Goodness Grays!

I visited Colchester Zoo in March 2022, but having hired a zoom lens (Canon RF100-500mm) for a few days, I needed to return to the zoo for some wildlife photography. The photo above is of a beautiful grey crowned crane and is an image I could never have got with my usual 35mm lens. The zoo itself is large so I explored new areas and saw animals that I had missed on the last trip.

My first aim was to find the lion! It was a hot sunny day and the lion, as well as many other animals, were resting in the shade or snoozing in their homes behind glass screens; hence the different colour patches in the photos.

While most of the monkeys were sleeping, the meerkats were paying attention all the time. They are the most photogenic of animals.

Last time I was here I completely missed seeing the Siberian tigers. Today there were two walking around a large enclosure and the smallest of the two climbed up onto a platform to rest in the sunshine.

I also saw more of the rhinos on this visit. Many of the animals at the zoo had youngsters, including the rhinos.

Today the flamingoes were hiding under the trees to keep cool. But the ostrich in the enclosure with the rhinos was not hiding at all, and walked towards me to have its photograph taken! It was only when I was looking at the photographs at home that I noticed that the ostrich was winking at me!!!

When visiting the zoo, it is important not to overlook the smaller animals. There is a collection of brightly plumed Rainbow Lorikeets which you can feed with pots of nectar. These were clearly smart birds, as one was able to hold the plastic pot of nectar by itself with no need for human help. One though was trying hard to bury its head in the ground, although it might have been thinking of making a tunnel to nest in.

And while the zoo is for captive animals, the wild birds also know that there is food to be had here. So my final photo is of an English robin which sat on a fence near where I was eating my sandwiches.