Its the nth day of our nation wide and worldwide lock down due to the Covid19 flu. Optimism the true spirit of any organic being keeps us going with hope, a vaccine will come, we will find medication, life will get back to a semblance of what we knew ( Though a few of us hope that it will be more inclusive in us being less unthinkingly exploitative.). Yet here in India specially in the city I call home the numbers keep rising.
Its in this backdrop that I decided to pay some attention to life as it happens around me. Being a birdwatcher thats what got my full attention.
I have travelled to watch birds around the country but my immediate surroundings received a step motherly treatment except in my initial years of learning. Our backyard where I still have a small nursery for plants is the observation area.
Every morning between the duties there was, time and a strange new purpose! The quiet that has clawed back its domain allows for bird song beside all else happening in the world of flora and fauna.
The lockdown began at the end of March, this is a time of great change in the bird world, the winter migrants that had journeyed from far away lands are leaving for their breeding grounds. Most of them, I will miss this year as I am ensconced in this mini ecosystem around my house. But nevertheless I still had a few. Prominent amongst them are local migrants like the Paradise flycatcher that visits us every year. The raucous calls of Orioles kept us company till mid April. Another constant companion was the hard “ tchit tchit” of the Blyth's reed Warbler. The double noted “tch-lip” of the greenish Leaf warbler too was heard. Though all of these have now fallen silent.
Another world is beginning to take shape, our local resident breeders are getting into action and they allow us a peek into their private world as long as one is is willing to maintain their comfort zone.
I will first draw attention to the purple-rumped sunbirds dashing around singing loudly, whichik whichick whichik in quick frenzied succession as they move around dashing between Caliandras, Mogras, Ochna and the two big Saraca indica trees in front of our house. Preening and bathing, making the most of the droplets of water on leaves, a result of the morning watering of plants. The male has been in consort, his colours of purples, greens, blacks and blues are a extravaganza in neon and they glisten in the sun surpassing even his own bright yellow belly. He is well aware of that, it can be noticed in his proud stance. Unafraid he flaunts himself from every vantage point be it a branch of a tree or the wiper blade of a car.He is the guardian angel the brave knave throwing himself as bait to any opportunistic predator to protect his love interest. This is his karma, I don't think i can attribute choice to his actions, for if he does not qualify he will get no attention from the female and his genes will slip into the quiet space of time.
The female wears more muted brown and yellow goes about her business fluttering to pick off spiders and insects from the back of leaves, riding flowers to get at their nectar using that beautiful curved beak. She seems to be won over by her mate and at the beginning of the summer was inspecting places to make a nest. I can tell you she is extremely choosey and wary in her choice as the energies invested by her will be greater than the males. On one occasion I caught her perched on the side view mirror of a car,
she would then launch onto the windows, holding onto the rubber bidding dodging, fluttering and bowing to her own reflection that projected back at her. This exercises in aggression went on for a long time, till probably she had vanquished the adversary, at least in her mind. She needs to do her job well for success.Once the location is finalised she will use gossamer, twigs, leaves to make her nest. Strung from the edge of a branch this delicate looking but cozy structure is where the brood will be brought up,swaying precariously it is hopefully strong enough to bear the brunt of vagaries of weather to say the least . As I write now she is busy building her fourth nest the previous ones being abandoned. Defeated by human interference in the first case as the car on which she is seen perched was too close to the nest, the second nests construction began mid may only to be destroyed by crows and for the third she settled for a place very close to the first, this time construction was happening at a hectic pace only to be dashed by the rain!
Comments