I stopped during my walk in the garden, seeing the berries partly eaten. Being the early morning time, I waited if birds would arrive in the sight, searching for berries!
Soon three jungle Babblers arrived in the adjacent tree. Instead of them going for the berries, what I noticed was a ritual which some birds perform to help groom each other. It is one way, the birds get help from other birds, to remove the ectoparasites from their body.
The avians have a difficult time to protect themselves from ectoparasites.
In fact some trees, with fruits would have ants resident in the trees. The custard apple fruit is inaccessible to the squirrels and birds as the red ants crawling in the tree keep them away.
Similarly the red ants keep the honey bees and butterflies away from the cashew nut blossoms as the ants thrive on the sap from the nut in the tender stage and feed on the honey from the flowers.
How the life of birds, insects, and parasites, are sustained in ways beyond our imagination. Our eco-system is a marvel to say the least.
On my way back, I was wondering if some bird would arrive to feed on the berries! I noticed a parakeet in the coconut palm adjacent to the berry plant, waiting for its turn!
The movements of birds around us create surprises and insights ! They have got used to living by fending for themselves. The nature is their bowl.
I am not sure if humans think of this dimension when they cut trees and do not plant new ones to sustain the eco-system.
Even with bird bath and feed we have in the garden, the summer heat has forced many regular visiting birds to skip our garden! The Egrets visit the lawn when it is dusk!
I hope we would have a few summer showers to help the birds to return to their favourite shelters in the tall trees behind our cottage! Th early morning cacophony that we are used to is missing altogether!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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