Skip to main content

A THINKING BIRD

 

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

09/III/2025

 

As I opened the door to pick up the newspaper, it felt unusually chilly. It was only yesterday that we had packed our woollens. There was no choice but to pull them out again.

 

The dawn was breaking and the bird activity around the feeder started with it. It is the sparrows, followed by the bulbuls and then the doves. An odd finch, Taylor bird or a Sunbird may also join, but today it was not that hectic.

 

Birds had perched on branches warming up with the first rays of sunlight. Most of them were all fluffed up like small balloons. I rushed inside to find my jacket and shoes, before I caught a cold.

 

I was looking forward to a conversation with Greeny the Green Pigeon. She and her family arrive and sit high above on the Drumstick tree everyday. Greeny arrived, sat for a minute and off she flew away. I thought she would return but she didn’t. I was hoping that Greeny would pose for me which was not to be.

 

It was time to take a walk around the common garden. Sometimes, you do come across an old pal like the Shikra. There could be a possibility of crossing paths with some new acquaintances. Lady luck was avoiding me, so I decided to walk back home.

 

Just then there was frantic activity in one of the neem trees. I spotted a bird but could not make who she was. It appeared like a dove but before I could use my lens, she was off into a nearby ficus tree with very dense foliage. One could only see the branches shake by the movement of this bird.

 

I stood still and waited for her to come out of that tree. Today, there was no breeze, so any movement up there was easy to pick up. Then everything went still again. A thought passed my mind that she could have flown off from the other side. But my gut feeling said that she would give me an appearance.

 

Just then there was movement on another branch quite low from where I had seen the movement first. A bird dashed out of it to a tree right infront of me. A short halt and it entered the Blackboard tree also called the Devil’s tree adjacent to it. Who else could it be? It was none other than ‘Greeny’.

 

I tiptoed close to that tree to watch what she was up to. I heard her whistle and I whistled back to her. “What are you up to”, I asked? Silence. Are you annoyed? Silence again. I moved right under that tree. Greeny had disappeared mysteriously.

 

Then I heard her faint call. “Waz up sweetheart”, I said. In a muffled voice she told me that she was building a nest in that tree. The evidence was visible as she had a twig in her mouth. Had she spoken, it would have fallen down and she would have to go over the procedure of fetching it all over again.

 

Congratulations, I said. When is the due date to lay your eggs? “In a week or so,” she said? “Come over to my place I would give you nice threads of coconut coir”. “No” she said, "one has to make a strong foundation first and cosmetics would follow subsequently”.

 

“This twig is from the same tree but from another location, " she​ said. Camouflage is our only way to survive and the twigs for the nest have to match the colour of the bark of the tree we nest in”. It was food for thought for me.

 

“Why did you go to the ficus tree and this tree close by”. “That is deception, she said. If I move straight to the nesting tree, there could be a predator lurking somewhere and would follow me to pinpoint the location of my nest. Those birds return to eat our eggs or even eat us while we nestle”.

 

“That is some hard work you people do”. “Yes "​, she said and besides, this location is next to a human settlement. Vehicles and people pass by frequently. That gives us added protection, as predators are scared to stay long in such places. Plus, if I sit still, it is very difficult to spot me both from the ground and the air. I agreed. Moment, I took my eyes off from where she was sitting, I could not relocate her.

 

How is your family doing? They are well and busy making nests. I bid Greeny goodbye. Do let me know if I can be of any help. Thank you for showing me your nest.

 

Their logic to make a nest is unique. How can a bird think so much? I wonder!!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

©® NOEL ELLIS 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TAKE A PAUSE

  One thing I have realized that spending time with nature brings so much of mental peace. A small bird can just cheer you up. Her tweet can lift your mood. The sheer joy one derives from watching then come and play in your garden, feed, and bathe is just elevating. All those who do it know what I say and a request to those who haven’t must try it.   Morning time is the most hectic for the birds. They all know that their feed will be there. Their tweets and chirps are indicators of the happiness they enjoy. I am sure in between their tweets they chirp to thank us too.   Evenings are another kind of high. These days their feeders go empty by evening. The water bowls too are nearly at bottom levels, not because of their thirst but now they bathe in the bowl more often. The water sprinkled while they shake their bodies flies off emptying the bowl.   In the evening, when I go to the rooftop there is a different kind of hustle. A few sparrows, a pair of dove...
15 comments
Read more

A PERFECT GARDENER

    Most of us are parents and grandparents now. All of us have brought up our children and now are looking after Gen Z. We gave our children and their children the best of best.   With that as an opening remark, let me shift focus to gardening. I am no expert on parenting or gardening. We went with the tide of highs and lows. The churns and turmoil. Even if we consider ourselves as perfect parents, can we be perfect gardeners?   The answer in both cases would be a big NO. When you look back, there is something more which could have been done. Things could have been done differently. There is no perfect template which can fit all.   One saw the kid take baby steps, then their growth stage and then they matured and ready to bear their own children. What is in store in the future? No one knows.   Having said that, let me return to the topic of Gardening. This would interest gardening enthusiasts. Are you a perfect gardener?   My p...
4 comments
Read more

A BREAK FROM BLOGGING

    Christmas week is a busy week and spills over to the New Year. Friends and family get together, rejoice, make merry and strengthen bonds. It is cold and wintry, the reason to indulge in relishing plum and rum cakes and pakwans, dry fruits and puddings and be at peace.   However, too much rest to my ‘finger tips’ was catching with me both with the laptop keys and the ‘click button’ of the camera. Sometimes, it is good to take a break or if one can call it a ‘fast’ of a different sort. It is a good time to sit down, chill, run down and reflect on things which are now memories in the year coming to an end. How time flies!   We had a dinner planned for my chaddi-buddies and their families last evening. We were looking forward to having fun and lots of laughter. However, in all this milieu, some little things had to be done like feeding the fish on the roof, lest I miss out.   As I opened the roof door, my eyes lit up when I saw a white breasted k...
8 comments
Read more

TALE OF A CERTIFICATE

It was way back in 1979 that I became a ‘matriculate’ with a ‘first division’. One required 60% marks for it and I got 60.14%, one mark over the threshold. This I came to realize only yesterday when I had to produce that certificate after almost 46 years.   Those days, first division meant you were the cream. No one talked about percentages or marks. All that mattered was I, II or III Div.   The first time I realised that how important this certificate was when as a young Captain in the Indian Army with three years service, I got a notice from the Army Headquarters to “show cause” why my services should not be terminated as they did not find my matric certificate attached with the mandatory documents required to be submitted to UPSC.   Earth moved under my feet. I was from a Sainik School where all documentation was sent by the school administration. How could they have missed out? Why me, was the question?   Panic and fear struck together as I had ...
6 comments
Read more

MYSTERY OF THE MISSING FISH

  Stray cats are on the prowl in our lane. Residents feed them a variety of food. From Roti to bread and milk is their diet. The way they are bloating is an indicator of their health.   They have been also feeding on the roti we spread for the birds. They eat roti only in case of an emergency. It is birds the cats are after. We haven’t seen them catching one but knowing cat behaviour, they would not miss a chance.   What I do not appreciate is that they jump into the grain bowl. It is a shallow earthen pot hung with wires on a protrusion of a dried branch. Even if there are ten birds feeding on the feeder, it doesn’t shake. Imagine, when a big chubby cat jumps onto it. They have dropped that pot several times and broken it.   We do not mind cats basking on our veranda chairs, but how does one tell the cats not to leave the birds alone. Like the birds are looking for a meal, so are the cats. Nothing like a juicy sparrow or a bulbul or a fat dove.   These cats wer...
6 comments
Read more

ARMY CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR

ARMY CLOTHING AND FOOTWEAR   LT COL NOEL ELLIS   16/I/2026   I was watching the excerpts of the ‘Army Day Parade’ held in Jaipur. The show put up by the Army was exemplary. It reminded me of the Chinese Military parade, ours was far better. I wish I could have witnessed it in person.   What impressed me was the showcasing of the ‘Bhairav troops’ in their ‘combat regalia’. Especially the Sikh troops. Camo painted faces, Khaki pagris and the call of Bole-so-Nihal could shake up the enemy in his grave.   What caught my attention was their boots. Keeping their tasks and deployment in mind in various sectors, those boots would be wind proof, water proof, light weight, comfortable, flexible, durable with enhanced grip and ankle support.   The contingent was not in ‘Tez chal’ but ‘daur ke kadam taal mode’. Which implies, they do not walk but are always on the run to annihilate the enemy. Their boots had to support their operational requirem...
4 comments
Read more

A WAKE UP CALL

  There were two incidents that shook Pakistan last week. One was the attack by the Baluchi people; I am on purpose not calling them militants or terrorists which the Pak army spokesperson has declared them. The second was the bomb blast in a mosque in Islamabad, their capital, under the very nose of all kinds of security agencies.   The Paki Army claims that more than 200 Baluchis, 25 Armed forces personnel and about 36 civilians were killed in the first incident spreading across the length and breadth of the district of Baluchistan at 14 locations ( figures would be much higher). 60 killed and 176 seriously wounded in the bomb blast. This means more than five to six hundred people were wiped off the face of the earth.   Massacre, butchering, killing, murdering, extermination, slaughtering, slaying, like terms can be used for this mass scale elimination of one's own people to heaven or hell depending on which side of the fence you were. Innocent souls got caugh...
8 comments
Read more

FINGER ON YOUR LIPS

  LT COL NOEL ELLIS   29/IV/2025   What has happened to Pakistan? While India is doing Fauji Exercises, Pakistan has mobilised for what! I agree that the people of India want revenge. But, from whom? Our PM has only said that “we will not leave the terrorists and their supporters till the end of the Earth”. He has never said he will sort out Pakistan, or has he?   It has been hilarious watching discussions on Paki social media channels. They seem to have already given up. Our RM meets the PM and Pakistan starts shitting bricks. They talk about jazba and gazwa, and start telling us about their nuclear arsenal. 160 I suppose. By the way we will send across one equivalent to your 160 if need be.   There is a saying, ‘Chor ki Dari main tinka” literal meaning is, a straw in a thief’s beard. However, the deep meaning is that a guilty person reveals his guilt through his behaviour, even unintentionally. Clearly, “a guilty conscious needs no accuser”...
18 comments
Read more

AN UNPLANNED TRIP

  There is a place called “Sardar Samand” about forty kilometers from Jodhpur which was on my bucket list. There is a property of HH Jodhpur which has been converted into a hotel overlooking a dam.   The water reservoir was an attraction, hoping to find ‘migratory birds’ which congregate in winters at various lakes in large numbers at water bodies around.   A friend of mine gave a hint that he wanted to go there and I latched on. We decided to go this morning. Luckily, the batteries of the camera were charged and ready for a shoot. It was a maiden trip so the two of us would be good company. He is a birding enthusiast too.   With CNG topped up, we were all set to steer the course for the lake. How to reach it was the issue. We had to branch off the main road onto a village road with ‘revars’ (herds) of cattle, goats and sheep claiming the right of way.   Google Aunty was with us but then she was showing a different route. We knocked at the Maharajas entrance gat...
9 comments
Read more

SIMPLE MANTRA

    LT COL NOEL ELLIS   01/XI/2025   As we step into the month of November. It amazes me how the rest of the year just went by in a flash. The weather went through its phases. The earth spun on its axis and revolved around the sun. One has been lucky to watch the sun and moon rise and set almost everyday. A blessing which many of us miss out on.   Flowers and plants went through the grind. Some flowered profusely and some refused to flower. Some showed buds but couldn’t reach maturity due to so many reasons. The ones which bloomed brought so much pleasure that they made our ‘Dil Khush’.   The happiness which I experience is because of a cumulative effect of so many things. Health has been fine, family has been good, gadgets in the house have not been giving problems. Friends have been so kind and loving that if we don’t meet, it creates a vacuum.   The most important thing that has added to this happiness is to detach myself fro...
16 comments
Read more