Malachite Sunbird on Aloe
Caption: Male Malachite Sunbird (Nectarinia famosa) in non-breeding colors perching on Aloe flower, Currys Post, KZN Midlands, South Africa
Camera: Canon EOS 50D; Canon EF 400mm f/5.6 L USM; Focal Length: 400mm; Shutter speed: 1/320; Aperture: f/5.6; ISO: 400.
The male malachite sunbird is usually depicted in its unmistakable breeding plumage — overall bright, metallic green colors with bright yellow pectoral tufts.
I’ve been watching a pair of malachite sunbirds flitting around the aloes flowering in my neighbors’ garden. Up to now the male remains in “eclipse” plumage — that comparatively dull, seasonal stage found in birds that do exhibit a distinct breeding plumage.
I’m hoping that before too long it’ll appear in its full, bright green finery while the aloes are still flowering so that I can get some shots of it with red or orange aloe blooms as a backdrop (right).
While waiting with camera on tripod for the sunbirds to co-operate, I took some shots of this strelitzia flower (below) as one seldom finds such near-perfect specimens of strelitzias (also known as crane flower or bird of paradise flower).
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Tagged with: eclipse plumage • malachite sunbird • strelitzia
Filed under: African Birds
Wonderful photo
Beautiful images. Which aperture did you find sharpest on this lens?
I found it sharp all through starting from wide open. However, in my opinion it is f/8 in good light.
Thanks for the compliment! I also find the Canon EF 400mm sharp throughout, so usually use it wide open at f/5.6. This allows the fastest shutter speed to minimise camera shake (hands aren’t so steady nowdays) and also to blur the background as much as possible. Wish it was f/4 to reduce background clutter even more.