Our boat slowly floated in to the edge of the shore to get a closer look at this huge crocodile. It was atleast 15 feet long and it’s mouth was big enough to swallow me whole. The red area in the mouth is where the gular valve is located, which prevents water from going down the trachea when the animal is under water. On land they hold their mouths open to dissipate heat and to get their teeth cleaned by brave birds and insects.
The surface of this overturned metal container was extremely hot in the late afternoon sun. As a result this little agama lizard lifted up it’s feet as the heat waves rolled up and off the container.
A colony of red throated bee eaters creates numerous nest cavities in clay cliffs along the Nile.
With so many beautiful birds in Uganda, its impossible to pick a favourite but these red throated bee eaters are high up on my list. So colourful, with remarkable flying abilities, they snatch fast flying insects (including but not limited to bees) out of mid air in a blink of an eye. Trying to capture these birds in flight was extremely difficult.
By coating himself in mud, this old bull buffalo is able to cool off and more importantly, limit the amount of exposed skin to biting insects.
A Nile crocodile splashes water as it gulps down a piece of hippo meat.
Two young male giraffe lines up and smash their heads against each other in Murchison Falls National Park.
This prehistoric looking hornbill slowly flew across the sky in Murchison Falls National Park.
I have done the boat trip up to Murchison Falls several times and each time there is something new. From nesting bee eaters to a crocodile feasting on a floating hippo carcass (photos to come!) the trip up the Nile is spectacular. This year the water level was extremely high which limited the ability of wading birds to find suitable habitat to fish. To compensate this little egret perched on an almost completely submerged boulder adjacent to some turbulent water. With the bird and foreground lit up by the late afternoon sun and the background shaded by one of the adjacent cliffs the bird really stands out in this photo.
Owen Slater Photography 