EGGS IN A NEST
LT COL NOEL ELLIS
10/IV/2024
It gives me immense satisfaction to see that Brownie & Blackie the Sunbirds have selected our garage to make their nest and new home to bring up their chicks. We are indeed privileged.
Today, there was some hectic activity around her nest. Lots of Sparrows and Bulbuls were teasing Brownie. A few of them almost assaulted her. For a while, she just sat frozen still in the nest. I could see her beak jutting out of the entrance of her nest. Probably she had laid eggs and was hatching them.
It took me some time to understand what was going on. Birds come, hang around, pick up insects and seeds, converse, even fight & then leave. Today, they were in a different mood.
There is a hanging lantern in our neighbours garage which they light up during Diwali. Sparrows and Bulbuls are probably in a tussle to make a nest in it or on it. Last year bulbuls chose one of our hanging pots. This year that pot is not there.
In that scrimmage, they were flying to Brownieâs nest and clutching to its sides. This definitely would have damaged the weavings and even detached a few strands of grass. Some twigs broke off and fell to the ground. This is what was disturbing our birdie.
The doubt in my mind was, should I intervene! My heart was with Brownie and the efforts she had put into constructing her nest. Hundreds of chukkers to pick up each twig and blade of grass to make this small dainty and delicate structure had taken some effort. In one skirmish of bulbuls and sparrows, the whole effort would have come to naught.
As on a usual day, I had my camera with me. I clicked her chasing the other birds away, confidently and fearlessly, without bothering about her personal safety. Blackie, her husband, was missing from the combat zone, which was a surprise for me.
Brownie and I got into a conversation to assess the damage and further course of action. She was annoyed and not in a good mood. Her tweets and chirps were on a higher scale and the pitch of her voice was shriller than usual.
âWhat happenedâ, I asked? This was a hint for her to pour her heart to me. She started with a complaint about our neighbour's son. This man is quite tall and could reach this nest if he raised his hand. Thanks to my timely intervention while watering the pots, where I pointed out to him that this was a nest. Or else in one wave of his hand, the nest was about to go.
The scared bird flew to safety and made a ruckus from a tree close by. Brownie told me that man would have shattered our dreams had I not told him. âIt was my duty and an agenda point, to apprise them of your abodeâ, I said. For which brownie thanked me with a tweet. Now that the neighbours have gone, she should not be scared anymore. I assured her.
Then a series of grumbles started about us feeding and watering bulbuls and sparrows. âHave a heartâ, I told Brownie. âWe grow so many nectar laden flowers for you. Everyday you visit them. If we serve the other birds a few grains, some roti, and a bowl of water, you should not complaintâ. Brownie kept quiet, as I had a point.
âWhere is Blackie?â, I asked. Brownie kept quiet for a while and then exploded. âDid you see âBeenieâ trying to hurt me today?â I nodded. âShe is my sister and one day junior. We are from the same clutchâ. âAs I got busy with the nest, she got busy with Blackieâ. âOh! I see, but why was she hereâ. âShe doesnât like me and came to fight. Thatâs what she is good at. She has told me to stay away from Blackieâ. âHmmâ, I said.
âIs she going to start a family with Blackie?â I asked Brownie. âObviouslyâ, she replied. âShe was on a lookout for a readymade nest. I did not let her in mineâ. âNow, I will be more vigilant, hopefully, she won't return, as I gave her a tweet fullâ. âWonderfulâ, I said.
âAnything else that I can do to help youâ. âThank youâ, she said. âThis time I have made a much stronger nest. The grass hangings you see below the main nest are made on purpose. The sparrows and bulbuls would have otherwise sat on the main nest and damaged it. Now they hang on the lower portion and the main nest gets savedâ. âGood ideaâ, I said.
âHow many eggs have you laid?â âMake a guessâ, she said. Any ideas? I wonder!!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
© Ÿ NOEL ELLIS
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