LT COL NOEL ELLIS
18/X/2024
Sometimes a normal day turns into such an eventful day. Today was one.
I have been fascinated by a “Chatri” adjacent to our colony wall. These Cenotaphs belong to the owners of that land who have opened a vehicle servicing garage, a Dhaba and kept the balance of land for cultivating crops. These chhatris belong to their ancestors and have been there since the British era.
Our car goes for servicing there. I took permission to take some photos and walked into their land.
I strolled cautiously, as not to disturb any animal or bird which I might come across. Slowly and steadily, as I approached the Chatri, I found a small puddle of water. Dry sticks were protruding out from the water surface. There was hectic activity of various sorts of dragonflies. That excited me no end.
I varieties were numerous, but to capture them needed some guile. I didn’t know their names. The research could wait till I returned home. I began clicking, knowing that one had to keep an absolutely still hand.
They were hovering, skimming over the water, fighting with each other, mating and returning to their favourite spot or tip of a stick to rest. The first one I got was called the ‘Scarlet Skimmer’. The shades of scarlet varied from dark to light to transparent. This colour was a new find for me.
Numerous varieties of butterflies were teeming there but were too swift and sprightly to photograph. I moved on.
There was a huge “Jaal” tree, which must be hundreds of years old, atop the pond. My eleventh sense told me that there would be something under it. As I moved closer, a few peacocks moved out and raised the alarm. A squirrel came to check. ‘Click’ and she was captured. The grass was high so the peacocks strode in and vanished. Only their calls told me their location.
The Chatri now came into view. It was majestic, old, dilapidated, withering, almost in ruins, but stood there as a reminder about the customs and traditions of the days of yore and the typical Rajput culture of this area.
The vegetation around it had overgrown and had engulfed it from all sides. If not more, I spotted at least twenty different kinds of butterflies in all shapes, colours and sizes around the Chatri, but could catch only the “Tiger Butterfly”. She danced and posed and spread her wings for me without being spooked.
My mind was still with the dragonflies. I wanted to catch more varieties. I thought I would return for the butterflies some other day. It was time to explore that area further.
As I returned to the jaal tree again, a family of partridges scooted out screeching at the top of their voices. I must have counted 8-9 of them. I wish I had scanned the area more deliberately and caught a few in my camera up close. From my experience, I knew that that was the tree where they came to roost and rest after sundown. I shall get them soon.
A kutcha path led down to the riverfront, which I go to often from the other side. Grasshoppers and several insects like moths etc flew out from the grass which was getting disturbed by my feet. To spot them was too difficult, unless one came and sat right infront of you.
I reached the edge of the land and on a branch I found a very twisted leaf. I had a doubt that it wasn’t a leaf. It took me some time to focus on it. What a catch it was! It was another dragon fly about four inches long called the ‘Slender Skimmer” holding a tiny butterfly in its jaws and enjoying breakfast. What a meal it must have been! For me, it was learning that dragonflies eat insects and butterflies are their favourites.
The sun was getting stronger and there was a simmer visible on the soil due to the heat. This meant that photos would get blurred. Besides, I too was getting uncomfortable. It was time to head back home.
I thanked the owner on my way back and just as I was about to leave that premise, on a log of wood I found another dragonfly called the “Wandering Glider” waiting for me, as if to give me the last salute for the day. I accepted the salute with a click and walked home.
There was such a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that I can’t explain. The trip turned out more than one had expected. I must thank the owner for allowing me to wander into his fields and catch these insects and the Chatri. My day was made.
Could it have been a more eventful day? I wonder!!!!!!
JAI HIND
©® NOEL ELLIS
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