d’verse challenge: Quadrille #200: Today, your 44 word poem must contain the word “blaze” or a derivative. This challenge is hosted by Mish and you can read her poem here: https://mishunderstood.wordpress.com/2024/04/29/oasis/
Small bee-eater
On an angled branch of a tree
Unadorned by leaves
Sits a little bee-eater
It’s gorgeous; ablaze with colours
Green, yellow, red, and black
Bzzzz! Its head snaps forward
Sharp beak clicks
A tiny splash of yellow and black
Vanishes down its bright throat
roberta-writes.com 
Love the poem Robbie. I wonder how they avoid the stinger?
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Hi Wayne, apparently these birds scrape the stinger off by rubbing the bee on a branch. I never saw that. It was already eating the bee when I saw it.
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would they eat Wasp’s as well? I’d prefer them being eaten than the honey bees.
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Well, African bees have the nickname of ‘killer bees’. They swarm and will kill a human and/or a large animals.
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I forgot about those so called Killer Bees. So I wonder If the Killer Bees swarm and kill these birds?
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When African bees swarm, they will attack anything in their path. Two of our dogs were attacked once. It was awful. They jumped in the swimming pool to escape the bees. They both needed blood transfusions afterwards. It ruined my attitude towards AFrican bees.
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that sounds awful Robbie! They both must have been very traumatized.
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PS, they do also eat wasps.
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Well, if there can be ant eaters, there can be bee eaters. Beautiful bird, and beautifully descripted poetry!
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Hi Annette, exactly, it’s all part of the natural way 💚
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What a lovely Q and I love your photos.
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Thank you 😊
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You are welcome. 😊
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Wonderful poem and photos. Beautiful bird.
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Thank you, Timothy. These birds are very pretty.
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It’s a vividly-colored bird! Another wonderful poem, Robbie!
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Thank you, Priscilla. They are very pretty.
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Gorgeous !
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Thank you 🌺
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What a gorgeous little bird, but hate that it eats the bees. Love the poem!
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African bees are very vicious so I don’t feel sorry for them 😉
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Aha. Not like our honey bees. Then good for the bee eaters!
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No, African bees kill your honey bees.
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Love the vibrant imagery – dinner is served!
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Hi John, it’s amazing to watch these birds. They are so fast.
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It is gorgeous, this little bee-eater! And so is your quadrille, Robbie, which captures the brightness and energy of this colorful creature so delightfully.
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Thank you, Dora, for your lovely comment.
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My pleasure.🩵
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A sweet bird with a perfect poem to go with it.
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Thank you, Darlene. They are very pretty birds.
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It is a beautiful and fun nature poem.
Here in Texas we a big black wasp called the Tarantula Hawk. When we were camping we saw a Tarantula Hawk sting a Tarantula and then it started dragging it. It dragged the tarantula very far, maybe a 100 feet. The Tarantula Hawk allegedly has the most painful sting in the northern hemisphere. Yet there are birds that eat it. It makes me wonder how they do it.
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Hi Thomas, bee-eater birds scrape the sting out by dragging the bee along the branch. I suspect the Tarantula Hawk also gets rid of the sting. I have head of those wasps, nature is full of fascinating creatures.
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That is interesting. Thank you Robbie.
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My pleasure, Thomas
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Fabulous pictures and beautiful poetry, Robbie. ❤ It is educational for me. 😊
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I’m glad to know that, Tim
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A wonderful poetic description coming out of your observation/ photos. All within the lines too of the elegant and succinct quadrille form you create a stillness before the gulping down of the bee. Such is nature and these birds need bees too.
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Thank you, I love studying wildlife. It is fascinating and peaceful.
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So wonderful, Roberta, so forensically observed, so warmly conveyed; it’s a gem of a miniature; loved the photos too 🙂 🙂
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Thank you, John. They are lovely little creatures 💓
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Beautiful birds. I thought I had done one; I looked it up, and I did. “Ablaze with colors” is exactly right. (K)
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Please share the link. I love your birds.
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Thank you 🌺
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You’re welcome.
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I enjoyed the poem and accompanying photos. I didn’t know that there are birds that eat bees.
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Yes, nature ensures that all creatures have natural predators. Except man, of course, and that isn’t working out very well 🙏
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As Pogo once said, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.”
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💚
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The cycle of life and death goes on…
Nicely done.
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Thank you, Dwight 🙏💕
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Beautifully done — both poem and photography!
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I’m glad you enjoyed the bee-eater 💞
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And, just like that, the speck of yellow and black vanished.
Wildlife is a cruel place for any, and your poem brings that forward, pairing it with the tree that was unadorned by leaves.
Bravo, Roberta!
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Thank you, Patricia. Nature can be harsh and cruel but it is full of beauty and delight 💗
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beauty and delight as you say….so lovely, Robbie 🤍🌷
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Thank you 🙏 🌸
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What a lovely poem with beautiful photos, Robbie! This is my first time hearing about bee-eater birds.
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Hi Miriam, these are local to southern Africa. We have vicious bees here that can kill a human and/or an animal.
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It’s good that the bee-eater birds are good for the humans and animals, Robbie.
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Yes, everything in nature works together.
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We’re thankful for that.
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I wonder if those bright colours act as a warning to the bees, or perhaps attract them?
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HI Janet, I’m not aware that the colours serve any purpose with regards to these birds favoured food.
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Our bees seem to be attracted to yellow and unfortunately the yellow lamps in the sun lounge, then I have to try and steer them back outside.
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That makes sense, they look like flowers.
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Amazing! Nature has its own way of working. Beautiful poem and photos
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Nature does have a plan for every creature. Thank you, Sadje.
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Very true my friend. You’re most welcome 🙏🏼
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🩵
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🌺
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Lovely poem, lovely bird!
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Thank you, Chris
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i love your poem Robbie.❤️
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I’m so happy to hear that, Michelle.
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I have never seen a bee eater…. they look really nice
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HI Bjorn, they are very pretty, quite small though.
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A delicious poem, Robbie 😉
Much love,
David
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Haha, thank you, David.
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What a pretty and daring little bird. Eating bees seems dangerous. Thanks for the fun poem.
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My pleasure, Diana. I’m glad you enjoyed this little bird.
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I did not know there were bee-eating birds. They are very pretty.
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Hi Jennie, these little birds are very colourful.
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😀
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Love this one, Robbie, and the pictures too. You have to be a special bird to be able to dine on bees.
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Hi Barbara, they scrape the bees on a branch of the tree to remove the stings.
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Hi Robbie! Both the poem and the photographs are beautiful!
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Thank you, Charles. I’m pleased you liked them.
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What a lovely poem describing a fascinating bird! The photos are beautiful too.
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Thank you, Nicole. I’m delighted you enjoyed this poem.
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That is a gorgeous bird! And I like how you described the snack that the bird grabbed.
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Gorgeous photos, Robbie and a lovely poem.
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That dear little bee-eater seems to do us all a favour…Not only is he cute to look at, he rids us of nasty bees! Well done him! And thanks to you for the interesting info , photographs and descriptive poetry, Roberta. You are a real ‘all-rounder!’ Cheers.
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Lovely poem, Robbie. And yes, I did see the bee between its beaks. Excellent photography and what a pretty bird.
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I like the way you’ve gently blended the beauty of nature with the realities of it.
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Thank you, Mish. This is a great prompt.
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A colourful poem, Robbie.
Again I have learned something. I never heard of this gorgeous bird that eats bees.
Some might say; Live and learn!
I say; Visit Robbie’s blog and learn!
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Haha, Resa, you are very kind. My sister always says Live and learn. I think I’m an animal and climate change activist and now I’ve incorporated my passions into artworks too. Just like you!
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Yay!! We each do what we can.
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Gorgeous!
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Thank you
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You’re welcome.
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While not related - your Bee Eater looks a little bit like our Goldfinch. Lovely to see a spot of color in the trees and at feeders 🙂
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Love the poem
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Thank you, I’m delighted to know that
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A sweet bird and a lovely poem!
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