For some strange reason, a little bird decided to build a nest among the branches. Mind you this area has lots of human traffic. Each time we walk in and out of our house, or water the plants, we come within a couple of feet from this nest. Also, there is the noise from my car, plus the slamming of doors and so on. And guess what ... she decided to lay some eggs.
Can you see nest?
Here is a closer view.
And here's our little feathered friend hatching her eggs. Can you spot her? I dared not go too near to take this shot.
Too small? Ok - here's a blow-up. Question: Do you know the name of this type of bird?
Shortly after this shot was taken, she flew away. But never mind, she will return. I will keep you posted of the developments in the weeks ahead. Look out for photos of the babies. Maybe I will make a slide show on Flickr later.
Another question. Have you ever considered how this little bird developed the knowledge and skill to build such a nest? How does she know the type and size of building material to use? Or the exact spot to build the nest? And the actual skill involved to put together the nest? Did she attend a training course and obtained a trade certificate? Did she undergo any OJT (on-the-job training) from her mother?.
10 comments:
It's not that there's a housing shortage lah. It's probably because even birds prefer a landed property to the humble HDB flat.
Only kidding, of course. Two years ago during a CNY visit, we also saw a bird nest on a plant in the balcony of my wife's ex-teacher's highrise apartment in Oxley Rise. However, that bird nest had an entrance from the bottom, so it was likely to be a different species from your bird (pardon the language). We were told that it was a humming bird (didn't know that humming birds existed in Singapore). Yours didn't look like one.
I believe that the birds learn all those skills by instinct. Since their parents don't see them through adolescence, I don't think that the skills are taught. Like crocodiles that are laying eggs, that mother bird was probably in a trance so she didn't care a hoot about you. You would not have been so lucky if she was an eagle, though.
maybe you could share this with the people at http://besgroup.blogspot.com
they would be very interested
Hi, my guess is Yellow-vented Bulbul.
Chun See, how interesting! I guess the mother bird must have found your home, or rather the plants in your front porch conducive to build a home for her chicks. I think we Chinese have a believe that if a bird chooses to build a next in your home, it means you're in luck, with wealth coming from all direction. Quick, go buy 4-D!
I read of one HDB dwellers whose balcony was the site at which a bird built its next. Like we human, there are heartlander birds and landed property birds. It seems birds aren't spared the great social divide like we human, too. LOL
Victor - you can see Chun See's bird meh? Where? Too small to be seen in the pictures leh :x ROTFL.
Victor. Do you realize that your sentence "birds learn all those skills by instinct" is self-contradictory. If it is instinct then there is no need to learn. It is pre-programmed. Question - Who programmed this knowledge into the bird?
I think you can guess what I am trying to say. Even for a humble bird, there is intelligent design. It did not evolve from some fish or amoeba or something.
I think Chris is right. The mother bird must have sensed something attractive in our house. Maybe its becos we do not keep any cats or dogs; maybe it could even sense my children's love for animals (At one time they kept 3 budgies). Plus we have many different plants crammed into our little garden; not to mention the more than 100 pots of pitcher plants of all shapes and sizes which my wife and son planted just to the right of photo no. 1. I understand that these plants give out chemicals that attract insects. Or maybe its the sound of running water from the nearby koi pond.
Anyway, we are 'lucky' to have this visitor .... but I don't gamble; so no 4D.
Perhaps instinctively the bird knows that you are a compassionate man, God fearing too - hence safe to build a nest in your residence.
I believe it is an in-born instinct (about building the next). Don't buy 4D never mind; luck will come in other forms.
Saw your comment this morning in my blog [http://besgroup.blogspot.com/]. So here I am at your site. This Yellow-vented Bulbul nests around humans, not afraid of being disturbed - in gardens, by garages, in potted plants, everywhere you can imagine. Someone even sent me a picture of it building its nest among her artificial plants in a pot outside her home. Imagine! I would have thought that she would have placed an artificial nest with a plastic bird among her artificial plants. Thanks for alerting me to this. And to 'monkey' too.
Post a Comment