MEETING THE DRONGOS

 

MEETING THE DRONGOS

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

17/IX/2024

 

Last weekend, I was at the riverfront taking a stroll with my camera. Our colony has a gate on that side and is manned by a guard. Guards by now know me as ‘Camera wale Colonel saab’. Many of them even give me a call if they feel it could give me some subjects to photograph.

 

Out of courtesy, guards offer me their chair to plonk myself to shoot at leisure. People keep passing by to go to a Mandir about a hundred meters from that gate. Birds do get disturbed but are not frightened either. They vanish, only to return in a while to their feeding zone. People spread grains for them, plus our guard ensures that all their water containers are kept topped up always.

 

With ‘Aab-O-Dana’ (Water and Grain) abundantly available, birds enjoy their meal, a sip, and a dip. They are now used to human presence. It is the stray dogs who create a ruckus. They do not like birds around them. Probably, out of jealousy or now allowing them to be near their dugouts. A short chase and the birds scoot helter-skelter keeping a watchful eye for the dogs to doze and return to feed.

 

It was my lucky day, when I spotted a pair of black “Drongos” sitting on a ‘tree guard’. They definitely are not grain eaters; I knew. Maybe, they were there for a kill. Kill what, was the big question?

 

If one stays very still, these birds can come and sit very close to you and that is what happened. The pair glided to the tree, chatting with each other in ‘drongonese’. I was sitting under it. Before I could get a perfect shot, our short-lived encounter ended, as someone came to throw grains and they flew away. I waited for a while for them to return but alas they didn’t.

 

Today, as I was watering the plants, I saw a pair on our neighbour’s moringa tree. This tree has given me the opportunity to shoot so many different species of birds. I saw drongos on this tree for the first time.

 

I was in a dilemma whether to leave the hose and fetch the camera, or to let them be. I decided on the latter. They swayed and rocked high above the tree, enjoying the natural swing. The bulbuls saw them and rushed towards them. That display of anger by the bulbuls could not up stick this pair. They continued to sit on that branch as if they didn’t care.

 

This was followed by a pair of doves who generally perch on the same branch. Drongo’s were unwelcome guests. The doves couldn’t move them either and they went and sat on a parallel branch alongside.

 

A good ten minutes passed, which was quite unusual for a new bird to sit so long at one place. I absorbed the view as much as I could. Can you believe it, they flew down to our veranda as I was folding my hose and dangled upside down on the hanging pots complaining to me for not taking their photos.

 

I requested them to hold on, but they had something else on their agenda. Off they flew across the lane and then beyond the tree line.

 

My day was made. One more species got added to my list. Which new bird will be next in our colony called ‘Ashiana’?   

I wonder!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND
© ® NOEL ELLIS