stay safe and well, God bless you....Tomx

BRIEF ENCOUNTER, with this beauty , before it took of and lost track of it at Sandwich Bay, Kent UK. A plump-bodied bunting, and its attractive appearance and typically confiding nature, except in my case lol. ensure that it is a favorite among birdwatchers.

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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, love reading your comments, which I am very thankful for, and find encouraging.

Keep safe and well my friends, enjoy the weekend God bless you.................................Tomx

Canon's ultimate macro lens. irvingphotographydenver.com/whats-in-your-photography-bag...

FAVOURS light woodland, forest-thicket edges, largely insectivorous with most prey collected on the ground.

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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, love reading any comments, and will return the visit as soon as I can.

Enjoy the new week, and stay safe and well God bless.......Tomx

THESE elegant dabbling ducks, normally bid a hasty retreat when you point a camera at them, but on this village pond, they swam towards me looking for food, just amazing to see at Rottingdean East Sussex UK.

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THANK YOU for your visit and friendship, do hope you have an enjoyable weekend but stay safe, God bless you.....Tomx

AN ACTIVE little wader, more coastal in Winter. Across its extensive breeding range, the Dunlin is rather variable in terms of its size and the intensity of its breeding plumage, more striking still is the variability in the species bill length.

Seen at Minnis Bay Birchington Kent.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, love reading your comments, and will look forward to doing the same on your lastest posting.

Enjoy the new week, keep safe and well, God bless......

.......................................Tomx

A GREETING CARD star, one of the nations favourites. Often bold and inquisitive in garden settings, strongly and conspicuously territorial, so how can you not take its picture, I love them, seen at Stodmarsh, Kent, UK.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP in these difficult times, please leave a comment, and I will look forward to doing the same on your latest posting.

Enjoy the rest of the week, stay safe, God bless..............Tomx

A DAZZLINGLY ATTRACTIVE bird ! taken from a back view for a change. Note the dagger-like bill, ideal for catching fish. Seen at the David feast hide, Stodmarsh Kent.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND ! your comments mean a lot to me, and are always appreciated , will look forward to seeing your latest posting and doing the same. Keep well and safe, God bless ..........................................................Tomx

SLIM DARK ELEGANT Heron. with a frail-looking neck, almost as big as the more common grey heron, makes you appreciate that those grasses are a lot more than a meter tall. It is a shy and solitary heron, that hunts more for frogs, snails, crabs, and larger insects., a very difficult bird to approach, so a distant capture, but a joy to find one.

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THANK YOU, FOR YOUR VISIT AND COMMENTS, it is always appreciated and find encouraging, am showing my images from the Gambian birding trip.

Keep safe and well, God bless you.....................Tomx

A TINY WARBLER that is perhaps known for its onomatopoeic song Chiff Chaff- Chiff Chaff. It is a restless feeder, constantly on the move among foliage in search of invertebrates. About now they migrate south to wintering grounds in the Mediterranean, some do overwinter in the South East of the UK.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, hope you have had better weekend weather than Kent where it did not stop raining. Enjoy the new week ahead, Please stay safe, may God bless ...................................................Tomx.

DUMPY and short-tailed woodland bird, the Nuthatch has the habit of descending tree trunks head-downwards in a jerky mannor. The chisel-like bill is used to prise insects from tree bark, and to hammer open acorns wedged into bark crevices. It is also a frequent visitor to garden bird feeders in rural areas, sadly not mine.

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THANK YOU for your visit and comments, will look forward to returning to your photostream, and commenting on your lastest image.

OFFLINE for three days, enjoy the weekend, stay safe, God bless...............................Tomx

SMALL DUMPY WADER, which is associated mainly with coastal habitats. Feeds in groups by running along the sand or estuarine mud as if powered by clockwork and then standing still for a few seconds before picking a food item from the ground. Also find this bird very difficult to approach, hence a fairly heavy crop here.

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THANKS FOR BEING A FRIEND, enjoy the new week, stay safe and well, God bless.....................................Tomx.

LARGEST SEABIRD in the region. Very distinctive, easily recognized in flight by its cigar-shaped body and long narrow wings it was a real l delight to see so many at Bemton cliffs.

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THANK YOU, for your visit friendship and comments, love seeing your images and being transported around the world from the comfort of y armchair. Keep safe and well...........

God bless you,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Tomx

CAPTURED on the very top of the tallest tree, this forest resident was never going to be an easy subject. With a massive bill, he will have no trouble cracking that nut. my first time seeing one, so had to show, despite the poor quality at such a difficult spot.

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THANK YOU for your visit, friendship, and kind comments, love reading them, and will enjoy going to your latest posting and doing the same.

Stay safe and well................... God bless you............. Tomx

SMALL AND DUMPY wader that is associated mainly with coastal habitats. Feeds by running along sand or estuarine mud, as if powered by clockwork and then standing still for a few seconds before picking a food item from the ground. My last is the series of birds from Minnis Bay area of Birchington Kent, which was one of my most productive mornings I can remember in a long time.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, please stay safe and well, enjoy the weekend, God bless you........................Tomx

UNOBTRUSIVE little woodland bird, this one lost his nest in a decaying tree stump, during the resent thunderstorms, and is now proceedind to go for a second brood. Seen with cobwebs fot the new nest., wish them more luck this time.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, so many things going on in my life at the moment am struggling to get onto Flickr so often, please bear with me. Wish you all good health and happiness, stay safe, God Bless................Tomx.

afternoon sighting in Shaba Nature Reserve, Kenya, in 2010.

Gerenuk are also called Giraffe Gazelle or Giraffe-necked Gazelle.

A medium-sized antelope with a long thin neck and a small head; it often feeds while standing on the hind legs and

lives in arid areas, mainly in Northern Kenya

Litocranius walleri

gerenoek of girafgazelle

gazelle de Waller ou antilope-girafe

Giraffengazellen oder Gerenuk

IUCN RED LIST STATUS: Near Threathened

Many thanks for your views, favorites and supportive comments.

All rights reserved. ButsFons©2021

My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

URBAN and RURAL bird, extremely vocal, and a proficient mimic , it forms sizable flocks out-side breeding season, The starling walks with a characteristic swagger, and a joy to see .

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THANK YOU, for your visit and kind comment, will return to see and comment on your latest images. please stay safe, God bless. ........................................Tomx.

Gambia tour 2020.

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JOY OF JOYS, my brother spotted and called HOOPOE, no way I thought !!! But yes it was, our first sighting in the Gambia. Bless its heart, it let us very near, and I have over 100 keeper images, it was completely relaxed, and never stopped grooming itself, a experience I will never forget . Seen in the Kotu area.

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THANK YOU for being a friend and leaving a comment. Will look forward to visiting your photo stream and and doing the same on your latest posting. The weekend is coming on fast, enjoy, say safe, and may God bless you in all you do.

...................................................Tomx

It's always nice to see these guys folks, and I.M.H.O. I also think they photography so well that they make me look like a better photographer than I really am.

Thanks to all for everything.

U.K BIRDS

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70 GAMBIAN IMAGES POSTED, NOW BACK TO THE LOCAL BIRDS !! THANK YOU FOR ALL THE AMAZING COMMENTS !

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DELIGHTFUL long-tailed bird, seen at Elmley Marshes, Sheppy Kent, ground feeding for insects at the feet of grazing animals, in the U.K from April to September, a sheer delight to see them.

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THANK YOU, FOR YOUR SUPPORT, have stuggled to find enthusium for the less colorful British birds, but have now got a few worth putting up.

ENJOY your day, stay well and safe, God bless.......................

......................................Tomx.

Lens: Tamron AF SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Macro 1: 1

male bird in Kafue National Park, Zambia

Nikon D500 with Sigma 150-600mm 5.0-6.3 Sport

sometimes called Black-bellied Korhaan

lissotis melanogaster (in the past it was eupodotis melanogaster)

zwartbuiktrap

outarde à ventre noir

Schwarzbauchtrappe

Your views, favorites and supportive comments are highly appreciated.

All rights reserved. ButsFons©2020

Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.

GAMBIA TOUR feb. 2020

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U.K WADERS SEEN IN THE GAMBIA

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4th In the series, a real beauty, you can approach these birds much more than in the U.K, but you may not want to with this one, because that sludge is sewage, found at the local treatment plant, as do many other birds.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, it means such a lot. Am hoping the Government will allow nature reserves and parks to open soon, as I think this would still be safe, maybe keep the hides and information buildings locked up.

Stay strong and safe my friends, you are in my prayers.............

God bless...................................Tomx

BLACK BERRY FEAST, a flock of these seen at Oare Marshes Kent, and they allowed good views to be had, than leave the fruit, A summer visitor to the region, more common in the south of England, soon will be leaving us for a warmer climate, it was once again, all about, being in the right place at the right time.

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THANK YOU for your time and comments, it is appreciated , God bless you and keep you safe..................Tomx.

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ITS THE LORDS DAY, visit a church near you, celebrate his life, ask him into yours, for life changing experiences.

Lens? what else;)

GAMBIA TOUR feb. 2020

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HAMERKOP is famous for vocal displays with bowing and wing-spreading ceremonies frequent copulation's with its large shaggy crest fully erect when alarmed or excited, have so many images of this courtship, but with a rather drab surroundings , they did not read my script ....lol. A joy to watch just the same.

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THANK YOU for being a friend, love reading your comments, will look forward to checking out your latest posting .

PLEASE, please, stay very well and safe, God bless you all... ............................................Tomx

DELIGHTFUL PLUMP-BODIED WADER, not often seen, and taken in very dark conditions, the best of a bad bunch, but just enjoy catching up with this pair every-year at the sea side defense wall, from Jan to about April. Seen a Hampton near Herne Bay, Kent, U.K.

GAMBIA FEB 2019

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LARGEST Senegambian barbet, thickset black, red and white bird with enormous yellow-horn bill, which is both grooved and double-toothed, love the bare eye-patches.Close up views show a thick tuft of bristles on each side of bill base. Favors well wooded areas, this was taken from my apartment balcony about 25yds away,, and it was the only place we saw them.

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THANK YOU for your visit and kind comments, will always return the visit to your photo-stream. Stay safe God bless.. ......................................Tom.

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Yellow Black or White, all are precious in Gods Sight !!

MY GAMBIAN holiday has gone quickly, without leaving my cottage and not a hint of a suntan. Am very concerned over all our friends out there, who are now not getting any income whatsoever. hope we will see them next Jan when we have rebooked. Back to UK Garden and Local birds tomorrow..

SQUACCO HERON, favors freshwater fringes, flooded fields ponds, and mangrove swamps. Generally solitary stands motionless at the water's edge or tall grassy vegetation where it is difficult to detect. Hope you have enjoyed them.

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP, it means so much, in these lockdowns that seem to go on forever. We have snow today, uncommon for Kent, so keep them birds fed, and do look after yourselves.....................God bless............. Tomx.

.G

A familiar bird of our wetlands, the Coot is often seen on park lakes, ponds and rivers. It spends more of its time on the water than its relative, the Moorhen, and will dive to catch small invertebrates. Unlike ducks, Coots will bring their catch to the surface before eating it, leading to squabbles over food. Coots breed in spring, laying between six and nine eggs in nests made among emergent vegetation. Coot chicks are black with orange fluff around the face and body; they are independent within two months of hatching.

The Coot can be distinguished from the similar-looking Moorhen by its larger size, entirely black body (with no white patches), and bright white bill. Coots spend much of their time away from the bankside, diving for food.

This guy gave us a lot of photo ops and was a very cooperative participant.

Good day today folks and the weather held up.

Thanks for the visit, it is so very much appreciated.

DELIGHTFUL and often confiding little bird with a proportionately very long tail and seemingly an almost spherical body. The long-tailed Tit is often seen in rather animated flocks; it moves in a rather jerky fashion and has acrobatic feeding habits, which is so entertaining to watch, one of my favorite birds, captured through the kitchen window on a very wet day, hence the 1/30 shutter speed on a I.S.O of 1250.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, please leave a comment, and I will look forward to returning the visit.

Stay safe and well, God loves you, keep a smile on your face and love in your heart for everyone..............................Tomx

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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING !"

Well folks soon after he posed and danced and we said out good-bye's he left, literally left and missed the shot only to have the wings clipped and for that I apologize, but I tried.

Thanks to all for everything.

DESPITE being a comparatively recent addition to the British list, the Collared Dove is now a familiar sight in the region. Its distinctive call is also well know, particularly in urban areas, as is its gliding display flight performed on bowed, outstretched wings. (Note the bright yellow is a leaf )

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THANK YOU, love reading your comments, always appreciated, and will pay a return visit Please stay safe, God bless,................Tomx.

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THE TRUE MEANING of CHRISTMAS, often gets lost in the rush of the season: the shopping, the parties, and wrapping of presents. BUT the essence of the season is the greatest gift of all times, GOD gave us JESUS CHRIST, his own son !

CONFIDING, delightful, plump-bodied wader. Feeding birds can often be watched for prolonged periods at a range of just a few metres. resident from Sept. to April, found at coastal outermost points of any rocky headland.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND, your visit and comments are always appreciated, and will look forward to returning the visit, and doing the same on your latest image.

Keep a simile on your face and love in your heart for everyone

God bless......................................Tomx.

ONE of SEVEN SNIPES seen at the Restharrow hide at Sandwich bay Kent yesterday. EASILY RECOGNIZED by its dumpy, rounded body, short legs, and its incredibly long straight bill, to probe vertically downwards into the soft mud. Often very shy, and hide away, but got lucky today, was a real joy to have something to photograph..

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THANK YOU for your support and very kind comments, am struggling to keep up with seeing and commenting on your images, please bare with me. God bless and keep you well and safe.......

...................Tomx

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"GODs BEAUTY is SIMPLY AMAZING !"

font: Great Britain

See more in my set Clematis

PARENTS share incubation, they both feed the chick in its shallow burrow for about 40 days, then desert it. The chick stays in its burrow for seven to ten days, without food, as its plumage develops.It then makes its way to the sea by night to advoid hungry gulls. The young puffin does not return to the colony for two to three years, and does not breed until it is four to five years old. Seen at Skomer Island, South Wales.

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THANK YOU, for your visit and kind comment, will return to your lastest posting to comment very soon.

Enjoy your new week, stay well and safe...........God bless............ ............................................Tomx

Lens used: Aus Jena T 50mm F2.8

Lens mounted on Movo Photo AF Macro Extension Tube Set 16+21

El Prado municipal park, Curridabat, Costa Rica