Spring Season September To November In Southern Hemisphere
Technically Spring starts on the 23rd September, although here in South Africa we celebrate Spring Day on the 1st September with children going to school in civvies, also often ends up being a pretty cold day over the last couple of years.
After recent snowfall inland over last couple of days. Today it hot without a breath of wind. Blustering winds blew through, suddenly chilly weather disappears as quickly as it appeared, who knows perhaps this is the start now, or maybe not!
Look what's going on under the wax flower, out in the midday sun Common Mother-of-Pearl (Protogoniomorpha parhassus) now heading toward the season of procreating into next seasons butterflies.
Butterfly is approximately 8 cm with wingspan, females can grow as large as 9 cm, no wonder they say the butterfly sometimes thinks it is a bird.
Red satiny flowers bobbing under blue skies luring birds and insects to enjoy a sip of life.
Currently in bloom is the Bottlebrush shrub/tree I think the (Callistemon citrinus 'Splendens') produce copious nectar and pollen, let's take time to see who visits the young plant with only a couple of flowers at the moment.
Spectacled weaver (Ploceus ocularis) although not very social with birds of their own species, they stick together as families or pairs. Being omnivores enjoy insects, seeds, fruit and nectar, a regular bird found in the woodlands and forest edges here in our gardens and grow to around 15cm long.
Amethyst Sunbird (Chalcomitra amethystina) this could be the female or juvenile feeling at the plant. Slightly larger sunbird measuring about 14cm, aggressively dominant over prized plant when they have their time visiting.
Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata) part of the waxbill family. Common bird to the Eastern parts of South Africa they tend to flock together, perhaps it is the small size of these 9 - 10cm birds stick together in numbers.
Mainly eat grass seeds so who would have guessed a sip off the bottlebrush would do the trick!
Swooping out after mad minute frenzy eating, six or seven birds took off once again in a hurry, the pollen at that time of the day must have attracted these birds in all within a half an hour.
Fruitful photography time, now back indoors out of the heat of the day.
All photography is my own using Canon Powershot. Any queries or requests please drop a comment below or make contact with me, have a wonderful day! Photography without tripod, go with the flow wherever life takes you.
Thought for Today: "Haste and hurry can only bear children with many regrets along the way." - African Proverb