Narrow escape

This morning, Lab and I were out in our front yard.  I usually sit out with her while I have coffee. I'd finished my coffee and thought I'd take a walk around her.  I saw her suddenly go into 'watch' freeze and then saw her running towards something.  Without my glasses I couldn't see what it was.  But I ran up to where she was real fast.  I was sure it would be a squirrel.  But what did I see, but our pal here in the picture, a baby woodpecker who'd obviously landed down there and now couldn't take off!  You can see that his eyes are hardly open and his tail is sort of damp!

I

Luckily our Lab is curious first.  So she'd just got round to smelling the little thing when I reached her.  I somehow grabbed hold of her collar and had to wrestle with her to get her into the house and away from this little one.  After putting her out back with some treats, I ran back with my camera.  I was in time to see Mama sitting there too and urging baby to fly--maybe.  But the minute I tried to open the window screen to take a picture, Mama flew off.  I waited quietly inside to see if Mama would return, but she didn't.  So then I went outside.  I waited around and then felt I just couldn't leave baby there, because it was only a matter of time before either a stray cat or a mongoose caught hold of it.
I went up to him/her talking all the while.  That's when I got to take the picture.   After that I thought I'd gently lift him up using a leaf, so that my scent wouldn't be left on him.  But he tried to peck me!  Finally I got a thin twig, onto which he was able to climb.  As I lifted the twig up, thinking I'd place him on the nearest tree, he flew off.  He landed further off somewhere, where I'm sure Mama would have come and taken him off.
You should have seen him though crying out for his Mama.  He would let out his shrill cry and then look skyward.  I sure hope he and Mama are fine.

Growing

Baby mongoose seems to have grown.  I've been hearing mongooses in the undergrowth outside my window.  Today I was able to catch mamma & baby--who has become a lanky youngster now.  How many different types of cries I heard!  At times it seemed like Mama was screaming at her baby, probably for taking risks.!  I also watched as she turned around and murmured at baby--who was loitering around behind her.  I see all this from my windows.  But I have to be very quiet.  Any loud sound and they're off.

Sunday morning I saw a mongoose family--presumably it was a family.  There were two adult mongooses and a baby, just about running around.  It must have been all of about 10 inches long.  They were sunning themselves under the pruned gulmohur tree after which father mongoose moved on in front, baby in the middle and mom bringing up the rear.  The baby was just having fun.  I saw it dragging itself through the warm earth, then running on ahead a bit, and even jumping over mama.  As always, the camera was not anywhere near.  I did try to use my phone camera, but couldn't a good shot.  Was a lovely show!

Two koels

I had been meaning to write about the 2 male koels for quite a while, but just didn't get the time!
One evening, I heard this big screaming battle right outside my kitchen window--very loud koel cries. [Koels are our local cuckoos]. I took a look out and I saw these two male koels on the guava tree outside having a face-off. I ran outside with my camera and tried to come up as close to them as possible. The only sign they gave of being aware of my presence was by keeping quiet. But neither was willing to relinquish his place.  Here is a shot of them and a movie clip too.

If you click here it gives you the koel's cries--what I was able to get.

I did so want to see the Geminid showers. But alas, it was too cloudy late at night, and too much light pollution earlier in the evening.

The latest evening walk

Weather and surroundings as at 6.30 p.m. today 9th Dec
Air soft as silk, temperature oh so pleasant (for Kerala), a crescent moon smiling in the West in a clear sky; feathery clouds edged in pink darkening slowly, scattered around; alas mosquitoes too, permitting no standing still.

After what seems like an eon, two consecutive days without rain! I went for a quick walk became it became too dark and spotted a flight of birds off to bed and an owl on the lamp post who Dog & I startled.