The red-breasted coppersmith barbet is a persistent bird. Not as persistent as the lapwing perhaps, but persistent nevertheless. This morning it sits on the lowermost branch of the Siris (Albizia lebbeck) tree and begins its hammering metronomic call, which goes on for the better part of a minute, till it manages to bring back its mate that was busy scouting possible nesting options in the nearby branches.
The shikra, perched on one of the higher branches of the tamarind tree watches this relentless spurt of energy with the studied indifference that characterises similar birds of prey. A rat’s sudden squeak arrests its attention. Shifting its weight on its rufous belly, the muscular bird moves with the sun. An iridescent sunbird perched on the nearest cluster of flowers, its curved beak poised over a petal, is slightly taken aback by this sudden swoop of motion.
The green and yellow parakeets are not to be bothered. Every morning a large company descends on the nearest neem tree and creates a pandemonium that no other member of the avian family could possibly match. The important business of foraging and feeding takes a savage turn as squabbling birds rent the morning calm with their conflict-ridden shrieks. And then all of a sudden, as if seized by panic—much like a housewife who’s realised that she’s left her wallet back at the greengrocer’s—the group of birds take flight, creating an animated, viridescent arrow in the early morning sky.
1 comment:
Wow!:One can add the activities of the squirrels, often sharing space with the parakeets.
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