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 MY VALENTINES

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

14/II/2024

 

During our last visit to the Demoiselles Crane view point at Guda Lake, we befriended the caretaker of that forest rest house. He is a friendly person. However, the view from the rest house is shielded by trees surrounding it. He had given me an input of an unusual bird which I wanted to click.

It is better to go to another complex about hundred meters away from this guest house for crane watching. Action takes place at the break of dawn, when the Pujari feeds about “char man dana” daily, (grains of Maize), the staple diet of our Khurjaa the Cranes.

 It was bright and sunny and ideal for photography. The caretaker’s words about that bird echoed in my ears. To catch it this time, I mounted my Bullet and moved towards the lake.

As I was driving down, I had a change of mind. There was another lake not far from there. Why not shoot at two places, if time permits.

Last year, around the same time, I spotted a Mama Coot, sitting on its floating nest close to the near bank, hatching her eggs. It was on a fallen Kikkar tree. A few days later, she was swimming with her chicks. Rightly so, she was hatching eggs again but this time on an island in the centre of that lake.

What caught my attention was that Papa Coot was swimming close by guarding the nest. As I sat observing the pair, I saw a commotion overhead their tiny island. A Kite dived to disturb the nest for obvious reasons. Mama and Papa Coot paddled away; however, a crow got after that Kite and shooed it away.

Mama and papa returned when the coast was clear while I got engrossed with an Ibis on the far bank. It was time to hit Guda Lake before the sun got too bright.

As I rumbled along, out from a farm walked a huge male Blue Bull. I halted on the road and let the engine idle. Sometimes you need not shoot everything. The sheer pleasure of watching a wild animal cross the road two meters away, gave you another high.  That pedestrian had the right of way. It halted in the centre of the road, looked at me with piercing eyes, then walked away leisurely.

Tourists loaded in Jeeps and gypsies were thronging towards the lake too. They waved to me as I crossed one vehicle and waved back.

As I approached the guard rails of the view point, cranes greeted me with their loud calls. I waved to them that I come here as a friend and mean no harm. They understood and continued with what they were doing. My valentines posed for me so gracefully.

‘Chai piyoge saab’. Before I could say yes, that group of tourists whom I had crossed enroute landed up. Our man got busy with them. Before he left, I asked him, ‘thain bolio tho ek ullu re bare main, va deekhe koni’. ‘Athe kathe baitho hoyi saab’, he replied and rushed to greet his atithi.

Having searched all the burrows called Khor in the trees, I went to its permanent perch in the old Khejri tree, where I suppose it nests. He evaded detection. It was time to wind up. People must be wondering, instead of watching at the cranes, here is a man looking for an owl. They didn’t know, I had taken enough photos of cranes for the day.

I was just about to mount my bike to head home, when the caretaker came running. ‘Mil gayo saab’. Ullu Bargad re ped matte baitho hai’. My day was made, as if the owl knew I was desperate to meet it. It posed exclusively for me. The tourists kept looking for it and could not spot it.

I bid the owl goodbye, hoping to see its pattha in my next visit. On the way, one had to take a short halt at Mogra village to carry home garma garam “Moong Dal ke Pakore”. They are spicy, tangy, tasty, and bet you just can’t have just one. My real valentine was waiting for me.

Could be no better way to celebrate Valentine's Day. How did you celebrate yours? I wonder!!!!!!!!

 

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY AND BASANT PANCHMI TO ALL FRIENDS

 

JAI HIND

© ® NOEL ELLIS












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