KINGFISHER CALENDAR

KINGFISHER CALENDAR

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

02/II/2024

Lovey and Dovey are a pair of ‘Collared Doves’ who have been part of our family and garden since we shifted to our new home two years back. L&D were the actual permanent residents of this house while we were away. They had a ball without much human interference.

Then came a phase of hectic activity, when we were getting our place renovated. It became dusty, noisy & frequented by people. They started avoiding our house.

Birds don’t crib like us humans. They adapted quickly to the changes and moved to a place where they found food and a place to roost. The common lawn infront of our house was still used by them but with utmost caution. One ‘disturbing sign’ and off they scooted to a safer place.

In the morning they would coo, take a flight, soar high and then descend to a branch and continue cooing. Lovey would woo Dovey no end. Sitting on a branch, kissing & cajoling each other, showering love & affection. Afterall, they had to raise a family. Soon they would start collecting twigs for their nest.

Then came their next generation. Some chicks survived and some became food for predators. Their babies flew away but Lovey & Dovey stayed on.

Once we had settled in our home, we decided to take care of the birds who were ‘frequent visitors’ to our garden. The Sunbirds found enough nectar in the flowers. Taylor birds found plenty of insects in the melee of pots. Munias came to nest in our Champa tree. Bulbuls too hunted their share of worms. However, we thought doves needed some special attention.

We went to a grain shop and picked up all kinds of millets, wheat, corn, rice etc, thinking that the spread would attract more birds. Birds preferred only Bajra. Rest of the grains were picked up by black ants and taken to their burrows.

Instead of spreading grains on the road, we made a bird feeder. Oncoming vehicles would startle them often. Also, one of our neighbours was feeding the Bulbuls with Roti. They would spread roti, broken into small pieces in a tray which the Bulbuls gobbled happily.

That inspired us to make one extra ‘Chiya ki roti’ everyday. As a ritual, I would sit in the veranda and break it into small pieces and spread them. This attracted the Red & Yellow bummed Bulbuls who found a new source of food. They were scared at first and would visit only once the coast was absolutely clear. Soon they got used to our presence and now wait and even call for their meal.

After they ate, they would feel thirsty too. An earthen bowl with hardly any depth was bought and kept. It was accepted immediately. Birds would pick grains, fill their gullet and land on the ledge of this bowl to drink. A couple of sips and off they went.

Then there was an issue however. By evening there would be no water left in that bowl. Maybe, it was summer and the birds felt very thirsty. The revelation was that not only was that bowl used to drink but they would have a dip in it to bathe. Imagine, if ten birds ruffle their feathers, most of the water would spill over.

Another bowl was placed in its vicinity. They themselves made an unwritten law that they would use the second one as a ‘bird bath’ and kept the first bowl exclusively to quench their thirst. Dare a bird jump into this one. A bird would dive and shoo it away, as if to caution that bird not to dirty their drinking water.

This afternoon, I had cleaned both the drinking & the bathing bowl and turned them upside down to dry. Algae keeps growing and sand keeps settling, thus this fortnightly thorough cleansing is done.

Lovey & Dovey as usual came for a bite. The water bowls were there but not available for their ablution and drink. However, there was a sprinkler running in the front common lawn infront of our house. L&D dived into the small puddle where water had collected and took a dip like the Kingfisher girls.

They enjoyed the falling droplets of water and raised their wings for it to reach under them. A quick shake in the puddle and then they sat on the side to dry themselves, out of the range of the sprinkler. They kept an eye on me as I was taking their pictures in their bathtub and shower. They never seemed to mind and posed for me like models of the Kingfisher Calendar.

First thing tomorrow morning their water bowls would be refilled. Would they still pose for me? I wonder!!!!!!

JAI HIND