10 September 2021

I’m feeling sad.  A long-time tree friend was felled by a strong gust of wind today.  A tree that I have spent long hours over countless years sitting with in the mornings and evenings watching the sun or the moon rise through its branches.  Watching the weaver birds build their nests and raise their babies in the protective arms of this tree.  The parrots that live around me liked to hang out in that tree too.  Such a sad day to see it toppled over into our garden.  It was also a great producer of pods that the goats and sheep like to eat.  Whenever a gust of wind came, one could hear the pods hitting the ground.  The goats and sheep would come running to snap them up, crunching away in bliss.  Well, today the gust of wind was too strong and the whole big trunk twisted and cracked and down fell the biggest part of the tree with all its pods scattering across the ground.  Feast time for the sheep and goats.  I opened the garden gate to let them in to scramble around munching on the many pods knocked off the tree as it hit the ground.  

Amazingly the tree fell in such a way that the main part of the truck is held over the top of the fence which was left mostly in tack. The trunk that fell was actually sort of half of the main tree, though the bigger half.  So part of the tree is still standing strong with its roots firming in the ground.  Though one side is eroding away in the wash off riverbed, which is what probably weakened the trunk that finally gave up, twisted and cracked. .

I went to check the weaverbird nests that had come down with the tree.  One fortunate discovery is that most of the nests that I would watch everyday are actually on a branch of the trunk that didn’t fall.  So they are safe, if a bit more exposed against the sky as the thicker branches were on the trunk that fell.  On the down tree, I found only two nests.  One was completely empty and bare.  The other was full of feathers and nicely lined and ready to hold a family.  But I found neither eggs or baby birds.  So, seems it was just made ready but not yet filled.  Some couple will come home and find their ready house gone.  Time to weave another one.  Another fortunate discovery was that the tree had just missed the whole line of tree seedlings that we’d planted there almost 2 years ago.  So they are saved.  One of my flower bushes is under the tree completely so not sure how that will fare.  But the other flower patch was also missed. 

I’m going to miss that tree.   For a while I will have to sadly see it laying in my garden as it is very big and removing it will take some time and effort.  The wind has been blowing quite a lot this last week.  Harbinger of rain we hope.  It has been cloudy since yesterday when we even got a few drops of rain.  Praying it is building up to a proper rainy season.

I went out just now as the sun was setting to find a commotion in the bird world.  The weaver birds had come as a big group to inspect the damage.  They checked out the downed nest and took a few feathers out of it.  They flew in and out of the nests still hanging up on the standing part of the tree.  Huge chattering conversation and acrobatics in the air all around.  A couple go-away-birds came by to kwak at the damage.  A whole flock of golden breasted starlings came and perched at the very tops of the trees around looking down at the fallen giant.  I have never seen them gather like that before.  Though I do suspect that they would sometimes perch in that big tree at night.  They all swooped away as a group leaving the weaver birds to their concern about their nests.  A real conference of birds!!

The sun is down now.  Quiet has descended in the trees.  A sad evening for those who loved, used and lived in that mighty tree.  Life moves on.  Things change.  Tomorrow is another day.  So it is…