A LOVELY DAY

A LOVELY DAY

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

17/X/2023

What a start to our day it was! Loud thunder woke us up. Till yesterday the sky was crisp, blue, and clear. We must be hallucinating, I thought. As I walked out of the door while dawn broke, it made me shiver. The air was nippy, as if we were in Mussoorie. It was dark, unlike the time of the day. It was then I noticed the ‘Kali Ghata’ hovering over our colony.

It took me a little while to absorb the change in weather. It was a sure sign of approaching winters. One shower which the clouds were threatening to, mornings and evenings would get chilly. The unexpected rain clouds in this month were harbingers of cold, is my experience of the desert. It would be pleasant for days to come till winters arrive in real earnest.

An unusual heavy sound of aircrafts flying overhead caught my attention. It was unlike one routinely hears. Civil flights do go around our colony before landing once in a while. This sound was different. I prayed for all to be well. As I lifted my head up, my doubt got cleared. A civil aircraft flew very low over our house and there was another huge military aircraft, quite high, following the same path. One on top of the other. Their sounds had got mixed and produced that effect.

Just then, from the corner of my eyes I caught a chase between birds. The light being dull due to the dark rain clouds, it hindered my identification. One was definitely not the usual visitor. It was time for my lens to come into action.

Following their flight path, I caught one bird. A pair of doves were in pursuit. A dog fight ensued. It was a spotted Koel. Instead of its melodious koohoo, I heard its agitated chatter, as it hopped from branch to branch to avoid the dove’s onslaught. I caught a fleeting glimpse of the proceedings.

Off flew the Koel with the doves following at a little distance. Then the Koel got embroiled with a pair of crows. This time the Koel was not alone. She had flown to her pair. I walked towards that tree and sure enough there was a black Koel too. The reason for their fight was not known, but sure enough one could see ruffled feathers and a few of them floated down towards the ground.

Crows left the scene but the Koels didn’t. Doves lay in wait for that duel to get over while they sat cooing on another tree. On the first opportunity, they attacked the Koel pair again. Koels are too swift and dodged the doves in between the thicket of Kikar branches. Doves gave up and returned to their favourite perch. Hope they achieved what they wanted to.

Then there was a lull. The ‘Koohooing’ stopped and so did the ‘Cooing’. So, I wandered off towards my next set of birds, all of which had gone silent too. Something was amiss. Out of nowhere appeared a huge kite holding a bird in its talons. As it flew atop me like those aeroplanes, a parrot which I had just clicked had sacrificed itself. Poor chap did not know where its death came from.

Once the coast was clear, all the chirping started again. A cat on the road didn’t bother the birds sitting high above. I too wound my round and headed back home for a cup of tea.

On reaching home, a bright bunch of morning glory flowers greeted me. I had missed them in so many distractions. Dark clouds, thunder, aeroplanes, dog fights, then shikar. What else is in store for me today? I wonder!!!!!!!!

JAI HIND