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On a trip to Satara near Pune, photographer Vishal Yadav captured the fascinating work undertaken by male Weaver Birds to create elaborate nests using little else but genetic memory and their beaks in a bid to impress the female birds

Associate Programme Officer Asif Khan of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) says the birds start nesting in June, and the male has the task of repeatedly making nests till the female fancies one, and chooses him as her mate. The unwanted nests are then struck off the branches by the male. The nests hang from branches of tall trees, acting like natural swings for the young ones. They are often made on the farthest and thinnest part of branches where predators are unlikely to reach.

The breeding male Baya weaver has a bright yellow crown and a dark brown mask around the eye. Non-breeding males and females resemble female house sparrows. They also lack the dark brown mask. The idea of the nest entrance is interesting -- it's made so that the birds can easily find their way inside but it's a tough task for predators including snakes to manoeuvre and get through. Entry is from below, and within the nest, a separate chamber houses young ones.
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Staff at BNHS have personal tales to relate about the Baya. Senior Computer Operator Gopi Naidu remembers how in his native village in Tamil Nadu, he spotted Weaver Bird nests made on the farthest branches that leaned over a deep well, making them precariously positioned for predators to attack. Once the nesting period is over, the grass cocoons are taken over by other birds or picked up by locals who hang them in their homes like mementos.

A group of women travellers watch the Thoseghar waterfall that's known
for the thunderous sound it produces while crashing the ambient calm.
Adjoining the waterfall is a still lake, and wooded hills.

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