See the little yellow circle in the tree? Guess what's inside it!
I placed this post in #treetuesday hosted by @old-guy-photos, to show you that there is much more to trees than their beauty. This oak tree stands proudly in the back garden of our heritage home and it was planted a very long time ago, as the house is 100 years old. Not only can trees convert noxious gasses into oxygen, but they also have many other uses, one of them being a security headquarters!
Let me show you!
Here's a full picture of the proud old oak tree!
Look at the lovely red on the trunks by the late afternoon sun!
Now to show you what is inside the yellow circle of the first picture!
Yep, this guy is the night watchman and he sleeps up high every night.
Early mornings and late afternoon are the most dangerous times for predator attacks.
He let's out a very loud "krrrrr.krrrrr" alarm cry when he spots danger!
This patrolling falcon causes great panic in the garden and a frantic scurrying of little creatures for safety occurs whenever they hear the watchman's alarm call!
Here you can see a guinea fowl scurrying past me on the way to safety!
Half of her children were taken by predators and the remainder are now easier to manage.
The little ones have also learnt how to respond to the alarm calls!
And finally, even a squirrel in the oak runs for cover at the alarm call!
I wonder how many thousands of lives' this old oak tree has saved over the years, how many times has the old lady opened her arms to welcome nature's residents. How many has she fed with her bark and acorns?
One can only stare at this majestic old tree in wonder!
Which brings me to another point. Obedience!
As humans we can certainly learn a lot from nature. For instance, animals flee from danger and many of us simply don't, even if we suspect that we are in a flirting with trouble, we blindly continue. Some of us actually go out to court danger and when it strikes we end up in sorrows and tears.
Would it then not be better to flee from danger?
Just some more of my own thoughts!
I hope you have enjoyed the pictures and thank you for the visit to a post by @papilloncharity
Team South Africa banner designed by @bearone
Leave learning from nature aside, we humans are out to destroy nature. Little do we know that we are only destroying ourselves.
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So true my friend and all of the destruction in the name of progress. Our wild animals are killed by the hundreds by poachers for their skins and ivory tusks and even the Rhino's are killed for their horns. The oceans are filled with tons of plastic that's killing marine life and yet, man refuses to learn from nature.
That's why I am running nature's teaching posts, in the hope to bring about awareness!
My kind of alarm. Not only is it very effective, it seems, it is also very beautiful. I live in the biggest forest area in central Europe, and I love it and I love the trees!
Amazingly effective Sir Reinhard and I am sure that your forest must also be ringing with many alarms?
We also have a few protected forests here, but nothing like yours.
Blessings!
The way nature works is so interesting. How that one tree effects all those animals and how each of them effect each other. It's so cool to see. You really captured some great photos of it all!
So true Sir Derek and it is indeed an ancient chain reaction. It works simply because ever animal obeys immediately. They are fully aware of the danger and sadly as humans we tend to ignore warning signals!
Blessings!
I love when you show us about how far from your distance to shot that bird. When close..wow, its amazing bird and hot shot.
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Thank you and it is the camera my friend. A Canon Powershot SX60 HS and it has a Super Zoom.
Blessings!
So nice the oak tree! Living around it seems fun. It is a small park.
Thank you and the garden is indeed the size of a small park. In the old days they built very expansive properties!
Thank you for the info.. cheers
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Thank you and glad to share!
Beautiful old tree. We have seen birds warning of predators quite often in our garden, including of snakes - we had a boomslang hanging around one summer day a few years ago, and after the birds warned us, we stayed away, and it just slunk away never to be seen again.
Glad that you obeyed the signals and stayed away Lady Fiona. I have a history with boomslang's as we were citrus fruit pickers in my youth on the farm in the north and they were plenty up there! Deadly fellows!
Blessings!
yes you are right sir... @papilloncharity
Nice photographs....
Thank you my friend and I am not always right!
Blessings!
A world within a world! I will never look at a tree the same after reading your story. Thank you @papilloncharity I love it!
Glad to have changed your mind about trees Lady Liza.
Thank you and all blessings to you!
Lovely
Thank you kindly Lady Selka!
Blessings!
This is really a lovely post, how nature works their wonder is just beyond us!
Absolutely my friend and if only we learn the lessons.
Blessings!
Indeed. Blessing to you too!
Very beautiful tree!
Excellent illustrations, how to escape from predators.
Thank you my friend and oh yeah, one of the best alarm systems in the world!
Blessings!
Very cool. Unfortunately, most humans are so separated from nature, that I'm afraid they can learn nothing from it. It is sad to see what we have lost as we build and live in our artificial world.
Proud member of #powerhousecreatives
Thank you and agreed Sir, in fact it's scary. We are prepared to swap life for plastic.
So sad!
Trees are just amazing. I have been watching the trees that I have in my yard (haven't had trees in a year and a half that weren't in a park). I love the surprises I find. I did love the fact that it was a guinea that you found. My Grand Georges call me Guinny so I have a special place in heart for those birds.
Ren
Hi Ren, glad that you also have trees now. We have a large family ow wild guinea's that claimed the large back garden as their own territory and their keets (babies) are protected at all times by 7 adult guineas. I check on them throughout the day and your Guinny name means that you are a special person!
Blessings!
Once again a great picture!
Thank you and glad that you liked it!
Blessings!
Obedience= most humans lack it
Pride= most humans have excess supply of it
So when someone "flirts" with danger, its either they have lack or excess of these two.