Nature has a use for everything.

You will see how bees, a squirrel, and a bird find this flower very useful.
004.jpg

I just had to take a shot of this aloe flower as the rain stopped, and the drops formed little crystal drops that looked beautiful on the petals.

It wasn't a heavy rainfall, but it was just enough to wet everything outside. We often get what we call fairy rain, and the wildlife also love it, as it is very refreshing. I also walk around outside in the fairy rain, as it is ideal to get the wildlife in action on camera. One just has to take quick shots, and after every shot to bury the camera again beneath my jacket to prevent it from getting too wet.

I think the plant is called a Krantz Aloe, but I am not too sure, and that is why I only say it is an Aloe. We have wanted one for a long time, and when we saw this one in the bargain box at the local nursery it looked very sad, but out of its sadness beauty was born when we planted it in a big pot in our front garden that gets a lot of sunlight. We have many types of aloes here, and I have also planted a Red-Hot Poker plant in our back garden, but it is not doing too well as it didn't get much sun in Winter, and so we hope now in Summer that it will survive.

We have the flower in a pot, and the dwarf geckos like to lounge on the plant's leaves in the sun.
006.JPG

As usual, other animals also get wet and then they rock up as soon as they can to get some nuts.
010.JPG

This little squirrel is one of them, and look how wet he is.
013.JPG

Then the sun broke through the clouds and dried everything. First to appear on the flower were some bees.
139.JPG

They know that there is nectar in the flower's petals.
150.JPG

And then a little sunbird popped up to also have a drink of nectar. It is a Southern Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus).
003.JPG

While he was busy the sun started to become clouded over again.
255.JPG

So, now I have shown you how the wildlife benefits from the weather patterns, and sadly a short while after this the rain came down again, a bit heavier this time. The animals know to get as much food as possible before the rains, as it helps them to sustain themselves during bad weather. We also know that and that's why the wife stands ready with her animal food, expecting them to rush in for something to eat.

This little garden has taught us much about the wildlife and their habits, as it is so easy for me to take the pictures that you see in here. We like to investigate their habits, and one can certainly learn a lot from them. To such an extent that you know exactly when they will fly, how they build their nests, what they like to eat, and when their babies will appear. We call it being in tune with nature.
Such is life.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures and the story.

Photos by Zac Smith. All-Rights-Reserved.

Camera: Canon PowershotSX70HS Bridge camera.

Until next time, cheers!



0
0
0.000
9 comments
avatar

The nectar provides an important source of food for birds. Surely, everything in this world has a special importance and a special purpose.

The raindrops on the flower look absolutely beautiful too. Thank you for sharing these lovely moments.

0
0
0.000
avatar

So true, and I totally agree with you :)
The raindrops reminded me of glassy pearls, and I am glad that you enjoyed the post.

!PIZZA
!BEER

0
0
0.000
avatar

Excellent content! Your attention to detail and the effort you put into explaining the subject are evident throughout the post. I learned something useful today.

0
0
0.000
avatar

Wow fantastic once again!

I have never seen an aloe plant flower like that! Probably because our climate is way different and we mainly have them as house plants. so great to see the different wildlife coexisting with them too!

IMG_9809.jpg

I tried to properly capture the cottage hummingbird with my phone but this is the best I could do!

0
0
0.000
avatar

We have all kinds of aloe plants growing in the wild here, and I don't think that they will last in the snow that you guys get. They want hot sunshine all year round.

That is a fair shot, but I think the signboard at the left grabbed the focus of the camera. Pity that you don't have a zoom, as then you could have isolated the bird. The cottage hummingbird looks like a very interesting bird.

I hope all is well with you.

!PIZZA
!BEER

0
0
0.000
avatar

You know, I don't believe I've ever seen an aloe flower before. Even after many years of living in the deserts of the US Southwest. Maybe they all are some hybrids that just don't flower... That is a beautiful flower that variety produces! It must have a lot of nectar to draw in so many bees and sunbirds like. Those Southern Double-collared sunbirds sure are pretty. Like I said before, I would swear they were hummingbirds if you weren't in Africa!

Excellent shots of the water dripping off the flowers too, that was cool!

Poor squirrel, all soaking wet. But, as a wild animal I guess that's par for the course of living in the outdoors. They are smart enough to keep coming back for those nuts though, they never turn away free food. Plus they are a lot of fun to watch eat.

I'm glad you're doing well, great to see those great pictures. I always look forward to your posts. Have a tip!

Screenshot (5413).png

0
0
0.000
avatar

What a magnificent capture; love the water droplets.

0
0
0.000