Woodpecker Fest

A jackfruit tree canopy frames the kitchen window of my Miramar apartment. Loaded with fruit during the summer months; it attracts squirrels and different birds through the daytime.

Lesser flameback woodpecker

The lesser flameback woodpecker, a shy visitor frequents the canopy; eating ripe fruit, as well as flies and maggots that infest it. These visits are concluded with a loud cackle. The bird apparently announcing that it has eaten it's fill and will return to the feast on another occasion.

Raiding the food store

Waiting for more species to join this feast.

#birdwatching #indianbirds #woodpeckers #birdingwindow #birding #birdingathome #naturelovers #nature #woodpecker

Vigor's Sunbird

It is rare to find a Sunbird perched peacefully for a photograph. This Vigor's Sunbird was preening it feathers to impress its mates on a late winter afternoon. The bright colours vibrant in the warm winter sun.

#birdwatching #indianbirds #woodpeckers #birdingwindow #birding #birdingathome #naturelovers #nature #sunbird

Baya's Blobitecture

Blobitecture or blob-ism is a term for an architectural movement in which buildings have organic, amoeba shaped bulging forms. These structures types are designed for theaters, museums, or tourist attractions. Come the monsoon season, and one can find the inspiration for these blob-ism structures, suspended from tall palms or thorny acacia trees. They are the pendulum shaped nests of the baya weaver; built using green resources like palm fronds, paddy leaves or grasses.

During my stay in Moira village of Goa, I saw many baya nests precariously suspended from coconut palm trees. The freshly woven green nests would gradually turn brown with age, swinging gently in the monsoon winds. The bright yellow birds made countless trips from nearby rice fields to coconut tree tops, while making their masterpiece. Following is what I found out about the architect bird, the baya weaver.

Baya weavers are found near grasslands, plantations or marshy areas in the Indian subcontinent and South East Asia. They are related to the common household sparrow; so much so that the juveniles and females of the species look like the house sparrows. Baya are social birds and breed in groups. Often 15-20 nests can be found together in a typical baya colony. Another Baya relative, the African sparrow weaver builds multi-storied apartment nests, in which 100 to 200 pairs have separate flask-shaped nesting chambers entered by tubes at the bottom.

Inspection time

The nest is built by the male baya weaver between months of June- July. The structure is cylindrical, with a central nesting chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to the side entrance of the chamber. Such a nest design prevents intrusion by predators like snakes or raptors. A male bird is known to make up to 500 trips to complete a nest. The birds use their strong beaks to strip and collect the strands from leaves and grasses, and to weave and knot them, while building their nests.

Once a male and a female are paired, the two complete the nest by adding the entrance tunnel. Baya females give “feminine” finishing touches to interiors by adding blobs of mud, which provides stability to the nest in windy conditions.

Adding finishing touches to the Nest

The nest building process can take up to 24-25 days. The baya family resides in this nest for a period of 35-40 days.  Next breeding season means construction of new nests. Abandoned baya nest are later utilized by mice or munias also known as the Indian Silverbill.