Single Trying to Mingle: Baya Weavers’ Story

Baya Weaver building a nest

We are the male baya weavers,

Bit by bit we weave our nests,

We always weave,

So that she doesn’t leave,

Expectations are quite high,

And if they are not met, she will wave a goodbye,

Disheartened by the reactions we can’t leave the effort with a sigh,

We are left with no option but to remake and try,

Later with the finished nests, we wait for her consent,

Deliberation and toil continue till we reach an agreement,

The chicks are raised in this hanging home,

Safety from predators is of prime concern for the bird mom,

We try to make our nests near water bodies,

Dangling from the branches they are always hard to reach for many enemies,

This competition is our life story,

It is necessary to work this hard for the survival of our progeny,

These hanging nests are architectural wonders,

All that matters is how to impress her,

Generally we feed on grains,

We love to court during the monsoons, when it rains,

We built our home trusting our instincts,

Adore them, but please do not disturb these nests if they are in your precincts,

We are quite a sociable bunch,

We care for suitable habitats, which unfortunately are facing a crunch,

Dealing with pollution and climate change,

In many places we are forced to reduce our range,

The change in land use by the human race is creating quite a lot of pain,

All our endeavours might go in vain,

You may make nests for some other birds to survive,

It is our special way of nest building that is necessary for our species to revive,

We need the natural raw materials to weave these lovely homes,

It is beneficial for human beings to support various other life forms,

Biodiversity is necessary for life on the Earth to be sustainable,

Healthy ecosystems are requisite for our planet to be viable…

©  Nishand Venugopal.  All rights reserved.