Hiding in plain sight, I caught them in the act. Stealing my figs, I found the culprits. Or, I knew it, but now I have proof! Caught in the act is the red-faced mousebird (Urocolius indicus) and the Cape white-eye (Zosterops virens). They did not see me, for they are so shy. It is almost as if they know what they are doing is wrong, stealing my figs! No, that is just my own jealousy talking. They are shy because they know I might do them harm, in a nature-being-cruel way, not that I will actually harm them. The only shooting I do is shooting with my camera.

In any case, the fruits they are interested in are high above in the tree, there where I rarely get to. Sharing caring, but this is not about sharing. This is about survival. I wonder where the seeds are planted of possible new fig trees. I think there is one in my own garden, for the new fig tree is growing in a spot where I seldomly go.

Three Shots of the Culprits

I got close enough to see their facial expressions. Okay, no, it is my reading facial expressions into their faces, but I can see the glee and happiness and the slyness. Figs! Sugary-sweet figs! How delightful the tree after days of monotonous seed feeding. If I had to eat seeds and stumble upon a fig tree, I would not stop until my body gives in.

The Attempts and their Delightful Eating

All puffed up, I can see the delight on its face. "Yum!" it shouts from the feast.

A big bite! Just look at it go, taking more than it can chew in one go. In Afrikaans, we have a saying: "Sluk nou, kou later." Translated it says swallow now chew later. For when you are busy and in need of eating, you swallow the food quickly and chew on it later. This little bird embodies that idiom. Gulping down the sweet fruit and watching for prey, it takes more than it needs and tastes it later.

A massacre of fruit, but oh so sweet!

Munch munch, they eat the sweet fruit. All in one go, no time to waste, nothing to spare.

And far away, in a giant strelitzia, or Natal wild banana tree (strelitzia nicolai) two lonely Cape sparrows (Passer melanurus) sit perched looking at the sticky sweet nectar. How wonderful is life not, an abundance of food for everyone. Nothing goes to waste, nothing is too much or too little. (Okay, take this last bit with a grain of salt!)

Reflections as a Post Scriptum

Always with the reflections, it seems. Philosopher proper, or quasi-intellectual. I digress. Standing underneath the fig tree, taking these photographs, it struck me again how wonderful life is. Embracing the small things, or actually looking at life, I am struck at how intricate the balance is. If this fruit tree did not nourish the life that surrounds it, how bland would life be? All the noise of our making (cars, equipment, and so on) is supplemented with that of the birds and bees and insects. Cicadas, mousebirds, bees, and carpenter bees, life is full of amazing sounds if you just listen and look.

If we take away one piece of the puzzle, the whole thing might tumble down. Life is sometimes robust and resilient, and sometimes it is so fragile. If we do not look after the insects, that feed the birds, will the falcons and eagles look for food elsewhere? If we do not look after the eagles and falcons, will the small birds and rodents disappear? Or will they eat all the flora and in so doing inevitably kill themselves? Have we already scarred the earth with our permanent homes and cement structures? The last animals remaining only a handful to soothe our own demise?

I always ask too many questions, some people do not like it. Cutting the flesh, or cutting to the bone, people will sometimes believe in the lie to help them survive. In any case, the photographs are my own, taken with the trusty but old Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens. The musings are my own, inspired by massacred figs. Oh, the slaughter! I hope there are some figs left for me. Happy birding, and stay safe.