BIRDS OF DIFFERENT FEATHERS

 

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.

 

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Will the Kootri return one more time? I wonder!!!!!!!

 

JAI HIND

©® NOEL ELLIS