Haven't seen this guy for a while.

I heard the familiar song and looked out the window to the water bottle.

So glad to see that the little guy popped in for a drink.

It is a Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris Chalybeus), and he didn't only come in for a drink, as he also took a quick wash in the heat.
Yeah, we are having some very hot days recently, and sadly no rain, as we are in a winter rainfall area. The blazing sun affects mankind and also wildlife, but I think that the birds handle the heat better than we can. This little bird will demonstrate in here how he handles the heat.

First having a look at me to see if he was safe.

Then he almost sunk his head into the outlet spout of the water bottle.

Luckily for him my wife keeps cold water in the bottle, by refreshing it at least 3 times in the day.

He spun around and I loved to see a water drop under his beak.

Fluffing, and then he was gone.

Now for something else.

Just a view down the road from our house.

A bit later this French Poodle dog lounged in the sky.

And finally, I leave you with this donut to share.

Amazingly, other provinces in the country are facing severe floods that create severe damages. Cars are washed away, and houses are demolished. Up in the Gauteng province, they have buckets of rain every day and not a drop over here. It is almost like we are in a different country. And then we are once again tested by the summer wildfires, as the strong winds cause havoc by spreading the flames over wide areas that are difficult to control.

Thankfully, our brave fire crews are very experienced, and they do eventually put the fires out. Great to see that the people in the communities support the fire fighters in their efforts, by giving them water, energy drinks, and whatever else they need. The sad thing, though, is that many little animals and other wildlife die in the flames, not to mention all the flora. Our hearts go out to all of nature, and to people who have lost their properties. Then of course, there are also the farmers who lose all of their crops, but life goes on.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.

Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.

Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.

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