I found the nest on a farm that borders on the mountains.
It is the first week of feeding, and I could see that the babies of the Malachite Sunbirds (Nectarinia famosa) hatched, as I timed the female coming in to feed every 20 or so minutes. We know that the babies will leave the nest in about 2 to 3 weeks' time, and that will be the best time for me to get the little ones on camera, like I did and posted the babies one year ago. They are really beautiful little critters, and once out of the nest they keep both parents very busy with the feeding. Not only with the feeding, but they also have to teach them what to eat and how to fly.
Sadly, this time, they built the nest in the shade and it's very difficult to get the feeding shots, due to the light, but I tried and I will even show you the mom in the nest in the last part of this post. Soon she will no longer be able to climb into the nest as the baby or babies will grow bigger and there will be no space for the mom. They don't build the nest in the same place every year, and this time they built it on a long branch at the back of a big pincushion bush.
Come and have a look.
It's about the best shot that I could get of the mom feeding.
But this is better, as you can see this guy telling the world that he is now a father.
He even sat crooning with happiness.
He popped down for a nectar drink.
And then he flew away to get some insects for the babies.
Here below, I will show you the mom in the nest.
Keep your eyes on the center of the picture, as she blends in very well with the plant growth, and the nest was camouflaged.
I know it is hard to see, but there she showed me her beak and eye.
Just a closer shot of her on the nest.
Finally, she will pop out of the nest, in order to go and get a drink of nectar, and when her babies are out of the nest, she will show them that they have plenty to eat.
They are experts with nest camouflage in order to hide it from predators, and it makes it difficult for me to find the nests. But thankfully, I have learned to watch where they often land on a bush or a shrub, and that gives me an idea where the nest is, but it takes a lot of searching. No one knows about that nest, and I keep it quiet in fear that someone will try to disturb them. I just cannot wait for their babies to emerge, as it is always such an exciting find. They are not your normal birds, and in my mind the Malachite Sunbirds are very special.
Such is life.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the post.
Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
Until next time, cheers!
