Perhaps my best photos of this sunbird.

Not easy to get this little guy, as they sit for only seconds.
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But on this occasion, he decided to pose for me. The last picture in this post was a great achievement.

It is a Southern Double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus), and he is the best singer of the sunbird species over here. Very fast and as I said, they do not sit for long.

The southern double-collared sunbird or lesser double-collared sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) is a small passerine bird which breeds in southern Africa. It is mainly resident, but partially migratory in the north-east of its range.
The southern double-collared sunbird is usually seen singly or in small groups. Its flight is fast and direct on short wings. It lives mainly on nectar from flowers, but takes some fruit, and, especially when feeding young, insects and spiders. It can take nectar by hovering like a hummingbird, but usually perches to feed most of the time.

Source

If you look carefully at his beak here below, you will see a piece of his strawlike tongue sticking out.
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They suck the nectar out at the base of the flowers.
105.JPG

His lunch time was over, and he returned to his work as a parking attendant. :) Only joking, as he was not finished yet.
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Then he flew to a Paradise flower, and of course I followed him.
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This below was my first time to get a pair of sunbirds sucking nectar together.

His wife at the left of the photo, joined in the action.
085.JPG

So, what can I say? I was so happy to get the last picture, as normally the sunbirds feed apart, but this was a combination of note, and it lasted for about 3 seconds, before they split apart again. You can see that they were on different flowers, but thankfully the flowers were close together.
So yeah, I am a happy man, and I am sure that you will agree that it was a great shot.
We love nature, and I am addicted to all of the sudden and beautiful appearances of nature's residents. To walk around with a loaded camera is the ultimate gift after a day's successful outing.

I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and the story.

Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.

Thank you kindly for supporting this post.



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Wow! Great photos, the sundbird sings so fast, I came across it yesterday and it was singing just like that, you photography are nice, the sunbird don't waste time to fly to another place but you were able to get some nicest photos, nice thing @papilloncharity

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I am glad that you can also see the same sunbird in your area, and yes they sing and fly very fast.
I am also glad that you like the photos.
!PIZZA

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The color is not common in our place. Thank you for sharing.😊

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Sad that you don't have the same ones, but sure that your ones are also nice.
Always a pleasure to share my passions. !PIZZA

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Great shots! I had to look again, I did not see the second bird in the last photo, perhaps because of its less colorful feathers. 😅

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Yeah, a quick look will not show you the second bird, and the feathers are grey because it is a female. Only the males here, have the colors.
!LOLZ

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As always, your photographs are beautiful. It looks like the bird is posing and you are capturing it on camera. All the photographs are beautiful but I like the last one the most. @papilloncharity

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Thank you kindly for the complement, and if only I really could get that little bird to pose for me. I was at the right place at the right time. I was happy to get that last photo, as it is very difficult to get the birds together busy feeding.
!BEER

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Well you managed to capture the bird perfectly before it flew off to another flower. ♥

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They are awesome my friend 😊
Have a beautiful new week!

!ALIVE and some !PIZZA

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@papilloncharity! You Are Alive so I just staked 0.1 $ALIVE to your account on behalf of @ littlebee4. (5/10)

The tip has been paid for by the We Are Alive Tribe through the earnings on @alive.chat, feel free to swing by our daily chat any time you want, plus you can win Hive Power (2x 50 HP) and Alive Power (2x 500 AP) delegations (4 weeks), and Ecency Points (4x 50 EP), in our chat every day.

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Thank you kindly and we are currently far from home as we have to attend a symposium tomorrow morning in another town. I hope that you will also have a splendid week.
!PIZZA and !LUV

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You are welcome 😊
Hope all goes well with the symposium and travels back.
Thanks a lot! Enjoy yours.
!LUV

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Back now safe and sound thank you. We really enjoyed the symposium, as they first presented Microsoft software available to non-profits at huge discounts, and the second pat waws focused on cyber security. So yes, we certainly picked up some great tips.
Stay well my friend.

!PIZZA and !LUV

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(Edited)

PIZZA!

$PIZZA slices delivered:
barski tipped johannpiber
papilloncharity tipped jlinaresp
papilloncharity tipped fixyetbroken
papilloncharity tipped littlebee4 (x2)
@papilloncharity(2/15) tipped @fermentedphil (x2)
papilloncharity tipped repayme4568
papilloncharity tipped sunscape
papilloncharity tipped nikv
johannpiber tipped papilloncharity (x8)
littlebee4 tipped papilloncharity (x2)

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Wow very good, you aimed that bird very perfectly.

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Thank you for the complement, and I practice a lot.
As they say, practice makes perfect. !LOLZ

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Oh wow you must have been ready to capture that fast little guy after unsuccessful tries in the past. That is one thing I can’t do so well with this iPhone is a good zoom and capture of birds.

Here is one from the dog park yesterday where this bigger bird was in the V of branches and singing like we were in the jungle. Cant even see what it is!

Also, we started working with a wildlife rescue organization helping them with their online presence and it made me think of you. I am going to start them up a hive blog to share some of their stories because the world and blockchain needs more charity!

I will make sure to share a post and have them tag you so that you can help connect with other wildlife organizations and charities in you network here.

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I also can't see what it is and maybe you should get a camera with a zoom. Great that you are also now working with a wildlife rescue organization, and I hope that the hive blog about them will be good.
Our network is in South Africa, and there is no wildlife or charity network on hive.
!BEER

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Great shots! These guys always sing in the morning for me. I love their call in my garden! In the early morning, they fly around singing their songs, and as you say, they do not sit still for a moment! And then late in the afternoon, they are always on the heels of the Cape white-eyes, especially when I water the garden. Thank you for sharing the beauty of our birds!

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Oh yeah, I am sure that there are many sunbirds visiting your garden. At one stage, when we lived at another place, the sunbirds, and even the white eyes, used to fly through the spray of our hose pipe, and then they would sit in a tree and preen themselves. Can you imagine that I could never get them in action, flying through the spray. Too fast.
I love to share my passions.
!BEER

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Oh yes, for sure! I still struggle to photograph them as well. Congratulations on the featured image on PhotographyLovers' wrap-up post! Such a beautiful photograph of wonderful birds. I think the sunbirds have a nest in one of the big trees here close by, as I always hear them in the tree when I work in the garden.

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Well, you got some beautiful shots of them in the past, and I am glad that you liked the wrap up post.
Difficult to locate a sunbird nest, and the best way that I find, is to watch when and where the parents are feeding. They fly frequently to the same spot, and that's where you will find the location of the nest. So, keep an eye out when you work in the garden, and I hope that you will locate the nest.

!PIZZA and !LUV

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I will do so! It would be so interesting to see if they made their nest in the tree.

For sure, they are such quick little guys. Saw some this morning again, but as soon as I ran inside to grab the camera, they were gone again!

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I am a bit surprised that they would nest in a tree, as they normally build their nest in dense bushes. But keep a watchful eye on them, and I am sure that you will find the nest.

Hahaha, yes, I call them escape artists, and if you are not ready to snap them as they land, then it is good-bye Maraai. Check the times where and when they appear, and then sit and wait on a chair, as that's the way that I get them.

!BEER

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I though about that yesterday whilst watching one of them feast on the cape honey suckle bush. I wanted to run in to get the camera, but I knew if I stood up, that it would fly away. And they sure did; as soon as I got up, they zoomed away! And when that happened, I had that exact same thought; now I know when they feast, so I might as well brew some coffee, get a chair, and wait for them with my camera ready!!

Oh then they might just like the tree; it is probably just a midway safe spot where they wait and look out for some yummy treats. I don't think I have enough shrubs and bushes for them to make nests in.

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You had the right thought, but now it's time for the thought being clothed in action, otherwise it will always remain as just a thought.

I know when they feast, so I might as well brew some coffee, get a chair, and wait for them with my camera ready!!
This is it, and you will soon get them on camera. Just don't forget to leave the battery in the house, as it happens to me occasionally when I am in deep thought. !LOLZ

Yes, they know where to feed, and maybe you should plant a nesting bush for them. The next time that you visit us, I will show you their nesting bush at Lourensford.

!PIZZA

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If I remember correctly, the nest was in one of those big Strelitzia bushes? My girlfriend is almost on her way to the Cape, so we will definitely make a booking with you two soon!

Haha, I do that as well, or other things as well. Strange the mind. They always say that these things happen as you get older, but I think that is rubbish because I am too young to illustrate these symptoms if it only comes with age.

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No, the nest was in a bush with little bell shaped flowers. Looking forward to see you guys again.

Well, then I will consider you as an old soul !LOLZ
We listened to a program today, where a lady was saying that our brains are crammed with a minimum of 100 worldly thoughts per minute. So, it affects our concentration abilities resulting in forgetfulness. Her advice was to regularly go and sit in a garden, and to ban all thoughts that enter the mind.

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I need that! I spend two or three hours in the garden each day (when it does not rain), and it really does work. It keeps you calm and really helps you focus. It is scary how technology (cell phones) can take over all of your free time.

Oh, we should explore again because I cannot for the life of me remember that plant. Looking forward to it! She is landing end of June so it is around the corner.

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We all need that. I spend some time in the garden, with my camera of course, as every now and again a big raptor flies over, but where I get the best empty brain moments, is when I am out in nature. Fortunately I don't have a cell phone, but my PA does !LOLZ

I know that you will recognize the bush when you see it, or you might not, as your mind will be befuddled with thoughts of love :)
Great that she will be here soon, even though it would be akin to a year long wait for you :))

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I am so sorry for taking two weeks to reply. What a couple of weeks. Will tell you all about it soon when we meet. It was great seeing you earlier with the coffee and the chat. Looking forward to the next one.

The garden is for sure the place to be when having thoughts, and wanting more thoughts. I have been cultivating the garden for more than seven years now, and just walking through it makes me feel enlightened, as if rooting myself in the soil helps me think clearer.

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Hey, I know that you are very busy, as you have to control your love life and your work !LOLZ
Yeah, it is always nice to meet, and see you gain soon.

Now, we are sitting without a car for the next two days, as it is being repaired, and about time for me to sort out the tools in the garage, as I have too many. Also, a complete fishing kit, that I will advertise on the marketplace. Incidentally, the garage is right next to the front garden and my camera will be nearby to help me think clearer :)

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Are the car issues sorted out, and the door fine now? How did the sorting out go? Did you manage to sell the fishing set? If I knew someone into fishing, I would have helped you sell it. But I myself also still have old fishing gear from my youth that I need to get rid of as well. I also hope that the camera helped you clear your mind!

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Not yet, as they will let us know when we must take the car in for them to do the final touch ups. They said that it will take about 2 hours, so we will arrange a lift down to the Gordon's Bay beachfront to rather sit and wait there for the 2 hours.

I have not advertised the fishing stuff yet and will let you know when I do. The camera is a great tool for a brainwash !LOLZ

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Sorry again like always for only replying now! Busy but a good week is behind us. Have you had the opportunity to sit there yet? The weather is really bad for the whole week, so I really hope that you have already spent the day on the beach front? There are a couple of nice places that sell books and coffee, always a fun visit.

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No need for an apology, and sadly no, they cannot work on the car with all of the rain around, and we will have to wait until the weather conditions are better. As you might know, we are booked for a series of cold fronts, so the car will have to wait !LOLZ

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Eish, and these cold fronts somehow got to me and I was sick like a dog for a couple of days. Only beginning to recover now. Still under the weather. The cold and rainy weather does not help with the situation in any way! I hope that there is some light at the end of the tunnel with respects to the car.

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Sick as a dog? Did you go for the flu injection? I remember that I got so sick a few years ago, and after a near death experience, or at least it felt like that. a quack put me on the flu injection. Never had it again, and every year I get the new version. Maybe something for you to consider.

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Nope, I have a stomach bug and the thing does not want to leave me be. I might try and "fast" the thing out, go a couple of days with only water to get the stomach right. Tried medicines and the lot, and it does not want to leave me alone. Now, I have to try some drastic measures! (Drastic is a bit dramatic, as I usually do 18-24 hour fasts, so it is nothing new to me.)

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Ouch, a stomach bug is definitely not a holiday, as the two of us also had it a few times now. Nausea, diarrhea, cramps and a lot of other issues. It's a horrible thing and even fasting doesn't help. Plain white toast with a bit of butter and no dairy and only water helps a bit, but one just has to suffer it out. Medazine nausea tablets help for nausea, and the best for stomach cramps is Scopex tablets. Bicarb takes the toxin away.
Hope that you get better soon.

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Thank you so much! So true, and yes I found out that even the fasting does not help. Everything that I tried so far has not yielded much success in any form or shape. But slowly getting there. I can still feel the effect of eating something that does not sit right (in the stomach) even after so many weeks being "fine". Even this morning, when I thought everything was fine, I still felt the stomach aches and nausea. But we will see. Maybe I should eat just toast for a while.

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Glad that you are making a slow progress in the healing matter, and a strange thing took place. Marian was also riddled with stomach pains, and it got so bad that it even affected her chest. So, I put her onto the pro-biotics that I have to take every day, and voila. All pains are gone !LOLZ

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!discovery shots
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The flowers aren't types I'd usually associate with sunbirds although the red flower is the right colour. Great shots!

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Strange that they like those flowers down here in the Cape, as that's where I always get them on camera. Especially on Strelitzias (Paradise flower). You are right about the red color, as I also posted long ago about them on red hibiscus flowers.
Thank you!

!PIZZA and !LUV

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It's exactly the same I have been watching you for a long time now your camera output is very special and the pictures of birds and such all look very beautiful.

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Oh yeah, take a tip from me, as if you have a good camera, it will always deliver great shots. Glad that you always like the pictures.

!BEER

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Oh yes, these photos are great, my friend, and the first one belongs to the perfect ones in my eyes: nothing to complain about - perfect pose of the bird, lovely blurred background - cool 👉👍


Cheers and !BEER

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Thank you kindly Hannes, and I had the camera on a special setting. Thank you for your appreciation, and I continue to hope that you will also get something like this after a 2, or 3 hour wait 😂 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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After 2 or 3 hours waiting a lovely little bird might appear, but by this time I might already have fallen asleep or be gone since 2 or three hours 😂 !LOLZ

You're very welcome, my friend, it's a great image 😊


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Ha! The bird will have to come and jump on the van's roof to wake you up for a shot, and when you jump out with your camera, the bird will fly away 🤣 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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Haha, there was once a little bird, a blue tit, if I remember right, that sat right in front of my windshield and hopped from one side to the other and back. He did this for quite some time ... until I decided to take my camera out for a photo - then he flew away 😁 !LOLZ


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Hahaha, so you know what I am talking about. Still happens to me many times, most recently with a little Cape White-eye, as he was eating some avocado, that Marian puts out for the squirrels. So, I have learned to keep my camera ready when I sit here in the study.
At last I got him 😊 !LOLZ

Cheers and thanks.

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Lovely image 👍
I rarely see such a colorful bird, bu ttoday I saw a pretty little guy that had a completely yellow breast. He sat on a tree branch and watched me. My camera was in landscape mode and it was still too dark in the morning, so I missed the shot. But now I know where this bird lives and next time I'll be ready ... or not again 😂 !LOLZ


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Thank you!
A pity that you were not ready to get the little yellow chested bird, but take heart, as you might get him again, especially now that you know where it sits. I hope that the bird will bring his family along to pose for you 😜 !LOLZ

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Hihi, would be great to have the whole family sitting on a branch smiling for the photo 😉

Today I've been on a hike on a mountain and on my way back down there have been quite some small birds. They kept distance, but every now and then I got an unsharp photo - almost all photos were crap. But that's not what I wanted to tell you. One of the birds sat down on a rock quite close to me and all you could see was the silhouette of the rock and of the bird - it looked awesome. I focused and hit the shutter button, but right then the camera shut off with the notice "replace the battery!".
This time it wasn't Mother Nature who was teasing me, it was Canon ... maybe I should switch to Nikon - never ever would I do that 😂 !LOLZ


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Wow! Marian just told me that you have the same problem that I have. Imagine tracking an Eagle in clear sight coming over from far away, in a clear sky, and as he gets close you know that it's going to be an exceptional photo. Then, as you click, the camera shuts down with that dreaded #replace the battery" signal. Then you fumble in your bag for a charged battery, keeping your eyes on the bird, and by the time that you load the new battery, the bird is gone 🥴

So, I know exactly how you felt, and I am also addicted to Canon 😉 !LOLZ

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I remember that we have been talking about that a while ago and I didn't think this could ever happen to me, because as soon as the battery symbol turns red, I replace the battery ... usually I do, and in future I will not forget, hopefully 😂 !LOLZ

I have started with Canon and I will end with Canon 😉


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Ah yes! Thanks for reminding me and I know that you will get many more flat battery warnings 😜 !LOLZ

If Canon stops the Powershot range, then I will be forced to look elsewhere. So I pray that they will release a new model 🙏

Cheers and thanks.

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Oh yes, sadly I believe you are very right, my friend 👍 Because I shoot birds in burst mode, the battery dies within minutes instead of within a day when I shoot landscapes 😆 !LOLZ

If Canon stopped producing cameras, I think I would switch to a Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera. About 15 or so years ago I had such a DSLR for a while because it was way cheaper than the Canon that I wanted, and it was a great camera, but after a couple of years I had the money, sold the Olympus and switched back to Canon 😁


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Same as you, I get very agitated when I lose a perfect shot with a flat battery. Maybe one day they will invent cameras with no batteries 😉 !LOLZ

I don't know Olympus, but if you say that they are good, then I know that they are good. When Marian's uncle died, he left me a case filled with a Konicka camera and many lenses. The case is at rest on our bookshelf, as the Canon has spoilt me. My first was a used PowershotSX450, that I bought in 2002, in order to take shots of our charity work, but then Mother nature invited me, and I had to get a bigger Canon. Eventually I bought a new SX60, and it was my best camera. They replaced it with the current model, SX70, and I was very sad, as the SX60 was much better 🥴

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... or you have a solar panel on your hat that continuously recharges the battery ... unless it's raining 🤣 !LOLZ

Olympus DSLRs and mirrorless cameras have a smaller sensor than the APS-C cameras, but they make great images, are relatively cheap, compared to Canon, Nikon and Sony, and foremost they are so much smaller than all the others. So, when I get older and don't want to carry so much weight anymore, I might change my Canon system to an Olympus camera system 😉


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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!VSC
!LOLZ
!ALIVE

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... but I got a bird on Monday - I didn't see it at first when I photographed the waterfall, but then I saw it on the lower right side 😉 it had it's mouth full of insects for it's baby 😋


Cheers and !BEER

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Congratulations are in order. First the magnificent Piber waterfall shots, and then to crown them with a little feeding bird. Wonderful pictures my friend and thank you for showing me 🤗

Cheers and thanks.

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Thanks, my friend, I am always surprised when a bird photo comes out nice 😊 ... I think I'm getting better 😂 !LOLZ


Sending !PIZZA and !LUV as always 😉
!invest_vote

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Soon you will be a top photographer of birds my friend 😲 !LOLZ

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