Swallows in the shade

These swallows had found themselves some reeds over the canal in a shaded area under a date palm tree. At  16.00 the heat was in the 50c  and these swallows where panting  the first shot is of one just landed  and it was panting for breath.  I only had my normal lens with me today as I was going to photograph the sun setting behind the temple of Medinet habu and the Valley of the Queens. the swallows  just happened to be near the Road I was traveling on to get to the temple. photos of the temple at sunset will be on

http://nilelife2.blogspot.com/

Grey heron, Ardea cinerea.

Grey heron, Ardea cinerea.

.

 .

 

Blue-cheeked bee-eater,merops superciliosus,

lots of sightings today  first one was on the Wires  near the new avenue of  the sphinx the dig is disturbing the bees nesting places  usually there is a flock of them here  I only saw this one today.

.

another loner this one was on the mud bank in the flooded Nile.

.

This wa a great poser but it was far enough away to feel safe  and on a tree in the middle of a flooded garden area.

 

Little white Egret,

Now the heronry has hatched most of the eggs   the Nile is becoming like a snow patch    some are too young to fly and most perish on the first day of falling out of the nest,  or even pushed out of the nest,  many  I saw with broken wings   most survive the fall and make for the open waters of the Nile  then stand at the waters edge wondering what is next.

. 

some like this little one head out into the murky waters and find a log or flotsam to stand on  this one has a broken wing    and had to struggle to get to safety.

 

Nature is cruel  sometimes,  but maybe there are to many  at this time of year and mother nature knows what to do.

 .

 notice  the young of all the herons have greenish legs as they get older they change to black and one of the features of the Little white Egret are its yellow feet 

 .

Above,  this years chick,        below ,  an adult

 ,

Three in a row Sqacco Heron White egret, and night heron.