We all know that birds love a drink and a flap in a birdbath on a scorching hot day such as today, but some of our other garden workers need a drink, too.
I spotted a group of our native paper wasps carefully clustering around the water-filled cup of a bromeliad. As I'd liberally watered the whole garden this morning due to the forecast of 38°C (100°F), which has been exceeded already, the bromeliad had little puddles of water here, there and everywhere, and every tier of its central cluster of leaves had a puddle attended by a thirsty wasp.
This photo is a slight fudge, as I remembered that I took it on another scorching hot day a few years ago. In our largest birdbath I always place a gently sloping, low rock into the water, so bees and wasps (and tiny birds) can carefully move down the slope and slurp up a drink. If the rock is too steep-sided they run the risk of falling in and drowning.
As for the human workers, Pammy and I are both inside the house, sipping some tea and mostly staying inside. Everyone needs a refreshing drink on a scorching hot day like today!
3 comments:
Good lord it's hot! I watered liberally this morning and will do so tonight as well. I watered 3 times last Friday when we hit 43 here in Mosman! I've also got a couple of shallow dishes out for insects, birds & skinks. We had a huge blue tongue lizard here last week, I like to think it's beacause of all my efforts (and maybe all my snails). Hope you & your garden survive until the change comes through. Love your blog. Cheers, Anne
Hi Anne
Thanks for your kind comment. I'm envious of your blue-tongue lizard. We try to be as wildlife friendly as can be here in Marrickville, and despite that we have seen a grand total of one - just one - blue-tongue lizard here in 25 years!
So thoughtful of you to take care of tiny guests in your garden. We in Northern Hemisphere are still awaiting the winter chill, it feels like late autumn. We had anticipated late winter due as Diwali was late, yet !
Keep posting, and hope extreme is over soon for you
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