Thursday, June 5, 2014

Indian Summer: a bird's-eye view

Hot. Hotter. Summer-est!
It's been a boiling, roasting season in Mumbai, hasn't it? All over India, actually (except those places which got some unseasonal showers  ... so very envious!). Now, can we get express-delivery of the Monsoons, please?
I loved the mangoes and all those other super-delicious summer fruits , both in the garden and in the markets.
And I loved all those streets spilling over with wave upon wave of summer blooms .
And there were the last of the migratory birds.(how I love that Paradise Flycatcher!). But I'm craving some refreshing monsoon rain right now!

Have you seen one of these birds? If you had, believe me, you'd never forget it. The Asian Paradise Flycatcher definitely deserves the second part of his name. Especially the adult males in flight. Sheer poetry!
This one here is a juvenile male, I think. It's hard to tell because they look almost exactly like the adult female untill they transform into their pure white feathered form topped with a crested jet-black head.
 I'm told that it is that blue ring around the eyes that differentiates the juvenile male from the adult female. I don't know if that's true but I'm hoping that this guy is going to come back next season in his white avatar.

The Alexandrine Parakeets have been at their screechiest-best. The cashew-fruits are growing and they've been feasting on the tender nuts. Huge swarms (there's no better word to describe it!) descend on my trees and by the time they move away, the ground is littered with the shells. Frankly, I don't mind. It's worth it to see these gregarious birds up so close. These two were high up on a mahogany tree and very curious why I was focusing on them.

And, my Pariah Kite (Black Kite)! There are more of them nesting on my trees now and I love seeing them fly. Unlike other birds in flight, with them you can almost see those strong wing muscles tautening.
This tall teak tree is one of his favourite perches. I guess it gives him the perfect look-out point.

He has definitely got the snakes on the run, though. This little Buff Striped Keelback was racing to reach the cover of a few scattered dry leaves and cautiously poked his head out to see if everything was safe before quickly slipping back under them when he spotted me with this huge lens aimed directly at him. (I don't blame him... my new 70-300mm lens intimidates even me sometimes!) 


And, I know the Oriental Garden Lizards don't feel any safer. Camouflage will keep you safe only just so much. The razor-sharp eyes of a raptor can probably zero in on him from the top of a tree at the other end of the garden.

The Sparrows love my bird-bath. It's just a natural rock with a hollow on top which is right in the middle of my garden. I keep it topped up with water and in summer it is a bird magnet unlike anything else! Every single bird in the vicinity troops in and waits their turn. Some politely, some not. I guess that 1 minute of splashing in the water is worth the wait for them.
What's the bet that these birds have been waiting for the Monsoon as eagerly (if not, more) as us?

Maybe Summer could slip away incognito and leave this Common Jezebel to represent her. Seriously! Can you think of anything more Summer-y?!


15 comments:

  1. I always look forward to your posts. So beautiful. So many beautiful things all over our Earth.

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    1. Thank you, Amy ! You're right, so many beautiful things. And so many of them right in our own backyard!

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  2. Wow, what an amazing selection of photos! The birds are fantastic, particularly the Black Kite. And I love the picture of the snake and of course the butterfly!! Your bird bath is really great. It looks so natural and it sounds like the birds really appreciate it. You are still waiting for the Monsoon. We have been having more than usual rain recently and yesterday it didn't stop all day. There was five inches in a tub outside this morning and there has been quite a bit of flooding.

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    1. Hello Nick! Thank you, I did have a great time going out and clicking them too.Using a DSLR means that I have to set out especially looking for photo ops, unlike when I used to use a point&shoot which I would slip out of my pockets when I spotted something in the middle of my gardening. Still, it's probably worth it, I suppose.
      That bird-bath IS natural, Nick. Just a hollow rock in the ground, actually. But it is very near my verandah so I can enjoy the birds at play.
      I'm quite envious to read about the rain that everyone else has been getting. 5 inches?! Wow!
      By the way, has warmer weather finally set in for you yet?

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    2. Sunita,
      The weather here is very pleasant, if not hot. Average temperature just now is between 15 and 20 degrees. I am sure you would find it cold!! Still quite a bit of rain, too, so everything is very green and growing well!

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  3. I loved all the clicks, especially the Asian paradise flycatcher.I haven't got a shot of this bird (top on my wishlist). It must be a delight to sit back and watch the antics of our feathered friends .

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    1. Thank you, Radhika :)
      The Asian Paradise Flycatcher is my favourite winter visitor. Verrrry difficult to get a good photo, though. They're so shy that if there's any movement they immediately take off to the other end of the garden . Still, I dont mind as long as they'll keep returning :D

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  4. Such fantastic wildlife in your urban enclave! That may be the same sparrow we have here (It's an introduced species) making this the first time we've had any overlap. Not surprising, though.

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    1. Thank you, Shady C! :)
      I don't know if this is the same sparrow (very likely, though) but there's a lot of concern in the cities here that the sparrows are slowly disappearing due to urbanisation. My take on it : they've all moved to my garden! This one was part of a flock of 10+ sparrows.

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  5. Sunita, I had been reading your blog in the past and still remember a few of your posts. And then somehow I lost touch. So glad I landed here once again and loved each picture. Your garden is a heaven.

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    1. Hi Sangeeta, so good to have you over here again! Thank you for returning and do keep in touch, ok?

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  6. Delightful in pictures and words as always. Brilliant post.

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  7. Lovely pictures as always and beautiful words linking them!

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    1. Thank you, IHM! It's great to see you here :)

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