We, barbets are great at home building. Apart from finding something to eat, pecking a hole on the tree keeps us occupied for the best part of our life. (After all we are related to the famous woodpeckers!)
When this neat hole on a wild neem tree was complete, we had reason to be proud of our handy work. We managed raising two broods inside during the summer months and our chicks are now grown up and flying about on their own.
During winter, we normally fly away to warmer climes, what are wings for anyway.
It seemed appropriate to rent out our premises to other needy folks. But look at what the ants have made of it. They are really dirty housekeepers.
When the squirrels came and cleaned up the mess, we were happy. The squirrel kids were snug and warm for the winter. Not one but two families lived inside.
The parakeets need a spacious bungalow and are now checking out the squirrel home. We barbets are sitting on the fence and watching the fight between the parakeet and the squirrel.
Hey, but why is the tree looking shrivelled up? The squirrels have been extending the house illegally from inside, eating away the sap inside.
Looking at the withering tree, we know that it will not be able to weather the next winter storm. May be it is time for us to move on to another tree!
6 comments:
What an interesting post! And so informative too. The squirrels can be quite destructive in many ways.
Very nice photography. I enjoyed all of the pictures.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I love the pictures a lot! and there's so much information about the birds which is also very helpful. Thank you so much for your kind words on the blog. I really appreciate that:)
This was really interesting. That hole sure got lots of use. I'd never heard of a Barbet, it's a very neat looking bird.
Really enjoyed this post, shame the tree got ruined ;(
Must be great to be able to observe such fascinating wildlife.
Thank you for all the wonderful comments. The more I see nature, the more wonders seem to pop out of nowhere. There are stories, entertainment, games, not to talk of great visuals! Hope to listen to your experiences too!
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