Baptism By Bulbul: The Joy Of The Novice Bird Lover Spilleth Over

Mrs B has always been a busy bee from breakfast to bedtime바카라�kids바카라� school, their coursework, husband바카라�s tiffin, sabjiwalah, kaamwali, yoga, mom-in-law바카라�s sugar check and medicines, phone-a-friend about niece바카라�s wedding, nephew바카라�s newborn, Facebook, Netflix dramas. Life was caught up in a monotonous whirr of chores and errands. No breaks. She never complained. C바카라�est la vie, she would say. Well, until someone in China had a foul bat soup and didn바카라�t take Mummyji바카라�s after-dinner churan바카라�the cure-all in the Delhi household Mrs B commandeers. Her busyness slowed down, like her husband바카라�s business, since that skipped churan hustled the human race indoors. In this quarantined world, she has a little guest from a parallel realm that resides next to us; a sanctuary Mrs B hardly ever gave a sideways glance before. Every morning and late afternoon he drops by, without fail. He doesn바카라�t need a travel pass, for he is a blithesome bulbul. After sundown, the guardian owl makes his nightly run, often bivouacing on her balcony. Mrs B never was a bird person. The caws and coos couldn바카라�t be bothered when the washing mac­hine바카라�s ding and the pressure cooker바카라�s whistle consumed her waking hours. But the clock is kind to her now and she can engage with Nature, which she thought didn바카라�t exist in her concrete, gated society. She loves to entertain bulbul with chicku morsels. And be entertained herself. What about owly? His hoots and 360-degree neck turns are no longer overlooked.

Brahminy Starling, Delhi

Yellow-Footed Green Pigeon, Delhi

House Sparrow (male), Bangalore

White-Throated Kingfisher, Mumbai

Indian Peafowl, Delhi

Grey Fancolin, Jodhpur

Indian Silverbill (Munia), Jodhpur

Green Bee-eater, Gurgaon

An Angry Bird requiem for caged humans

Oriental Magpie Robin, Bangalore

Rufous Treepie, Delhi

Brown Rock Chat, Noida

Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Bangalore

Green Bee-eaters, Gurgaon

Common Tailor Bird, Delhi

Parakeets and Starling, Delhi

Red-necked Falcon, Bangalore

Bathed in a dull sepia light from the sky, he is quite a dapper if you take the time to look at him up close. He is a red-whiskered bulbul. A common passerine bird, the species is a fixture in cities too. But the key to discovering their hidden delights: slow down, and look around. With free time made available by the pandemic-induced prophylactic measures, people like Mrs B are now discovering the great outdoors from their balconies. In fact, her newfound interest has made Mrs B a bird lover바카라�soaking up species names and plumage patterns from the web and trying to memorise the details. And the family바카라�s new pastime: Identify the Bird. They are neo-converts, taking small steps into the birding community. A good sign because birds are the marker of the environment. The pollution we create, the trees we destroy. The lockdown has cleaned the air, quieted the roads, and birdsong can be heard again. The deserted cities may have emboldened the birds바카라�they are anyway curious by nature바카라�to venture into our yards and verandahs. But there is a good chance they will go into hiding again once our ordinary life reopens, resumes. Will Mrs B miss them? Of course, she says. Then? Well, she is not a pro who can spot a bird inside foliage with an eye closed, like one-eyed jack sniffing out the rum in the deep of a dark galley. But she won바카라�t forget what Bulbul the Visitor taught her in a little over 100 days. Care for a world we have condemned to self-isolation long ago.

What about the experienced birders who often identify species on jizz alone? 바카라�My friends are spotting rare species in their backyards. The lockdown has given us ample time to wait and watch바카라�from balconies, roofs and gardens,바카라� says Nitin Chandra in Delhi. A fellow birdwatcher in Bangalore, Gerard Deniese, never expected so many birds around his home. 바카라�I saw a male Asian Paradise Flycatcher near my home. Can you beat that?바카라� He rattles out an impressive lockdown log: sunbirds, tailor birds and the Oriental Magpie Robin. Bhavneet Aurora from Delhi shares similar excitement. 바카라�It was quiet initially바카라�only pigeons and crows. Then the mynahs, sunbirds, robins began to sing. I spotted the Coppersmith Barbet, Rose-Ringed Parakeet, Asian Koel, Shikra and a Kestrel.바카라� Last heard, Mrs B had an entire flock of visitors a while ago바카라�the Green Bee-eaters. And yes, once the travel ban is lifted, she plans a trip to Pangot and Sigri바카라�no destination is more alluring than these two for bird lovers. A birdie told her. 

Photographs by: P.J. Saikia, N. Chandra, B. Aurora, V. Dewan, G. Deniese, A. Bharathy, M.B. Kumaraswamy, A.banerjee, Kanishk Vats, Lachmi Deb Roy