The little one was so cute on our water bottle.
This is a Cape White-eye (Zosterops virens), and the parents have obviously taught it where to find a drink.
I could not see the parents anywhere, and that means that this little one was out on its own. The parents do this in order to force their children to start feeding and drinking themselves. It's a tough way, but very effective. I wonder if we tried to do this as parents with our little children, what the outcomes would be. Lead them to the fridge in the kitchen, open the door of the fridge, show them the food, and then leave them alone. Go out shopping while they have to feed themselves. I can guarantee that there would be absolute bedlam when you return:))
After the drinking session, the baby flew across the road to sit in the lower branches of an Acacia tree. I continued to watch it in case one of the local house cats pitched up. But eventually the baby moved up higher into the tree.
And then, look who landed on the granadilla fence.
The song master is a Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus), and although it is one of the smallest of our sunbird species, it is reckoned as the best singer.
Yep, he knew that I was close, but I did not move. Nevertheless, he popped up every few seconds to keep an eye on me, as he flitted around searching for nectar in the bush.
And then, he decided to give me a song, but the song was cut short as his wife arrived and she scattered him.
Finally, the wife was also sipping some nectar.
Just to show you the habits of some of our local birds that stay here during winter. Our days are starting to get much cooler, but we enjoy the days and we are glad that the sweating days are over. It was an extremely hot summer and from what we have seen, in our first winter storm that arrived now in late autumn, we are in for some more severe winter storms. Our town is in the western cape, it has a Mediterranean climate, with winter rainfall. The amazing thing is that just over the mountain, that divides our coastal town from the interior, they have summer rainfall. We only hope and pray that everyone will be safe this winter.
Such is life.
I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and the story.
Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.
Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.
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