Most people who have a garden have seen weaver ants. Many hate them — and for good reason. That bite is sharp, sudden, and leaves a burning sensation that stays with you. Anyone who has accidentally brushed against a mango branch with a weaver nest on it knows exactly what I mean. And the nest itself — that too is familiar. Large leaves folded and packed tight, like those old-fashioned leaf parcels from a grocery shop. The kind vendors used to wrap betel leaves or vegetables

The Common Tailorbird that chose my backyard. I didn't go looking for this story. It came and nested right outside my window. For five years now, a pair of Common Tailorbirds has been breeding in my backyard in Palakkad. Same pair or their descendants — I can't say for sure. But every year, without fail, sometime around mid-April, the familiar loud calls start up again. And I know — they are back. It starts with the courtship. Loud, energetic calls from early morning, mostly

I’ve always been drawn to the smaller life around me. Even if I get a few minutes, I end up looking around—on leaves, along stems, just to see what’s happening. Back home, I have a small garden behind the house. Nothing fancy, but there’s always something going on if observed closely. My little garden A few days in a row, I noticed something odd. Some leaves had these neat, curved cuts—almost like someone had used a tiny punch. Then I started seeing the same pattern on nearby