When the Amaltas Blooms...

The morning walk in the  scorching city seemed a little bit more bearable because of the blossoming Amaltas. I was delightfully welcomed with the shrills calls of the barbet Kr – too and spotted one perched on a branch of the Banyan tree, grass green in colour with a big brown head and patch of ochre yellow circling the eyes.

Doesn’t this bird have grandfatherly looks, thanks to the bare orbital ring which seems to have hardened with age.

The barbets are generally very difficult to spot, as they are camouflaged very beautifully in the green foliage of the trees. Summer being the breeding season the calls of the barbets were loud and constant. These birds belong to cavity nesting community and make a neat, round hole that leads to a sunken chamber hollowed out in the heartwood. I am not sure whether the male bird excavated this cavity which I witnessed on the live tree trunk to impress his partner. But must say the choice of the trunk was very picturesque, just next to the blooming Amaltas.

I sat at a distance to observe the bird and then I spotted the Lineated barbet hopping from one branch to another before proceeding to the nest always with a clump in her beak. The bird was not flying directly to its nest to feed the chicks. She would land on a branch at some distance, would look to its right and left before it would decide to enter her humble abode.

And, then flew a pair of feisty Mynas troubling the barbet trying to feed her little ones. Mynas, at that point of time seemed like the feral enemies of the barbet. After the bird left the nest the Mynas poked their heads into the nesting cavity. I wanted to make them fly away and not disturb the chicks but didn’t interfere with the courseof nature. Whether the Mynas where looking for food or for a plausible nesting cavity is a question mark. 

After some time, the barbet broke into her song and hopping from one branch to another clung to the tree trunk looked around with her large popping out eyes and then very gleefully slid into the cavity.

I sat there for hours, observing the barbet come and go while the park echoed with the loud calls krotok…krotok and beautiful flowers of the Amaltas gently twirling in the wind.

                                      

                                             HAPPY  BIRDING

The Yellow Footed...

Back to the Mountains ...

The rising sun's warm glow brought the scenic view alive.
Tucked in neat little tin -roofed houses with gardens growing wild.
Enormous slow moving butterflies were dancing in aplomb.
In these quiet moments i had a chance to smell the moist earth,
and the cool breeze gently touched me.
The light changed.
The forest has a capacity to quieten you.

Every thing around me just sparkled a new.I waddle back to my room snuggle into my quilt with a hot cup of Masala Chai listening to the forest.The tail of the trail is still not complete

Will be back with some more trails soon!!

Keeping a watchful eye ...

Happy Birding 

Wordless Wednesday... (in a polite conversation)

Happy birding ..

A wordy post ...

Birding for me is like being in the lap of nature ....it is  a state of mind .

Every part of me is in tune with the wild .

Eyes trying to catch the slightest of movement 

And 

Ears listening to the slightest of sound .

Birding is like an analysis of what one senses.

It is like to engage in an wordless dialogue  with nature 

And 

realise that things exist in relation with each other.

Everything was alive around me ...

The wet grass under my feet 

Gurgling of water in the nearby stream 

Leaves gently moving with the cool morning breeze

But

I was totally still ..

Still like a rock .

Everything around me getting bathed by the first rays of sun god .

Time just stood still for me .

A Small tit came close and hopped around .

It was that moment when I felt totally connected and a part of nature ...

Happy birding ....

Is it or is it not ??

a black-tailed Godwit .

I find waders the most difficult group of birds to identify . You need to understand the wing patterns ,head and the bill shape  and the length of the leg .
The photographs here show a relatively long ,thin bill .
 Bills vary greatly in length ,thickness and  straightness among different species .
To begin with the bill is much longer in the photograph . Finally ,
I have come to the conclusion that it is Black -tailed Godwit .
 Keeping my fingers crossed 
 that I have got this  right ... 

Happy birding ..