Autumn morning feasts with Aloe

On the pinnacle of a pine tree, Aloe sat in the rising light. Her wings warmed as she watched the humans leave their homes and take to the road. When they were out of sight, the little faery leapt up and fluttered toward the house, slipping in through a window.

It was warm and dark inside, and filled with the aromas of coffee and fruit. At the edge of the humans' kitchen counter, Aloe found a plate full of crumbly, grated cheese. Grabbing an armful, Aloe flitted back to the window, and stepped onto the ledge outside.

Wild birds began to appear, chirping and squawking excitedly when they saw the cheese. Aloe held out a handful of the yellow shavings, and one of the braver birds – a black feathered Drongo with a skew beak – pecked it up.

‘That’s it,’ she cooed. ‘Come on, here’s some more.’ The faery passed the cheese to more beaks. Some of the shavings dropped to the floor, where the shyer Cape white-eye birds could eat them too, while the Fiscals scooped the cheese right up as it fell. The window ledge was busy with flurries of flapping wings and chirps.

As the cheese ran out, and the birds began to fly off again, only Aloe and the skew-beaked Drongo were left on the sill. She tossed a final handful of cheese for the stout, black bird, and he gobbled it up instantly before disappearing into the mid-morning sun.