9. Adding Color

I’m not a “birder.”  I swear, I’m not.  But I think I could become one.  I’ve travelled with “bird people” before and didn’t get it at first.  I used to think, “What’s with all the fuss over some pretty feathers?”  Looking back, I was bordering on being a bird snob.  Then one of my Facebook friends who is a birder started posting her beautiful bird photographs.  They drifted into my newsfeed and increasingly grabbed my attention.  Then I started to get it.  Birds are intriguing, and they’re actually incredibly diverse here in Namibia, with more than 600 species to spot.  Who would have thought that birds would be part of an African animal safari?  Not me.  And would have thought that I would start to appreciate photographing some of them?  Again, not me.  I’m a giraffe girl.  Yet, here I am trying to get the perfect photograph of a Lilac-Breasted Roller while it’s perched on a twig.  I can’t help but think about how uniquely pretty it is, as are all of the birds I’ve seen here.  I try not to pick favorites among the species I’ve seen either soaring overhead, wobbling on the ground, perched, or in the water.  I also try not to have a preference between photographing species that are cheerful, dainty and cute and those that are daunting, large and predatory.  They’re all interesting.  Although I’m not at the point of wanting to photograph every bird I see — as I try to do with the giraffes — I have a greater appreciation for the beauty of the winged creatures.  The individuality of their birdcalls, coupled with the splendor and array of their colors have added another layer to my safari experience.  And who knows?  By the time I leave here some people just might call me a “birder”…