Look who is in my garden

In my evening walks I sometimes came across two elderly gentlemen stopping and trying to spot presumably something interesting high up in a group of large trees near the road. I always used to wonder what makes them do this almost like a ritual and so I asked them. They had spotted a bird called ‘Bharadwaj’ which brings good luck to whoever spots it

Thereafter I too made it a point to always look up at the trees to see if I could see it. And then one day I saw – it was truly a majestic bird. Handsome dignified slightly larger than a crow with black head & tail. Its wings coppery red with brown wings. Wow I was thrilled. As given in Wiki it is also known as the Greater Coucal / Crow Pheasant (Centropus sinensis).

Our summer this year was quite severe and like other bird lovers we started keeping some water under our lime and kadipatta (curry leaves) bushes. At first we did not have any visitors but after a week some bul bul and tailor birds started coming regularly around 4 pm and sipped water and even wallowed in the water to cool off.  The one fine day who do we see? Yes the majestic and stately Bharadwaj making his entry cautiously wary initially and then strides confidently to quench is thirst. Soon after enjoying his drink he tip toed off. The best thing is that he comes almost every day around 4 pm – bringing loads of good luck.

Is the coast clear

Lemme quench my thirst

I had my fill

I'm off - ta

Hope you liked the pics?

Parrots & parrots

I am not a parrot person. I love dogs. My illustrious neighbor is a parrot lover. He owns the famous African Greys – two of them and some colored birds. He really takes great care of his birds and spends hours in their management. The most wonderful part is that he regularly keeps fresh corn on the terrace parapet – for wild parrots specifically and also for the other birds who join-in.

In winters I enjoy watching the entire process of the wild parrots (known as Indian ringneck) their courtesy and how they share the corn with all. When one group of parrots have finished their eating they make for the other group who have been waiting on the large tree nearby.  Later some pigeons too join the party – all are welcome.

I’d like to share a few pictures with my readers:

Waits his turn!

A pigeon joins the party!

Sharing!

C

Three little Bulbuls

The nest

One fine day in the first week of June 2010 I was amazed to discover

Bulbul eggs

a newly built nest in my garage. The nest seemed to be firmly positioned in an electrical wire loop near the electrical meter board. As I had seen some Bulbul activity outside my garage

I guessed who the owners of the nest were. Within a couple days three eggs appeared. Thereafter the mother bulbul was seen sitting in the nest on her eggs. She was least disturbed even when I had to come in the garage to take my car out or drive in.

Three little Bulbuls

After a couple of weeks three little Bulbuls were born. At this

Mother Bulbul

stage their mom was not as friendly as she was before. She used to hover around taking out loud sounds in a protective way. The Bulbul mother brought all kinds of food for the little ones. But on 30 June when I opened the

Hungry

garage door the little bulbul were startled by the sound and fell off their precariously balanced nest. The mom came charging in alarm not knowing what to do. One Bulbul was spotted darting quickly out of the garage with short hops and disappearing in a garden opposite. The other two could not be found.

The recovery and rehabilitation

Fortunately and by coincidence my neighbor is a bird (parrot) hobbyist. I called out to him for

assistance.  He came and in no time he could spot the first little fellow coolly perched on a wire mesh fence in the foliage. He was quickly picked-up temporarily in a small box. Soon the second Bulbul was located sitting in the behind the car tyre. But sadly the third was nowhere to be found. By now it had become dark so the search had to be abandoned. We hoped for the best. The neighbor quickly brought a small cage to house the two Bulbuls. The

One week old

cage was hung it in the garage near the empty nest so that the mother Bulbul to come and feed them in the mornings.

The missing Bulbul returns

The next morning when I opened the garage I noticed two eyes watching me. I was thrilled to

see it was the third fellow perched on the electric meter board looking scared as ever. The little one was reunited with the siblings at last.

Flying free

For two weeks the mom brought food in the garage cage. They were growing well. My neighbor then decided to transfer them in a big cage on his terrace. It was fun to watch them happily flying about in the new brighter setting. Mom Bulbul could be seen making nonstop trips with food and feeding the three. After a few

Bulbul mom dad

days they looked almost full grown and strong. The time has come to let them fly off. On 14 June in the presence of the Bulbul parents they were released. It

was a thrilling site to see them gracefully fly all in one direction towards a nearby grove. The parents too flew in the same direction.

“God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages”- Jacques Deval