Cape Sugarbird ~ South Africa - Dec '17

High on my targeted want list for South Africa were Sugarbirds and Sunbirds with Malachite probably being my favourite but unfortunately although I did see them they gave no photographic opportunities the same went for Orange-breasted, Southern Double-collared were the most abundant but the males were in moult.

So on to day one December 2nd and in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town feeding on Proteas was a Cape Sugarbird the light wasn't great but the bird performed well ..

  

This male was a real poser ..

Cape Sugarbirds are also endemic.

At Harold Porter Botanical Gardens, Betty's Bay on the 4th there were many more birds feeding on the Proteas in better light, one problem with the gardens is that they don't open until 08:00am and with the sun rising at 05:30am the best of the light had been and gone so it was already beginning to be harsh, and also straying from the tracks to more vegetated areas  for that better angle or another bird had its drawbacks as to the possibility of highly venomous snakes like Puff Adders might of been a little over cautious but more research on this for next time will be useful ..

Would of liked to of seen some tail in this one ..

A bit more of a head turn otherwise pleased with this one ..

My favourite image of the Cape Sugarbird ..

Maybe next time I will try August ..