Sunday, May 30, 2010

Guests at home Part - II

This is a followup to my previous post. The nest is intact and mummy bird is busy giving warmth to the eggs. Oh yes, there is another egg added to the bird family. I dared not to go near the nest and have been watching the developments from a distance. However I have not seen the daddy bird this weekend. Looks like it's job was to help the mummy bird build the nest and once the job was done, it has absconded. The mummy bird is in nest all day / night. I wonder how she is able to survive without food. That's all for this post. Wait for the next update. Until then take care and keep reading...

Ps: For previous post, click here.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Guests at home - Part I


This weekend I had guests at my home. Two birds came and built a nest on the hibiscus plant. The hibiscus plant is more than 3 years old and it has grown into a tall shrub. It is capable of providing the shade and shelter to small birds. The daddy bird is more courageous and it has got used to human presence quickly. Today it was hopping on the ground near by searching for dry leaves for the nest. It was not perturbed and went about its work even after seeing me nearby. On the other hand the mummy bird spends most of the time sitting in the nest providing warmth to its egg. It is bit timid and if it sees any person nearby, it flies a distance and sits on the wall and waits till the person goes away. Here are some pics:


The mummy bird sitting in the nest. Took this snap when it was not looking around. But as soon as she heard the camera click she flew away and sat on the nearby wall. See below:

There she is. I went around the shrub and peeped in and saw the valuable possession of the bird family, see below:

Just see the how beautiful they have made the nest using dry thin twigs. Nature's beauty indeed.

I will provide an update on further developments in the bird family soon. Keep reading :)

Ps: I don't what species these birds belong to and hence cannot name them. Do let me know if you identify them. Also, the egg is very small in size when compared to the normal hen's egg. I zoomed the shot here to get a better view and that's why it appears big.

Last line: Have you come across any such bird families in your garden. If so then please share it here. I am waiting to hear :)

Friday, May 21, 2010

TED Link: Talk by VS Ramachandran

I have been following the TED talks for a while now. Yesterday while digging the archives, I came across this wonderful talk by V S Ramachandran. Ramachandran is a neurologist and currently is the director of Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego. During the talk he describes the complicated functions of the brain using example of three disorders. His mesmerizing talk keeps you engaged through out. Have a look and I am sure you will enjoy it as well.





Ps: You can get more info about VS Ramachandran here.