Two lovely surprises.

First up was a baby praying mantis with attitude.

It is still early in our summer season, and there are many babies around.

One can never know what surprises can appear on any given day. We look forward to the treasures that nature will allow us to find. We respect and love nature, and we ensure that no damage or harm is done or caused to any of its residents. And, keeping our senses tuned, we are always awake to each little creature and growth around us. These are beautiful little created beings, and they have been given breath just like us humans. Their systems are complex, and each has a unique make up. We try too to teach others not to fear the little creatures, as many people think that the insects and birds will harm them, when in fact they just want to get away from us humans. We don't blame them for fearing humans, as we do not have a good track record in nature.
So, come and have a look.

As we were about to sit at the table for coffee, my wife found the little mantis on the back of a chair.

The mantis ran up her arms and here I took it off on her shoulder.

It danced its way up on my arm.

But I put it on the trunk of a tree, and it went its way.

And here below was the second surprise.

So, we sat waiting for the coffee and suddenly my wife told me to look up.
A little Cape White Eye had some soft stuff in its beak and sat under a wooden beam overhead.

It fiddled around with the nesting stuff, but we could not see what it was doing with it.

Suddenly the white soft stuff was gone. Where?

She peeped down at us, and then as she flew away, we saw the surprise.

Look! There is a hole in that beam, and she is building a nest in it.

What a find, and now there is yet another nest for me to keep an eye on, as we have never seen what a white eye baby looks like. The birds are so innovative in finding safe spaces for their nests each year. Comparing types of nests, whether the female or male (or both) build them, who sits on the eggs, how long the eggs need to be incubated, and who does the feeding of the babies, is what we like to do for different types of birds. The more that we can know about the habits and the lifestyles of the species, the more that we can love and adore them. The seasons also bring us different birds, and it is always so lovely to see the European birds arriving in our country for the summer season. They come mostly to breed and to raise their babies in time before the winter to fly back home up into the northern hemisphere.
Such is birdlife!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the stories.

Photos by Zac Smith-All-Rights-Reserved.

Camera: Canon PowershotSX70 Bridge camera.

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