The first day of September is the formal spring day in South Africa.
Helloo! She said, my grandfather told me about you, as you took his photo some years ago at the nature reserve, before it burned down and so I came looking for you.
Before I start with the post narrative, just a reminder to you. Don't forget to power-up your Hive, as it is the 1st day of the new month.
A devastating wildfire razed all of the big old Protea bushes to the ground, and since then the Cape Sugarbirds also disappeared from the reserve. I think that I have seen one afterwards here at Lourensford, but that was also a long time ago, until today. This female Cape Sugarbird decided to invade the territory of the Malachite Sunbird at the farm, and I took some photos to share with you.
So come and look.
This is a Cape Sugarbird (Promerops cafer), and they are endemic to South Africa, especially in the Western Cape with all of its Protea pincushion flowers.
But someone was watching the sugarbird show.
Mr. Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) has a nest in this particular pincushion bush. And then he chased the sugarbird away.
The sugarbird scattered.
I was sad because the Malachite chased the sugarbird away, as we haven't seen the sugarbirds for a long time, and I thought such is life. So, I went around to take a photo of the new King Protea flower. A beaut, isn't it?
Psst! She whispered, I am back.
Finally, she had a quick bite and then she departed. I so hope to see her again sometime.
The male sugarbird is the prize that I want to get, as their tails are much longer, actually twice the length of its body, but it is a good sign in seeing this one as one never knows, maybe more sugarbirds will arrive here. We have so many species of birds here, that it will make your head spin, and apart from the endemics we are also waiting for the summer species to arrive, such as the Flamingos, Eagles, European Swallows, and others. Spring season has finally arrived, but Winter left us a final message of remembrance that I will share with you in another post. It has something to do with snow.
I hope that you have enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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