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wow impressive portraits

Welcome to the forum karman. Great shots and yes, I agree, male and juvenile.

Hi all,

I am new to this thread but just feel that I have to add my penny's worth.

Ground Hornbills are certainly one of my favorites in the bush ever-since
my first safari through Moremi in the early eighties. I can still recall the first morning of that safari, we had decided to sleep in after the previous day's
long drive and getting stuck in sand - there were much less prepared roads in those days.

At sun-rise we were welcomed with the booming music of the ground hornbills from several directions. What a wonderful world ! !

Over subsequent years I have noticed how ground hornbills becoming more plentiful - over last few years we normally have at least one sighting per day in KNP. Incidentally, I can recall at least one group with two sub-adults.

Also, here in KZN we have sighted them in Oribi Gorge, also right next to the N3 approx. 20 km south of Van Reenens Pass and of all places, on farm land in the Drakensberg foot hills close to the Drakensberg wilderness area - cold grass veldt at approx 2000 meter altitude !

I attach two photos of the Drakensberg Ground Hornbills which I concider as unusual habitat for these birds.

Gerrie.
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We have a house in the reserve where the Ground Hornbill Breeding Programme is taking place and we know Anne Turner well. A will ago several of the birds vanished from the reserve so they used the birds' collars to locate them, they tracked them to a farm so they went there with the police to investigate. When they asked the farmer and his wife they denied any knowledge but when they asked the workers the workers told them that the birds were there and showed them where the birds were: they were in on of the farmer's sheds where they had been put in creates to be flown overseas.

Yesterday on the H4-1 just past the S79 loop on LS side. Check rings.

Saw 5 beauties approx 20 Km north of Satara beginning July 2011.
Always nice to find and interesting to watch these birds! They seem to be increasing in Kruger?

nice pictures ... July 2011 ...

Anne-marie of course ... it must be June!!!
Am already looking ahead for my next visit. Trying to speed up the calendar!


NO TO HOTELS IN KRUGER. HAS ALWAYS BEEN GOOD UP TILL NOW
WITHOUT HOTELS!
WHAT WENT WRONG?

This shy fellow was seen near Mingerhout Dam in December.

Ground Hornbills feeding on a Puff Adder that was killed by a car :

Had several sightings of these fantastic birds in April. Are their numbers increasing in Kruger?


13041140412 029 by jansp, on Flickr

Please tell Anne that Di's friend and Di sends regards, I wrote many cheques for the project.

wow flying cheetah what a sighting
poor Puff Adder but good for Ground Hornbill
cruel but nice pictures

Nov 2011.................H9.