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Two surprises in the Garden: Japanese White-eye and Pipe Plant

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Dear All,

With the rain letting up for a few hours over the weekend, we had two surprises in the garden. The first was a beautiful Japanese Bush Warbler (‘Uguisu’)

Correction: on further research it is not an Uguisu (though we have them round us), but a Japanese White-eye ‘Meijiro’. Apparently they are very seldom seen on the ground….,

that struck our window and sat stunned on the balcony for about 20 minutes. After my best impression of a hawker (the little thing crawled onto my outstretched glove and I gently held it aloft – a far cry from the gallant medieval hawker, something the size of a Robin) the beautiful little thing fluttered off and perched not far away for another 10 minutes, almost as if to say thank you. We have quite a lot of these little birds around in the forest, but they are very hard to see owing to their coloration and arboreal habit.

Also of interest was the re-emergence of the Indian Pipe plants that I mentioned quite a few blogs ago (but didn’t have a picture). They are very strange things, one of the few flowering plants not to have any chlorophyll. They are secondary parasitic, attaching themselves to a host fungus, which is itself feeding through tree roots. They mainly live underground for years, but just occasionally, when the conditions are just right, pop up (about 5 inches tall). Weird but as with all things nature, fascinating. Please see the rather ‘arty’ photo below.

Best, ptarotuos

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Comments

 

What a lovely story. The little bird is sooo sweet. I'm sure your kindness will be rewarded, in someway.
Isn't the Indian Pipe plant strange?

30 Jun, 2014

 

What a fabulous photo the last one is! It would make a good shot for a caption competition.

The pipe plant is astonishing - thank you for showing it.

30 Jun, 2014

 

You're a hero to that little bird Ptaro, what a lovely colour, I love the way its peering up at you in that second shot and to think if it hadn't bashed into your window you might never have been able to get those great shots.
That plant is a weird one, it puts me in mind of something out of a sci-fi film, lovely shots Ptaro, thankyou for sharing....

30 Jun, 2014

 

Thank you for your comments everyone. Yes, it was an adorable thing. It's always been a favourite of mine (since we don't get Robins here), but very hard to see. Seeing it up close was indeed a privilege. Best, ptarotuos

30 Jun, 2014

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