Birds in Belgaum
Belgaum always meant cozy holidays in mamama's (grandma's) house, Cable TV ( We didn't have it at home then, it was always a treat we looked forward to), stuffing ourselves beyond capacity with an equally enthusiastic grandmother who liked trying out new things she saw on TV and magazines and tried them on us. The days whirred by in a contented blur in front of the TV - pure bliss.
Belgaum is a sleepy town, I think the air is filled with something that makes everyone indolent, or probably that was just me stuffed to the brim with mamama's delicious food wanting to laze about all the time. Belgaum to me meant buffaloes, continuous rains, hailstorms and beautiful colonial houses, wadas and Kunda. Every visit to Belgaum necessarily meant a half kilo of Kunda ( A brown colored sweet made with milk & khowa) had to be taken back to school/office and shared with peers and colleagues.
My grandparents moved houses several times in Belgaum, but every house had its share of feathered friends visiting us. This new house that mamama has moved into is no different. In fact, there are more birds here, than people! Monsoons are a good time to spot many of them. The red whiskered bulbul was a faithful companion in all the houses. They love sitting on electricity wires and flitting in and out of balconies, their black caps bobbing merrily as they call out to each other in loud voices. They even built a nest in grandma's balcony, unafraid, silent and swift to fly away when they saw us. They are very pretty, that little spot of rouge in their tiny faces making it look as though they're frightfully shy, though they are anything but!
There are loads of Brahminy Starlings in the bushes around the house, fawn-colored and busy. Here's an interesting fact about them - When fledglings are done eating, the parents patiently wait to take away the droppings/pellets from the nest and drop the pellets far away so that the nest remains clean. Impressive hygiene. What about the parents' hygiene you ask? Apparently, the fecal matter is surrounded by a sac covering it making a neat little parcel to be disposed off, without mess.
There are great tits too twittering away all day with lovely voices. It's an indescribably sweet sound. They are restless little things. Here's another interesting fact - the great tits remove the gut of the caterpillar when they are feeding them to their young, so that their young come to no harm from the tannins present in the gut. They apparently also know to use tools and are intelligent birds capable of learning new skills to survive.
I look at them gliding on their wings, rejoicing in the rains, and it occurs to me, Birds are the only free creatures in this planet, are they not?
Belgaum is a sleepy town, I think the air is filled with something that makes everyone indolent, or probably that was just me stuffed to the brim with mamama's delicious food wanting to laze about all the time. Belgaum to me meant buffaloes, continuous rains, hailstorms and beautiful colonial houses, wadas and Kunda. Every visit to Belgaum necessarily meant a half kilo of Kunda ( A brown colored sweet made with milk & khowa) had to be taken back to school/office and shared with peers and colleagues.
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| An illustration of Red Whiskered Bulbul |
My grandparents moved houses several times in Belgaum, but every house had its share of feathered friends visiting us. This new house that mamama has moved into is no different. In fact, there are more birds here, than people! Monsoons are a good time to spot many of them. The red whiskered bulbul was a faithful companion in all the houses. They love sitting on electricity wires and flitting in and out of balconies, their black caps bobbing merrily as they call out to each other in loud voices. They even built a nest in grandma's balcony, unafraid, silent and swift to fly away when they saw us. They are very pretty, that little spot of rouge in their tiny faces making it look as though they're frightfully shy, though they are anything but!
 |
| An illustration of a Brahminy Starling |
There are loads of Brahminy Starlings in the bushes around the house, fawn-colored and busy. Here's an interesting fact about them - When fledglings are done eating, the parents patiently wait to take away the droppings/pellets from the nest and drop the pellets far away so that the nest remains clean. Impressive hygiene. What about the parents' hygiene you ask? Apparently, the fecal matter is surrounded by a sac covering it making a neat little parcel to be disposed off, without mess.
 |
| An illustration of a great tit |
There are great tits too twittering away all day with lovely voices. It's an indescribably sweet sound. They are restless little things. Here's another interesting fact - the great tits remove the gut of the caterpillar when they are feeding them to their young, so that their young come to no harm from the tannins present in the gut. They apparently also know to use tools and are intelligent birds capable of learning new skills to survive.
I look at them gliding on their wings, rejoicing in the rains, and it occurs to me, Birds are the only free creatures in this planet, are they not?
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