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SOFIA GOOSEN

IG: @sofia_goosen13 Canon EOS 200D Canon 55 – 250 mm lens

SOFIA WRITES: I’m 13 years old and I photographed this Cape sugarbird in Harold Porter National Botanical Garden near Betty’s Bay, about an hour from my home in Cape Town. I waited patiently on a patch of grass next to this pincushion, keeping quiet as a mouse, until the perfect moment presented itself.

TOAST SAYS: Brilliant stalking, Sofia! Birds can be skittish – any sudden movement can undo half an hour of patient waiting. You did well to get your shot before the bird got suspicious. (Luckily Cape sugarbirds are quite bold and are not shy to sit in prominent places, unlike the similar-sized Cape grassbird, for example, which shares a habitat with the sugarbird yet is hardly ever seen.)

Sofia’s photo ticks all the boxes for a classic bird shot. Firstly, she photographed the bird from the side, which means that the luxurious tail is included, plus the long, curvy beak. These two attributes are definitive features of a Cape sugarbird,