Termites

At the beginning of a tour at the Bosque someone inevitably asks about the big black termite nests found up in most trees. "No, the termites aren't eating the trees; they're getting away from their predators." But then they pay the price of being so far from the source of their food, which is the litter on the ground. In order to stay hidden from birds and other predators, they must construct tunnels from the nests right down to the ground. This can be a considerable distance and I'm sure represents a lot of work and materials. The nesting material is much like waterproof cardboard, made up of decomposed leaves and feces. The nest you see in the attached image is a bit exaggerated because it is larger than most and it is placed in a rather small tree, not far off the ground. Nevertheless, it has been there for at least five years and shows no sign of falling anytime soon. Sightseeing couldn't be better. It's only 4-5 meters from the entrance to the Bosque.