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A TRIP FULL OF SURPRISES

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   05/XI/2024   A drive to a few nearby lakes springs surprises every time. There would always be a new bird or an animal which is sited making the drive worth it.   (Peacock sitting on an Electric Pole) My sister-in-law and family were here and requested me to visit the lake where the Demoiselles Cranes come to roost in winters. There was no way I could refuse it. My tripod too had been resting for a while. It was time to air its legs.   The drive to Guda Lake doesn’t take more than 20 minutes from where we stay. The biggest landmark on the way is a life size ‘Black Buck’ statue that the Bishnoi clan has erected on a pedestal in memory of the deer for which our friend ‘Sallu Baba’ keeps visiting the Sun City. We stopped to pose with the statue and moved to the lake. (Yours truly with the statue of the Black Buck) Moment, we alighted, very familiar sounds greeted us. They definitely were the cranes. My pace hastened to get the first glimpse of them. Lo and behold, th
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SCENE AT ELLIS’ RESTAURANT

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   04/XI/2024   Every morning the scene in the Ellis’ restaurant is so refreshing. The notes birds sing sounds like ‘reveille’ being sounded by the buglers. The ‘scenario’ keeps varying with arrival of different birds at different timings.   It is like being a restaurant owner, working solo with minimum help. Yours truly is the waiter, housekeeper, cook, receptionist, barman, purchase manager, accountant, and storekeeper of this shack. Imagine!   Foremost thing in the morning is housekeeping of the garden area, followed by watering the pots. This gives the plants a nice bath, like kids being readied for school.   The first set of ‘clients’ called the ‘Tailor Birds’ appear. They love to hunt for insects which get disturbed by the watering ritual. They sing and dance, hop and skip and carry on chasing moths and worms, without bothering about my presence.   By then the Bulbuls and the Sparrows start lining up around the trees, urging me to ‘o
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A GREAT SUNDAY

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   27/X/2024   Sunday is one of the most hectic days, probably the longest day. There is so much to do. To pack all the goodies in the day becomes exciting and fulfilling to the hilt.   A walk in the outdoors is a bliss in our colony. Cool breeze and fantastic smells greet you everywhere. Harsingaar is in full bloom, as also the Devil’s flower or “Alstonia Scholaris”. Their sweet smells are free ‘aroma therapy’.   Some people around were complaining about the allergies they create, especially for people having breathing problems. ‘Pollen’ of any flower can be allergic, is my view. Allergies could be aggravated by so many other reasons too. People want such trees to be ‘axed’, which I think would be criminal.   In Sainik School Kapurthala where I grew up, these trees grew as high as 150 feet tall. Here, they remind me of standing in the school assembly or while going for an after-dinner stroll to the ‘Baija’ (Garden) enjoying the fragrance. For me, this scent sets in
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A BEAUTIFUL PALACE

  Guess the place we visited today folks 💙 Dil Khush ❤
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  NEW FEEDER IN ELLIS’ GARDEN   LT COL NOEL ELLIS   22/X/2024   Birds have been a source of our joy. Their chirping and singing adds melody to the day's proceedings. Even their distant calls add a musical note to the natures choir. We wanted to do something more for them.   Hummingbirds are one species who have been regular visitors to our garden. Some have even nested in our garage. They have fought, played, frolicked, and multiplied. We feel blessed.   Flowers, especially hibiscus are ‘irresistible’ to them for nectar. Plants in the garden attract insects which also is a meal for many birds. We serve rotis to add some variety and change of taste. Later, we added a grain feeder to entice them. Small birds attracted ‘birds of prey’. So, there is an assortment of birds visiting us and increasing by the day. The ruckus in the garden is a testimony to it.   One day, while surfing on an online portal, I came across a ‘hummingbird feeder’. One had to fill it with a sugar solution of 25:
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