THREE SIPS & TWENTY GRAINS

THREE SIPS & TWENTY GRAINS

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

01/VIII/2023

These days when we sit in our veranda for our ritualistic cup of tea, my wife and I enjoy a different sort of company.

Sparrows are the most boisterous and vociferous. Moment they find grains in the feeder, they break into a frenzy. Chirping at the loudest, calling all friends and relatives for a feast. On seeing food, it is not the normal chirping but an excited kind of chatter.

They flap their wings, hop around, hang upside down on branches, as if inspecting those grains from every angle. Like we used to do as kids for toffees. Which one to eat first and which one to keep for later and which one to melt and keep in the mouth, or keep scraping a soft toffee in tiny bits. ‘Cheeng-Cheeng’ ke, as they say it here in local lingo.

A few chases ensue too, shooing each other away from the feeder. Especially, if there are two or more male sparrows. If there is a female, they become gentlemen. Rather the males invite them as if they are on a date and are ready to share grains, saying “pahle aap-pahle aap”.

Doves are bigger and much heavier than sparrows. They can tilt that grain pot with their weight when they land on its side disbalancing themselves. They fly off, getting scared from that swinging pot. Harmony prevails between sparrows and doves when we see both in the feeder together.

Now they have devised a method to hop into the grain pot. They come and land on the closest branch and wait. Then calculate the angle and distance to the berm of the pot. It is like when we jumped from the 7 metre board in NDA. A step forward and two backwards. Looking down and then looking up and then finally before the Ustad kicked you off we jumped into the pool.

One evening the birds showed strange behaviour. They would come, recce and fly off. Birds who generally make a beeline for grains, were not interested in eating them. After a while, they would return, chirp differently and fly off. Something was amiss.

It was time to investigate. I walked to peep in the pot. On seeing me, they started chirping excitedly. The mystery was solved instantly. There was no grain in the pot. They were telling me to refill it. How mean of me! I was not able to understand their behaviour and tweets, till I physically saw the feeder. I apologised immediately.

Birds eat grains which are firm and well shaped. They leave the chaff and small sized grains which are hollow from inside. However, when there is nothing left, they eat whatever is available. Their chirrups thereafter are a reminder to refill.

Now, every morning the feeder is checked and refilled without their reminder. If grains are overstocked, birds tend to spill them. It was another mystery, as to why my hibiscus pots underneath the bird feeder started showing signs of weeds. They were not actually sprouting bajra seeds.

To one side we also keep two water bowls. Birds use one as a ‘’bird bath and the other one for a drink. Bulbuls too are very fond of them. They jump in, shake their booty, jump out and shake again to dry off, ruffling their feathers vigorously. I might miss having a bath but they don’t.

Sparrows do not take more than three sips of water. Every time, after a sip, they look up to thank the Almighty and fly off. Water and grains keep these birds vivacious all day. They zip-zap-zoom around fearlessly. Our presence doesn’t bother them much, unless we are too close for their comfort.

Once in a while, it is ‘chai-pakora’ time for them when we feed them dead cockroaches. Otherwise, birds need nothing more than twenty grains & three sips of water. Isn’t it amazing? I wonder!!!!!!!

JAI HIND