LITTLE BABY DOVE
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
30/VII/2022
There was this Mama Dove and Papa Dove who brought to this world a Baby Dove. Peace was their message. Besides, there were lots of Uncle, Auntie & Cousin Doves, who lived together.
Their favourite game used to be ‘catch me if you can’. From one tree to the other, zip-zap-zoom they would go, manoeuvring branches and obstacles with such grace and finesse, which every pilot in the world would like to emulate.
Baby Dove would hide in a tree. The speed with which it approached it was phenomenal. Just at the right moment it would spread its wings and apply brakes for a soft landing and quickly walk behind the leaves. Cousin Doves in pursuit would miss the spot.
They knew that Baby Dove was there but her camouflage needed a lens and a keen eye to locate. She would coo and Cousin Doves rush to find her. Moment, they spotted her, Baby Dove would take off to another tree.
She would pretend to land on one tree then abandon it at the last moment. A small detour and she would be gone. This game paused till all got tired and needed a drink and a bite. They would land on the road where ‘Uncle Noel’ used to spread grains. They would keep chasing each other here too.
Lots of Sparrow Aunties and Uncles would join the feast. Some birds were ‘look outs’ for lurking danger. One call, they all would take off and hide. ‘Wicked Tom’ was always on the prowl.
Greed never overtook their hunger. They always knew they could return later. For scooterists and pedestrians they would hop to the side of the road. Once they passed, they continued eating.
Sometimes a leaf would catch the wind and cover the grains. Or at times grains would get exposed due to the leaf rolling over. There would be a sudden rush to this cache of grain. They would rush but peace prevailed. There would come a time, when all tummies would be full. They would take to the skies.
One day an ‘enemy’ intruded. All birds went on a high alert. Generally, Mr Enemy would encircle high above in the skies but today was a little different. He spotted Uncle Pigeon and his family which had come to dry their feathers on the roof of a building.
One dive brought so much commotion. Uncle Pigeon escaped by a whisker. All of them fluttered to safety and hid somewhere. They knew Mr Enemy would not give them a second chance.
Our Baby Dove got flustered too. However, being new to the world and naïve came and sat on top of our garage. We were in the veranda and watching all this. A quick click of the enemy and before I said ‘Kite’ it was gone.
There was something amiss which I was sensing. Birds sensed danger and did not return. Was Mr Enemy approaching stealthily, flying ‘Nape of the Earth’ to avoid detection? Or had he abandoned the hunt? A hungry bird would use any trick.
Mama Dove called out loud warning Baby Dove of the approaching danger. Baby Dove cooed & scooted in the nick of time. The Kite whooshed past exactly at the same spot where Baby dove was. One felt the force of wind as it went past gliding with its wings fully open almost touching my face.
There was a kind of hush. Not a bird moved. Mr Kite identified another target and took off. It was a group of sparrows and bulbuls on another roof.
How could they take this intrusion lying down? Those birds went into ‘attack mode’ and dislodged Mr Kite from where he was sitting. They dived and plucked out some feathers from the Kite’s forehead. Realising that this is not the place to be in, Mr Kite wandered off.
The birds then returned back and it was banqueting time again. What would have happened if Mama Dove wouldn’t have warned little Baby Dove? I wonder!!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© NOEL ELLIS
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