NEW VISITORS

 

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

 

30/IX/2025

 

We were rejoicing about the cool weather which had started descending when suddenly things took a nasty turn. It became very hot and humid at the end of September as if it was July. It made us humans sweaty. The sweltering heat affected the plants in the garden alike.

 

Last evening, it felt as if ‘Loo’ the local hot breeze had returned. Then nature changed things upside down. Out of nowhere came the clouds followed by a ‘squall’ which brought some rain. The weather cooled, but the humidity was at its worst.

 

To my horror, one of our succulent plant pots was lying on the floor. Thank God, it didn’t break. However, its innards were spread on the floor. The plant lay on a side the way it had arrived bare rooted. It had to be replanted.

 

The culprits were known. They are a pair of kittens who are almost adults now. They venture in our garden often for shikar of birds near the grain feeder. They must have chased a bird and the result was a fallen pot.

 

We do not chase them away unless unavoidable. They too have a right to live. I only get annoyed when they ‘paw’ my fish tubs. When I catch them red handed and scold them, they make such an innocent face as if they were strolling by and the fish tub came in their way. They don’t understand Hindi, Marwari, English, or ‘Mewish’, so I show them a ‘slappish’ hand. The only language they understand.

 

Be that as it may. Today, I met a first time visitor in the garden. A “Glass Snail”.

 

One is used to snails and slugs in the garden. We have enough in our fish tubs. Plus, I bought a few ‘Apple snails’. Their shells have settled at the bottom of the tubs as they died. This one was different, alive, moving, and active.

 

Extending it a warm welcome, as these guys eat rotting leaves, eggs of moths and larva of insects, helping me clean the garden without use of pesticides. They love to stay in cool and damp places and are generally found sticking to the bottom of the pots. Yesterday, probably after the rains, this guy surfaced and we could watch him moving around.

 

Mind you its crawl was not at a ‘snails pace’. It sensed danger when it was spotted. From inside the pot, it crawled and cringed to the side wall of the pot. Then it coolly descended to the iron stand to recce its next abode. I helped it and put it back in the pot. After all, “Atithi devo bhava”.

 

Then my favourite, the tailor bird called. She sat and posed for me. A click here and a click there was all that I needed from her. She obliged. I thanked her and moved on to a huge ficus tree. At any one time there could be more than five to six species of birds roosting.

 

Today, I caught a ‘charm’ of about ten finches basking in the sun. The issue is that they have yet not become my friends or else they would have posed without asking. They hop and change branches so fast, that capturing them in the camera becomes quite difficult. If they are enjoying grains, they are in no hurry to fly away. The sun was up so a few of them could not escape my lens.

 

As I was trying to focus, a lamp on which the CCTV camera of our lane was mounted came into view. What do I see there? It is ‘Mr Malya’ , my friend. I knew even if the camera may not be functioning, his cameras were in observation mode with a 360° coverage. Each and every bush around him was under surveillance.

 

A pause for a photo, a quick dive to follow, an insect in his beak, a change of perch and repeat. This was bang on the main road. Vehicles and people passing by made no difference in his concentration. He was not frightened or got startled with all these distractions. His focus was breakfast and breakfast alone.

 

I too was feeling hungry. I was out since six in the morning and it was close to 8am. The grumbling sound coming from the stomach indicated it was time to go home. Wife gave some good news that it would be Halwa and Chana for breakfast. You all can imagine how difficult it must have been to wait.

 

Hot weather, a new guest, old birdie friends, and my bestie Mr Malya the Kingfisher made my day. What caught my attention was Mr Malya’s tail. It had grown. Was it the same Kingfisher I had met a couple of days back or was it its partner? I wonder!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND
©® NOEL ELLIS