24 December, 2020

Harvest time







I feel sorry that we could not let the black pepper remain any longer in the pepper plant to provide the feed for Bulbuls and squirrels as they were ripe enough to be plucked.

I wonder whether Bulbuls would stop visiting the garden. For the last three weeks or so, it was a daily sight for us in our garden- a pair of bulbuls in the pepper plant. 

This is an example of how we displace birds and animals from their habitat. We cut the timber and make the forest bare. Where would the elephants go except to the human habitation searching for food! They get chased away form human habitation back to the forest where there is no more bamboo or foliage for them to live on!

I remember my father telling the gardener to leave a corner of the property as wild as possible for reptiles, birds and several other insects or butterflies to live!

The discipline of balancing nature for equal rights for all living beings is a philosophy that is strong in dialogue forums but not respected enough! We had to cut about 10 teak trees in our garden as they are old and risky to be retained. The cacophony we were used to in the morning became silent since then because the birds have moved away. A family of about five Drongo birds is not to be seen!

Shymala who has been with us for thirty five years now, has a good habit. She would leave  behind in the trees some fruits, like Papaya, Chikkoo, custard apple etc for the birds and squirrel to feed on!

Whatever we might do is not sufficient enough to keep our environment friendly and hospitable! We do not have the usual presence of Dragon flies and Butterflies in our garden during this season. So something has gone wrong for them. 


M.C.Mathew(text and photo)






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