Nature Goes its Own Way; Takes Little Heed of Us Humans

This little marvel feeds while not alighting on the bloom.

One of the refreshing things about nature is that it moves along each day taking its time as it has for eons, tolerating our presence, but largely ignoring it.  It’s not that we humans are a wholly insignificant presence on earth – far from it.

But we certainly can do our best at times to mess things up.  One has merely to look at the worldwide contemporary economic, political and cultural scene to come to that conclusion – one, I should add, which is not easily challenged even by the most optimistic among us.

Nevertheless, there are some very pleasant observations that can be made, if one will only – albeit temporarily – turn away from some of man’s self-inflicted problems and turn to an observation of nature and some of her creatures for an example of how to live.

The harmony, focus, and diligence with which some of Mother Nature’s creatures go about their daily lives offer a remarkable example of work and self-reliance, taking only what they need as they go about their quotidian chores, leaving the rest of Nature’s bounty for other creatures. 

 

Examples of this are common:  As I work in my garden, weeding it, trimming shrubs, and watering it, I not infrequently stumble upon another of nature’s lessons, as she prompts me to  learn something new about the lives of her offspring.

Only a high-speed shot could arrest the motion of its wings.

I made one of those serendipitous discoveries in July when, as I was walking through the flowering plants in search of an unidentified flying creature that I had spied for the first time on the previous day, luck was with me, and I spotted it again.

 

This little gem of nature’s avionics was very elusive and it unpredictably and quickly flew from bloom to bloom, as it drew nectar from flowers, hovering above them, its wings working furiously in a blur of movement.

Check out the two photos in this post and see if you can identify this small living thing.  I initially misidentified it on my first guess but, after a little research, I got it right.  How about you?  If you know what it is, why not drop a line in the comment section of this post.  Other readers of “The View . . . “ would most likely also like to find out.

If no one comes forward, I’ll let you know in a subsequent post.

Thanks for reading – and don’t forget to enjoy the summer.  Pretty soon it will be school time again, and the warm weather for enjoying summer vacations has only about another five weeks to run!

(Click on any image for an enhanced view.)