“Aunty, are they all your pets?” The 16 something girl living next door whose family had newly shifted in our society came to my mother and asked.
I was there too.
"Pets!!???" I
smiled in disbelief.
“No, I just feed them!” My mother replied to the girl.
While in countries like
America gardening and bird-feeding is amongst the top popular hobbies of most households, young and old, in India, sadly, I observe, the picture is
not so delightful. Ironically so, since Indian subcontinent is a bird watcher's paradise with around 1400 odd
species of birds, reflecting the rich natural life of the country. One can find
some of the rarest wild bird species in the subcontinent. In fact, some of them
are believed to be extinct in the rest of the world!
Backyard bird feeding is a
convenient way to enjoy some fascinating birdlife. While common birds are bound to visit,
depending on the location of your house, some not so common birds flying from nearby farms or vegetation too might become your guests.
All you need to do is put
a bird-feeder in your backyard or compound and maintain it by keeping fresh
food and water in it. Soon enough, some feathered creature
will show its appreciation and make an appearance...
That's all it takes. Before
you know it, you'll start to recognize individuals and the messages in their
behavior and songs/call. And trust me, it feels awesome just to watch them doing
their things, at least my mom swears by it.
She got it custom-made
from a local iron-smith; my mother’s bird-feeder is really a functional one.
On this really high top there is a rectangular metal tray to put grains and
other food like bread crumbs and nuts and below that tray there hang two
earthen pots for water.
Well, when birds arrive
and sit on top of the food tray, they are very high to look at, making it difficult to
photograph them with a line of sight perspective. Even in the convenience of my
home compound, I have to find some hide, climb up on something to reach the height
of the birds feeding there and as I struggle to balance myself with my 1.75 KG
DSLR handheld, I would smile and say – “Wildlife photography is wildlife
photography, whether it’s a jungle or your own home!”
“They feel safe at that
height; making them feel like coming to eat in the first place…and that is the
whole point, TO FEED THEM…!” my mother would say in reply... :)
Here is an exclusive
collection of photographs of the birds in and around my mom’s bird-feeder in
the backyard!
(Temp note: Due to some technical reason you may not be able to see the images below, click here to view them)
(Temp note: Due to some technical reason you may not be able to see the images below, click here to view them)
House Sparrow Female
Purple Sunbird Male
Indian Silverbill
Purple Sunbird Female
Bulbul
House sparrow Male
Red Vented Bulbul
To license any of the
above image visit this page.
Images & Article © 2013 Gyaneshwari Dave
