We were in a conversation with
some morning walkers this morning when a very familiar ‘call’ caught my
attention. Kootri was the call and Kootri or Rufous Treepie it was. It was
after a gap of many months she had returned to the garden she frequented in
summers.
Armed with my camera, I excused
myself and followed the call. She was there somewhere hiding in the trees and
singing as she usually does. Was her partner in crime too with her, was the
question? The question and answer sessions of the calls indicated that there
were more than one.
Finally, I spotted it and lifted
my camera to focus when an elderly Uncle and Auntie passing by said, “photo
kheench rahe ho”. I had to shift focus from the bird and answer them with a
nod. “Hamari bhi khench do”. “Kyon nahi”, I said.
They are an elderly couple who
walk the whole colony at least four times a day. Sometimes with their
grandchild in a pram. Most of the time it is just the two of them. Aunty
remains in a nonstop monologue. One can only hear Uncle saying hmmm and hmmm. I
think the same must be the state of the Kootris.
The couple moved on and my bird
disappeared. I stood still to scan all the trees where I was expecting them.
But the commotion had disturbed them. Now was the wait for their call. At last,
one called and I spotted it immediately.
The angle was not right because
of the sun and the bird was feeding deep inside the tree. Then the pair took
flight. One went over the colony boundary wall and one went and sat on a
lightning conductor just to pose for me especially.
To get a good photo of the back
of the bird is also a privilege. Her long and flowing tail and the sun shining
on her just added to her beauty. Then the lady swirled around and I could
capture her calling too.
My aim was met and I moved home.
As I reached home, sparrows were
enjoying the grain and roti spread for them in the morning. They came a little
late to take a bite once the sun was up. Sparrows love to bask in the sun. The
neighbours neem tree is where they assemble. One sparrow leaves her perch to go
down to the road is a signal for the rest of them to follow one by one.
I remember, in the beginning
there was just one pair and now there are more than eighteen I have counted.
They are difficult to count as they keep playing the game of kho-kho with each
other.
One distraction and all of them
fly to the neem tree where they feel safe. Passersby and vehicles disturb them
during feeding, but they don’t mind. A few morsels of roti at a time, then a
few grains of Bajra and repeat whenever the coast is clear. They are not afraid
of me.
Today, I noticed something
unusual. A couple of them would fly in, pick up a grain and immediately rush
back to their perch. Though they were not making a ruckus to indicate that
there was a cat around, their behaviour was pointing towards that direction.
Birds cannot be wrong. Just then
I caught a big ‘Puddy Tat’ with half closed eyes sitting in wait for an
opportune moment to get hold of breakfast. It sat like a statue and even the
morning walkers who went inches past it could not make out that there was a cat
on the prowl. The ‘tom cat’ sat totally frozen.
Do not go by those innocent
eyes. Those cat eyes were telling me that I am the most ‘shareef’ and timid cat
on this side of Jojari river. I am just sitting and basking in the sun. I don’t
eat or harm birds, like a Lion telling the jungle that after elections he would
turn vegetarian. At the first right moment a bird would move from its paws to
its jaws.
When I started taking photos,
the cat felt exposed and scooted across the street to get hold of something
else for breakfast.
Before I wound up for the day, a
laughing dove took an ‘angrai’ and stretched her body like we do when we are
lazy and lift our hands above our head and twist our body. All her tail fins
were seen at one glance. She just took my heart away.
Having met my morning friends,
it was time for me to have breakfast too. With the Tom cat gone, I let the
birds enjoy their breakfast.
https://youtube.com/shorts/o-DecuwWNsM?feature=share
Will the Kootri return one more
time? I wonder!!!!!!!
JAI HIND
©® NOEL ELLIS
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