Some new finds in the apple valley!

Here he is! This is the elusive "Black Sunbird"!

I knew he was around, as I once saw him briefly, but to get him is most difficult as this guy's style is very similar to that of a dragonfly. The Black Sunbird lands, sucks a very brief period and then he disappears. Late this afternoon he decided to visit the huge granadilla bush and as you can see I got him at last. It's very much a point and shoot affair and the sunlight didn't make things easy. I also have another acrobat in this post and finally another first!
Let me show you!

At the first click of the camera he seemed disturbed and here at the second click he looked up and then he was gone!

And here's the acrobat. A "Malachite Sunbird" doing tricks on an Agapanthus flower head. Also the first time that I find him on this flower!

Amazing how they can twirl and twist to reach the nectar in the flower tubes.

And finally another first, as I have never before seen a "Blue Emperor" dragonfly laying eggs.

There is so much to see here on the apple farm that it amazes me. Not one day is the same and one has to keep an eye open to constant surprises. We are only here for 4 months now and I can already distinguish a wide range of bird calls and also some tracks of certain animals. We have collected a handful of Porcupine quills and I know that one of these days I will get one. The Blue Crane birds were also an eye opener, as I have only seen them before on government stationery, as they are proclaimed as South Africa's national bird.
And of course I am told that the count of birds of all kinds will drastically increase when all of the fruits are ripe.
Definitely something to look forward to in the future months.

Hope you have enjoyed the pictures and thank you for visiting a post by @papilloncharity

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