Zambia defies my kind of photography, the scenery being so vast and flat. On the blog I try to square up the photos for consistency and big view shots don’t square up very well. Besides, I love shooting birds. It is wildly frustrating and difficult and I’m sure I drive Jim crazy doing it but once in a while there is a satisfying shot and I am energized.

While waiting for birds or looking for them, or holding still hoping they won’t see me, many other creatures appear. Standing on the deck overlooking the Zambezi, waiting for the green pigeon to appear, a snake dropped out of the tree next to me. Not a big snake but hey. It’s a snake in Africa. It came out of a tree and is inches from me. Before I can gather my wits and leap off the deck into the croc infested river, an army of Chinese tourists jump up with their huge glass and the snake panics and disappears. I miss the photo of the tourists.

The Trumpeter Hornbill is a good spot, a first for me. The Collared Barbet is a first as well. A favorite is the Robin Chat; they are as common as needy children and their song is indescribably sweet. Children sing too, they run down the road after us calling “Sweet! Sweet!” and it sounds just like a bird, tweet tweet. The kids want candy. The birds don’t care.