Many eagles and other birds of prey pass through or stay in the UAE.

Visitors include peregrine and saker falcons, tawny, steppe, booted, imperial, lesser and greater spotted eagles, buzzards, hawks, harriers, kites and shikra.

They appear during autumn or during winter, when there is an influx of migratory ducks, geese and waders on which these birds feed.

Have you ever seen pigeons fighting by beating opponents with their wings? Pigeons – like all birds – often fight to establish hierarchy, to secure a site for nesting, and to defend their nests.

However, in the animal world these fights rarely end in the death of the opponents.

And there are many ways physical altercations are avoided. Lions and tigers roar, elephants trumpet and many animals leave behind scent marks while foraging.

You can feel it from the recent erratic behaviour of the weather. The season is changing. To cope with this transformation, many plants in our parks have started shedding their leaves.

Park visitors will notice a few ornamental trees from Asia and Africa having very flashy fountains or pagoda-like and bell, funnel, boat or kidney-shaped large red flowers.

One of these is the Coral tree or Erythrina ovalifolia. It drops all its leaves and branches, and becomes well-shaven. A few trees are in Safa and Creek Side Parks.

We hardly consider ourselves a part of the nature we live in. So, we misuse it.

We cut trees, remove grass fields and convert pastures, meadows, wetlands, etc, into residential or commercial areas.

We shoot animals, poach them, and remove eggs and chicks. Often we vandalise their homes.