A dangerous adventure.

avatar

One doesn't want to mess with things due to an allergy.
212.jpg

This one tipped me off, as I saw a few of them flying around and I knew that their favorite food must be around.
The bird is a Forked-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus adsimilis).
We know that they love bees and the problem is that I am allergic to bee stings, but this didn't stop me from investigating.
Come and have a look.

As you can see, it wasn't very easy to get around in all of this.
065.jpg

222.jpg

An old tree with a big hole at the bottom, as you can see here.
203.jpg

There it was, a swarm of bees collecting sweet gum from the inside of the big hole. Many of the bees were flying around all over the show.
208.jpg

209.jpg

I then took some photos of the other drongos that were sitting around with full stomachs, cleaning themselves.
216.jpg

This guy seems to have that attacking look before he sizzled off to get another bee.
226.jpg

I knew that there was a river around as there were tell-tale signs all over the place. So Marian and I continued our walk, deeper into the bush. Lush vegetation all over and beautiful nature scenes.
Eventually, we managed to get to the river as you can see below.
083.jpg

My first post of the new year and in June of this year I will be 5 years on Hive.
It has been a wonderful time on here with also the normal stresses and strains, but yet we managed to continue building the account. This will be yet another year that we will continue to build and my feel is that compounding interest will deliver great results for Papilloncharity.
Our hope, as many of you know, is to secure the future of our charity work.

Interested in the Drongos ? Have a look here,
https://southafrica.co.za/fork-tailed-drongo.html

And That's All Friends.

Photos by Zac Smith-All Rights Reserved.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX60HS Bridge camera.

Thank you kindly for supporting a post on behalf of @papilloncharity

hive-106316 featheredfriends bees archon palnet proofofbrain vyb creativecoin neoxian originalcontent
0
0
0.000
66 comments
avatar

Very wonderful boss and a happy new year to you as well

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Happy New Year to you. Such a bird is a very common bird in our country. This type of bird can be seen sitting on the side of the road or in the fields all year round. This black bird is also very brave.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Ah yes, the Drongo can be seen in many countries, but not the black bird which is called a Pied Crow.
Other kinds of crows can be seen elsewhere, but not the Pied Crow.

May the new year also be kind to you.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I take it that the element of danger just made the experience more fun :) ? Those bees must have a hive close by, too bad there are no bears around to enjoy a little honey :) ...

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

It is one thing to get close enough to get them on camera in hole, but quite another to go and look for a hive in nature.
The honey bees in the wild have soldier bees that guard the hive and if one gets close, they signal an alarm and that's the time to start running away very fast. Faster than a sports car :)
Now I cannot run with my gammy left leg and my buggered knee, so it will be suicide to go close for sure.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Do try to stay away from hives! Or if you think you are going to be close to one, take a bee suit :) I've never quite managed to run faster than a sports car 😂

!PIZZA !ALIVE

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

To walk around in a bee suit under the blazing African sun will be suicide my friend. I will be roasted inside the suit 🤣

Well I think that you will try your best to get those speeds if you have a thousand bees after you 🤣

!PIZZA !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

😂 I think I'll just try to leave those bees alone! The crocodiles are probably safer 🤣

!PIZZA !ALIVE

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Hahaha, yes indeed as I think that one stands a better chance with a croc.
Imagine fishing in a river and getting a croc on line.

My cousin sent me this croc that he caught and it was a hell of a job to get the hook out before setting the croc free again.
tokkie_croc.jpg

!PIZZA !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I know a few people who are also allergic to bee stings. They have most times a box with them that includes a syringe with antidote or something else that will help them with a bee sting.

A nice bird, you showed it before, I remember, but I can't remember that it loves bees.

Once more I'm wishing you and Marian a Happy New Year, Zac, may 2022 bring health and happiness and all success you need, my friend 🤗

!BEER and !WINE - both make a nice dinner with !PIZZA :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Hannes,

I don't have such a box and besides such a syringe will help for one or two stings, but 100 or more stings near a wild hive will mean that I will walk through the Pearly Gates.

Oh yes, Drongo's love bees and they have almost none predators to face. Interesting thing is that once they catch a bee they sit with it on a branch and they smear the sting off on the branch before they swallow the bee.

Once more, we thank you for the kind wishes my friend.
May all of your dreams come true in 2022.

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Zac,

well, you could use the syringe to fight against the bees ... or listen to your inner voice or to Marian and stay away from any bee hives 😂 !LOLZ

Wow, I thought they eat the bee and don't care if they get stung.

May your dreams come true in 2022 too, my friend 😊🚀

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Hannes,

Ah yes, I can use the needle to stab 1000 of the bees as they come in to sting me. Now why didn't I think of that, as it makes perfect sense 🤣 !LOLZ
Marian is too you to listen to and at times my inner voice is away on holiday 🤣

Amazing how intelligent the birds are and one can only wonder how they learned to smear the sting off.

Who knows? Maybe you will even get your van this year 😉

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Zac,

if you're fast enough it could be done ... this reminds me on a scene from the movie "The Matrix" 🤣 !LOLZ

Oh yes, and I wonder how many birds have had to suffer or die until they found out what to do.

That would be so great and would motivate me like nothing before - may our both dreams come true 🤞

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Hannes,

Running a bit late due to a busy day.

Hahaha, maybe one or two in flight with luck, but by then I would already have a long beard of bees 🤣 !LOLZ

Now here is that amazing thing, the birds are born with the knowledge and the skills. So it comes natural to them to wipe the stings off.

Oh yes, we can only wait in hope my friend 😉

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Zac,

don't forget the smoke, my friend, just smoke a cigar and the smoke will calm the bees down and you will easily get them all ... if you still want to, what I don't believe, because they wouldn't sting you anymore 🤣 !LOLZ

That's what they call evolution, I believe. We are also born with the ability to swim, but a few years later we have to learn it again.

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good afternoon Hannes,
A friend offered me a packet of marihuana, what we call "happy twak", so it will be best if I light one of those up as then I will be happy and the bees will also be so happy that they will sing for me 🤣 !LOLZ

Can you believe that many here cannot swim and they have never tried to swim ?
My mom almost drowned as a child and she had a great fear of water. Ironically she died when their car fell into a river.

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good afternoon Zac,

oh yeah, they will sing for you and dance chachacha around you 🤣 !LOLZ

We learn to swim at school or nowadays even in Kindergarten. I don't like deep water, as you might remember, so I don't swim very well. To drown must be a horrible death.

Cheers with !BEER and a !PIZZA :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good afternoon Hannes,

Hahaha, a party time where everyone will be happy 🤣 !LOLZ

Yes , it is a great thing to teach school children how to swim, but we didn't have such a luxury.
In fact I learned to swim when a mate bumped me into the deep end of a pool 🤣
Yes I remember that you don't like deep water, but as long as I am at the top swimming around then I don't mind it. Drowning must indeed be a horrible experience and we have regular drownings here.

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Good evening Zac,

I can see you and the bees having party 🤣 !LOLZ

Swimming is important. When I was young they also didn't teach it at school, but my kids learned it there.

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Marian will also have a drag of the happy twak and she will sing so we will also have music at the party.
The bees will hum in tune with her 🤣 !LOLZ

Oh yes, I think that swimming became a compulsory subject much later, but many schools here do not have pools.

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

We need a video with you two guys and the bees singing and dancing 🤣 !LOLZ

Most of our schools don't have pools either, but there are a lot public swimming pools and we have quite a few lakes.

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Hahaha, yes I think that such a video would go viral 🤣 !LOLZ

It was exactly at such a public swimming where I had my first lesson in swimming, as some klutz bumped me into the deep end. A free and very effective swimming lesson 🤣

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

🤣🐝

That could also have gone wrong, but it proves that we all can swim, wejust have forgotten it 😂 !LOLZ

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

It paid me well for watching dogs swimming in a dam, as I also just paddled myself out doggy style 🤣
The good thing about that was since that day my swimming abilities developed very fast.
That taught me that whenever I land in a scary situation, to just jump in and sort it out.

You are right as we are all born with a swimming instinct. Either in the water, or swimming around in the troubles of life 🤣 !LOLZ

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Haha, yes the doggy style swimming. I know that too 🤣 !LOLZ

Well said, jump in and sort it out. I would prefer to swim away, to be honest.

Cheers with !PIZZA and !BEER
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Or also frog style if one wants to change the strokes 🤣 !LOLZ

We would all rather swim or run away, but in beating it one's self confidence gets a boost.

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar
(Edited)

Haha, yes, I know that style too 😂 !LOLZ

You're very right, but sometimes it's easier to swim away when a hungry shark is near 😉

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar
(Edited)

Mother nature has taught us many swimming styles and we will need them all when we swim away from a hunting shark methinks 🤣 !LOLZ.

I meant that to face our fears in life are better than hiding or running away from them my friend 😉

Cheers and thanks.

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

The shark will not be able to stop laughing that we will win the race 😂 !LOLZ

I know what you meant, but sometimes I don't want to face some situations and go another path or back to the last crossing and turn left or right. Most times it's not possible anyway.

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Hahaha, yes I can see the funny side in this 🤣

If there is one thing that I have learned it is this. Whenever a problem seems to be very difficult, it is easier to sort it out with basic and simple reasoning. Many times in my life a problem presented itself as a mountain, but afterwards it was only a little ant heap.
Life has a way of sorting itself out my friend 😉

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

You are certainly right, my friend, but some mountains in my way were easier to walk around instead of climbing over them.

Cheers with !PIZZA and !BEER
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

And you are also right Hannes as all that is needed is good discernment. Some we can win and those that we know we can't win, we simply leave alone 😉

Cheers and thanks.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

Thanks a lot, Zac, that's what I meant 😊

!PIZZA and !BEER - sounds like a nice dinner :)
!invest_vote

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

I know this is more of a relaxing post but I gained something when you said as I saw a few of them flying around and I knew that their favorite food must be around.

There are always pointers in life. That's my take home message.

If I were the one, I'm not sure I'd have gone close to avoid bee stings😆 You are brave.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

There are always messages for those that look with the eyes of the soul.

Brave I am not, just an ordinary man that knows a thing or two.

0
0
0.000
Reply
avatar

There are always messages for those that look with the eyes of the soul.

You are right.

Brave I am not, just an ordinary man that knows a thing or two.

😄

0
0
0.000
Reply