We now have some unseasonally warm days and it is ideal to venture into nature.
At first, I want to show you how the sunlight changes the colors of a Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) (3) shots. Then I have some great news, as I have found the Malachite's nest. (2) shots. And finally, I will show you a cute little baby Cape Weaver (Ploceus capensis) (3shots), and its mom looking desperately for food to feed the baby (2 shots).
For a long time, I wanted to show you in clear shots how the sun changes a Malachite's colors, and today I got it right. I hope that you will also find it amazing. Malachite Sunbirds have natural iridescent colors that shine in direct sunlight, and it depends on how their colors change when they are in different positions. You will see below what I am talking about.
Just look at that! would you say that this is the same bird? Yes, I guarantee you it is the same bird. A complete color change. I say green and blue, and my wife says a strange word "turquoise". Luckily my excuse is that I am semi-colorblind and so I always believe her. Lol.
Here is the good news, and I would not have found it if there was no movement.
Can you see the fluff and sticks protruding from that branch.
And this is why I saw the nest, as this female Malachite zipped past me. She swung into that opening and sadly although we saw the movement of her building the nest, I couldn't get a shot of her as the nest was hidden from my view. Now I will have to make a plan to get the nest clearly when the babies emerge. I have previously posted the two babies emerging from another nest some seasons ago. Real cute little things.
And here below is the Cape Weaver baby. A first for me to see a baby of this size and the mom stashed it between the thorns of an Acacia tree across the road. Those thorns will be sure to keep predators away, and house cats never climb into the Acacia trees. Bird wisdom.
A direct look at me where I stood across the road.
And then the baby started yelling for the mom to bring it food.
Shame, the poor mom was so desperate to find food that she came here into our garden to sit on our developing aloe flower, but I knew that she would find nothing there.
She flipped around to search for insects, but no such luck and then she was off to search elsewhere.
We hope that she found something for the baby, and sadly they do not eat peanuts that my wife crushes to feed the little laughing doves. The babies are only fed on insects, like grasshoppers, ants, beetles, and spiders. The adults feed on nectar, grains, seeds, and other fruit and plant matter. We have now seen field mice, sunbirds, white eyes, and now weavers that are pollinators of the aloe flowers here in the Cape.
The pincushion flowers (part of the Protea family) are also pollinated by mice and even squirrels, and of course many bird species. Currently the pincushions are all in bud here, and we look forward to their flowers blooming in the next month or so, as then those bushes draw many bird and insect species. This is one reason why the sunbirds, sugarbirds and other bird species make their nests nearby as they feed their babies from the pincushion flowers. Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
Until next time, cheers!
