That is a Great Tit peeking out of that flange. The flange and the GI pipe seen here are part of the swing on the lawn of the great western bungalow. The swing might have been made many years ago from decommissioned hot water or steam pipes from the tea factory. One wonders how many kids would have enjoyed riding on it, my kids just love it. Not just kids, the swing is strong enough to support the weight of adults too. Occasionally a bird like the one pictured here decides to make a nest inside the hollow tube. This photo was captured during our previous visit in May. On our most recent visit the bird was missing. Either it had given up on the nest (probably gets too hot during warm weather) or the eggs had hatched and the young had flown away

It’s not a home away from home about a home with in a home. This nest was built by a Scaly Breasted Munia at our new house. The reason that this blog has been neglected in recent times is because it took a little while for us to settle in after moving here on the 5th of June. The Orchid bush in which the nest was built is part of my vertical garden. Note the patches of paint on some of the leaves.

The drastic effect of sea erosion. These stumps were once coconut trees that stood above the water line. The tsunami didn’t help matters either. Part of the reason that the south coast suffers such severe erosion is because of the illegal coral mining that is carried out. Coral is used to make lime used in mortar and plaster

This is obviously a bat. I will even go so far as to say this is a fruit bat. To narrow it down even further would be putting my neck too firmly on the line. Notice the ant on the bat’s head? notice that it’s using the leaf of the shoe flower tree for shade?

The Tamarind Tree – Siyambala as it’s known in Sinhala