Three gaping mouths for Daddy Malachite Sunbird to fill! Three!! And here is the evidence. This is such a beautiful photo. It captures so much. Every time I see one of the hard working little parents bring their hatchlings a meal I strain to count the babies. I was sure there were three but I only ever see two - with a quick flash of possibility. Until today. Three baby Malachite Sunbirds!!! And the BuckarooBabies were here to share the excitement. Homesteading is the best homeschooling classroom.
Isn't Daddy Sunbird beautiful! That green and blue shimmers in our summer sun. He is very fast. He lands so suddenly and then is gone. Mama Sunbird stays longer. Like a concerned mother she feeds then fusses and hovers over her offspring. While their gape insistently to get her attention.
For a short while after their meal is delivered two of the little beaks continue gaping. There is one that is extremely insistent. We'll just him Guts. I'm hoping it is a him. Although there are soft hints of yellow feathers. This one is the only one whose eyes are now open. The others are still closed. And their colouring remains a dark grey stripe.
It will be interesting to see which are female and which that of the beautiful green males. There are already differences in their markings. Of the two that are easy to see the one has a more grey beak and the other yellow. It is hard to imagine that the insects the parents bring are so big - and yet each hatchling swallows an entire Monarch butterfly or nasty black locust.
The Malachite Sunbird parents work tirelessly all day. I love hearing the gentle whirring of their wings. Although it is difficult to follow their movement because they are so fast. It is hard to believe that these tiny Sunbird babies will be ready to leave their nest in a week or two already! It has been such an incredible experience learning about the Malachite Sunbird from such a front row seat. A homeschooling lesson for both BuckarooBabies and their parents!
