The latest news about our regular visitor, the olive-backed sunbird, is that it has gone mute as it came without chirping at all.
Initially, when I spotted these holes on all my flower buds, I thought that the plants were infested with worms. And there was further confusion as my plant was also concurrently undergoing the after-effects of over-fertilising.
However, before I barge into the nursery to consult the Aunty who coached me in gardening, I caught the olive-backed sunbird red-handed.
Well, it didn't commit the "crimes" with any hands since they weren't part of its anatomy.
We discovered that instead of sticking its long, pin-like beak into the opening at the top of flower buds, it was a really lazy bird. Our friend use its pin-like beak to prick the flower buds & finally drilled a huge hole into the buds mid-way to suck out the flower nectar.
As such, there were many pin--like holes & 1 huge gaping hole on all the flowers buds.
If you asked me if it looked awful, yes it does affect the appearance of the poor plants.
Initially, when I spotted these holes on all my flower buds, I thought that the plants were infested with worms. And there was further confusion as my plant was also concurrently undergoing the after-effects of over-fertilising.
However, before I barge into the nursery to consult the Aunty who coached me in gardening, I caught the olive-backed sunbird red-handed.
Well, it didn't commit the "crimes" with any hands since they weren't part of its anatomy.
We discovered that instead of sticking its long, pin-like beak into the opening at the top of flower buds, it was a really lazy bird. Our friend use its pin-like beak to prick the flower buds & finally drilled a huge hole into the buds mid-way to suck out the flower nectar.
As such, there were many pin--like holes & 1 huge gaping hole on all the flowers buds.
If you asked me if it looked awful, yes it does affect the appearance of the poor plants.
After we made such a discovery by the naughty bird, we no longer based its presence on its chirping since it's been quiet nowadays.
Instead, the freshly bloomed buds which were marked with such holes were a very clear indication that the silly bird has already visited & drank its fill of flower nectar.
Instead, the freshly bloomed buds which were marked with such holes were a very clear indication that the silly bird has already visited & drank its fill of flower nectar.
Did you see the flower (which had already been "attacked" by the bird) being flanked by 2 other flower buds which are going to bloom at any point in time?
I thought that this was really cute as the flower bud had been pushed out right at the top of the red "corn".
It's quite a pity that the red "corn" was burnt off earlier in view of overfertilising & also, over watering. Before the flower buds were being pushed out of the red "scales", it had already started rotting. After the unbloomed buds rot & die off, they would simply turn brown & dry up like how it's featured in the above photograph.
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