Birds of every feather flock together at my place. Literally, they are of all kinds and are everywhere. Before the reader starts wondering if I live in a sanctuary specially designed by Salim Ali, let me answer them in the negative. However, yes, I have had the fortune of spending a major part of my life in one of the most afforested areas that the city can proclaim to possess. My house is just adjacent to the Kamala Nehru Ridge, popularly known as the North Delhi Ridge. And, believe me, with this come the difficulties.
I am a peace loving person who likes to be left alone with her solitude or a good piece of reading. But, the moment you curl up with a book or try reflecting on some of those memories, they come in packs and attack your peace. Babblers. That’s the local name for them. At my place we call the ‘Danda-maaru’. : )…quite suggestive…you feel like hitting them hard for the racket they create. And, yes, if you disturb their noisy conference, they do have a word or two for you as well (can’t disclose the abuses they hurl at Totto!). You’d want to flee with fright.
Oh! The orchestra they play if there happens to be a cat around! (it’s sufficient to drive a tiger away for sure). One fails to understand if they are cheering or jeering the predator.
This ugly specie is not dumb; it’s a fighter bird that travels in packs and has a peculiar habit: to peck at its own reflection. So, you would find huge numbers sitting at odd angles, on the ledge, eaves, by the side of the window panes of my glass house and go ‘peck-tuk, peck-tuk’ for hours on end. Don’t know and don’t want to know what they achieve by this annoying ritual.
During the Shraddh days, we had a visitor. It hopped in uninvited…literally speaking again. A curious, cranky crow. Don’t know what was wrong with this one but it meant business boss! It either mistook itself to be a pet dog or something was seriously hampering its flight…it walked its odd walk alongside us!; demanded to be fed by pecking at our feet…this one had lost its marbles I tell you…all of them! It kept frequenting the backyard for a few days and then just vanished…must’ve found its flight. See snaps below:
He had had a royal upbringing it seems, he accepted food only from your hands ... : )
His Highness helping itself to some fresh water...
Then, we had another loony avian member that seemed to have had a faulty upbringing. This eagle young was always spotted with a pack of doves or pigeons. One could almost see the lines of tension on the face of the puzzled mother eagle. So long as we studied the young ones behavior, it had not learnt its basic instincts. We too were disappointed in him, as the mother. Pic below.
Confused mother Eagle : )
We also had the luck to spot a couple of ‘imported’ species…green pigeons. ‘Yellow footed green pigeons’ to be precise. Treron Phoenicoptera, to those who are zoologically inclined. These obese species need firm perches, lest the branch would break. I am told that they need to store that extra fat to facilitate migration* but nonetheless they need to trim down a bit I feel. Pic below.
Boy! is it fat.
And the next time someone marvels at the ‘melodious’ voice of Koel, please send the person to me. Come February and these 'things in black' drive me to the point of taking up shooting game as a profession. Ever had the heart, no sorry the ears, to listen to a Koel conclave? Well, their cackle is maddening, something akin to a mindless Saas-Bahu banter. Stupid birds.
Peacocks…they flock the ridge in crazy numbers and few sometimes wander into my front lawns, especially in the mornings. Seriously, no offence meant to our national bird, vehicle of Goddess Saraswati and all that; but, ever had the chance of spotting a featherless peacock? Ahem, let me not describe how it looks. ; ). And the way this bird cries…it sounds like an elongated meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww-- a ‘High C’ gone awry. My Totto howls better. No kidding!
Owls…I love them. The smaller version of the specie frequents my place on the onset of winters. Sadly, mum hates them as they are believed to be a bad omen…so much for the official vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi. All measures are undertaken to shoo them away. They stay nonetheless. : )
I am a peace loving person who likes to be left alone with her solitude or a good piece of reading. But, the moment you curl up with a book or try reflecting on some of those memories, they come in packs and attack your peace. Babblers. That’s the local name for them. At my place we call the ‘Danda-maaru’. : )…quite suggestive…you feel like hitting them hard for the racket they create. And, yes, if you disturb their noisy conference, they do have a word or two for you as well (can’t disclose the abuses they hurl at Totto!). You’d want to flee with fright.
Oh! The orchestra they play if there happens to be a cat around! (it’s sufficient to drive a tiger away for sure). One fails to understand if they are cheering or jeering the predator.
This ugly specie is not dumb; it’s a fighter bird that travels in packs and has a peculiar habit: to peck at its own reflection. So, you would find huge numbers sitting at odd angles, on the ledge, eaves, by the side of the window panes of my glass house and go ‘peck-tuk, peck-tuk’ for hours on end. Don’t know and don’t want to know what they achieve by this annoying ritual.
Picture to be posted soon!
During the Shraddh days, we had a visitor. It hopped in uninvited…literally speaking again. A curious, cranky crow. Don’t know what was wrong with this one but it meant business boss! It either mistook itself to be a pet dog or something was seriously hampering its flight…it walked its odd walk alongside us!; demanded to be fed by pecking at our feet…this one had lost its marbles I tell you…all of them! It kept frequenting the backyard for a few days and then just vanished…must’ve found its flight. See snaps below:
He had had a royal upbringing it seems, he accepted food only from your hands ... : )
His Highness helping itself to some fresh water...Then, we had another loony avian member that seemed to have had a faulty upbringing. This eagle young was always spotted with a pack of doves or pigeons. One could almost see the lines of tension on the face of the puzzled mother eagle. So long as we studied the young ones behavior, it had not learnt its basic instincts. We too were disappointed in him, as the mother. Pic below.
Confused mother Eagle : )
Boy! is it fat.Peacocks…they flock the ridge in crazy numbers and few sometimes wander into my front lawns, especially in the mornings. Seriously, no offence meant to our national bird, vehicle of Goddess Saraswati and all that; but, ever had the chance of spotting a featherless peacock? Ahem, let me not describe how it looks. ; ). And the way this bird cries…it sounds like an elongated meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwww-- a ‘High C’ gone awry. My Totto howls better. No kidding!
Owls…I love them. The smaller version of the specie frequents my place on the onset of winters. Sadly, mum hates them as they are believed to be a bad omen…so much for the official vehicle of Goddess Lakshmi. All measures are undertaken to shoo them away. They stay nonetheless. : )
Might post a snap of this cute bird
Gone are the days when vultures were a part of this list. They used to mind their own business…sitting atop the towering trees in my locality. I miss them.
2 comments:
It was really cool, to say the least. It came as an icy and sweet puff of air in this hot and sultry weather. Thanx for sharing these wonderful moments.
Anu
Dearie,
I thoroughly enjoyed the piece you have posted and the expressive pics. you have put up. And I am sure you will come up with some hard bound treasures in the future. Keep it up; let your imagination go wild and let us swing in that wilderness.
Ratna.
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