Still early as they only nest in the last weeks of winter.
At first, I will show you the male Malachite (Nectarinia famosa) above, and then the female and their youngster.
The Arican wild dagga bushes, also known as Lion’s tail, (Leonotis Leonurus) have started to bloom, and they bloom from February to July,
All the migrant birds have gone back to the warmer countries in the northern hemisphere, to escape our winter cold, and now only our local birds remain over here in the south. The migrant birds will return to come and breed here during the spring and summer season, and they arrive from the UK, EU, USA, and from northern countries in the African continent. So, South Africa, due to its hot summers, has become a nursery for the migrant birds of the north. A good thing is that at times some migrant species choose to remain here, and this adds to South Africa’s resident bird species population.
I also have some other birds in here to show you.
I was glad to get the malachite as he took off.
And here below was the female Malachite.
Sipping nectar from a tube flower of the bush.
Look at that! Here was the junior male and sadly I could only get one photo of him.
Two other bird species below.
The White-backed Mousebird (Colius colius), was not expected in our area of the country, but in the hunt for food, they are now here.
A habit is to stick their stomachs out to warm them in the sun
I focused on the shadow of this Cape Robin Chat (Cossypha dichroa).
And finally, a shot of a Southern Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris).
I have to say that the Malachites are some of my favorites, as they belong to the sunbird family, and even if they are not great singers, their colors make up for it. But then again, each of the other birds over here have their own beauty to admire. Birdlife has a very colorful aspect to it that for me, at least, always makes life seem so much better. The secrets of nature have entrapped many bird watchers, as at times their breeding habits are stunning, and it borders on the unbelievable. But then again, just so are all the other living critters in nature.
A great occasion for me is to patiently watch how some birds build their nests, and then to finally get the baby, or babies on camera as they emerge from the nest. I have posted this in the past.
Such is life!
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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