Ramani Palle -
Mythrinagar, Madinaguda Mythri Nagar, Chanda Nagar Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh
When we moved into our independent house in this area in March 2003, there was no greenery around, not even a blade of grass, so to speak. That summer was torturous. Come June, my husband and I planted trees such as badam, mango, temple tree, neem and nerium by the side of the road on the southern side of our house. Within 2-3 years, they grew large enough to attract all sorts of birds including the koel, but not the house sparrow, of which I have always been very fond since my childhood. Of course I have enjoyed watching all the other birds, and even collected nests of the tailor bird after the fledglings flew away, but I still missed these little brown birds a lot. However, in early 2010, I saw two sparrows hopping down the pathway in between our house and our neighbour's house opposite....I was really thrilled! Since then, I have been seeing them regularly, and have even followed their nesting and feeding habits. Within these last two years, their number has considerably increased. What I realised was, that they needed nooks and crannies, and really sheltered spots, like the middle of a dense climber in my neighbour's house opposite(which took almost these many years to grow dense enough) for the birds to build their nests. I have even observed a sparrow's nest in the middle of a big lemon tree in my next door neighbour's house. I have seen them playing in my garden, swinging from the branches of a rose bush. I am very happy all over again, and am planning to provide them with nesting boxes next year during their nesting season.
When we moved into our independent house in this area in March 2003, there was no greenery around, not even a blade of grass, so to speak. That summer was torturous. Come June, my husband and I planted trees such as badam, mango, temple tree, neem and nerium by the side of the road on the southern side of our house. Within 2-3 years, they grew large enough to attract all sorts of birds including the koel, but not the house sparrow, of which I have always been very fond since my childhood. Of course I have enjoyed watching all the other birds, and even collected nests of the tailor bird after the fledglings flew away, but I still missed these little brown birds a lot. However, in early 2010, I saw two sparrows hopping down the pathway in between our house and our neighbour's house opposite....I was really thrilled! Since then, I have been seeing them regularly, and have even followed their nesting and feeding habits. Within these last two years, their number has considerably increased. What I realised was, that they needed nooks and crannies, and really sheltered spots, like the middle of a dense climber in my neighbour's house opposite(which took almost these many years to grow dense enough) for the birds to build their nests. I have even observed a sparrow's nest in the middle of a big lemon tree in my next door neighbour's house. I have seen them playing in my garden, swinging from the branches of a rose bush. I am very happy all over again, and am planning to provide them with nesting boxes next year during their nesting season.
