Law of the wild.

Today, around noon, hearing a big commotion outside and much screeching from the birds, I went out to see what was the matter.  Peering up through the foliage, I saw a pair of frantic racket-tailed drongos, screeching and generally carrying on.  I thought they were trying to chase away another pair from invading their space.  But instead what did I see, an owl, or maybe a small kite, I couldn't quite tell, taking away one of their babies (or maybe an egg).  The pair tried their best to get their offspring back.  But I don't think they succeeded.  That's the law of the jungle alas!

I went for my evening walk and there were a great many fireflies around, winking in the leaves on the trees and the bushes.  Fireflies are in abundance during the monsoon lulls.  Anyway, my lab was around too, following me around leisurely, chasing the occasional frog or lizard.  Just towards the end of my walk, when I slowed down and we were in the same place, I saw this firefly hovering around Lab girl's head and then it sat on the top of her head, winking away!  It looked so cute and I so wished I had a camera with me.  One more of those misses.

Back home

I'm back at home and we have returned to a monsoon in full swing.During our absence, the jungle has been creeping back and seems barely kept at bay.

With the onset of the monsoon, missing are bird sounds. There is not even the sound of a crow. The birds chirp only if there is a sufficiently long gap between rains. Today, I can hear no bird calls. The only sounds are of the cicada/cricket chorus, rising in rhythmic bursts. As for the nights, they are filled with sounds of competing choirs. Frogs (toads too I'm sure) sing out loud, in various pitches from a full baritone to a high soprano chirp, interspersed with the droning of the cricket.  Not silent nights at all!  Well, we are half way across the world--longitudinally--and many miles south--latitudinally--from where we were just last week.  I am glad to be back home, but there is a feeling of nostalgia for the lovely holiday and the scenery left behind. 

Spring is melding into summer

Our stay here in the US is almost over, our 5 weeks almost up. We leave on Monday 30th, Memorial Day here in the US, which heralds the beginning of summer. It's been wonderful to experience a season I had never experienced before. In the 5 weeks we have been here, I saw the bare, naked, branches, first covered with tiny buds, flowers and then leaves. Now the flowers, on most of the trees around, have gone and they are all dressed in various shades of green. There is even fresh new pale green growth on all the evergreens around. On a clear day, as today is, you look around and the shades of green, with the blue of the clear sky seems iridiscent.
Gone are the daffodils and narcissus and most of the tulips. Now, in the gardens around, I see irises in various shades and colourful flowers on low plants--not too sure what they are. Today I saw flowers on pine trees too (something I have never seen before).
The goslings out on the lake are quite big now and losing their fluffiness. The ducks are around, but there don't seem to be any ducklings. Maybe they're well hidden. There are birds everywhere and on a sunny day, the air is filled with birdsong of such variety. Even on a cold rainy morning, I have heard birds chirping, but it's only when the sun is out that the many voiced chorus can be heard.
I am filled with nostalgia at the thought of leaving. But time moves on and vacations don't last forever.
I hope the next time we visit, we come towards the beginning of fall.

Evening walks in another land

I'm now in the USA and Spring is everywhere. I have been enjoying my evening walks and even the brisk, cold breeze, coupled quite often with the drip, drip, drip of Spring drizzles, hasn't killed my yearning to be outside when dusk falls :-)
I have been enjoying watching Spring burgeon. This is the very first time that I have the chance to watch this season. I have never been in Northern climes at this time and I am thoroughly enjoying what I see. Outside where my son lives there are wild ducks nesting: Canadian geese nest in the reeds at the nearby lake and fly overhead with their haunting cries. I have seen robins--looking, to me, a lot like our mynahs, but with redbreasts. There are other birds I cannot yet identify. We got to see some wild rabbits and my grandson and I saw a dead skunk.
I love how the trees are budding with new life. There are trees with only flowers on them, bushes with bright yellow leaves, daffodils dancing in the breeze, in two colours. There are pink flowers, which I was told were jonquils, and little blue flowers and, what I presume, are tulips in shades of red. The weeping willows look magnificent to me, swaying elegantly to and fro, dressed in lime green. Everywhere the signs of new life are there. I love it all.

The mahogany trees are in bloom and the tiny flowers are everywhere, a carpet spread wide.  At the slightest touch of a breeze, they fall, sounding like water dripping from the leaves.  Their scent is heady and the day and night are filled with the perfume.

Baby time

It's obviously nesting time.  Yesterday, before I left the school I work at, I saw a number of children, with a teacher, taking turns clambering on  a stool, to peep into a box around the electricity meter.  I asked what was the excitement and I was told that it was the nest of a magpie robin with 3 lil ones in it!  So I went to have a look too.  I'm glad I did, because neither the young teacher, nor any of the 4th grade children there, knew that one should never touch the babies.
Anyway, while everyone was having a look, the poor parents flew around frantically, making little chirping noises.  Then one of the kids noticed that there was feed for the babies in the parents' beak.  So we all quickly cleared out from there, to leave them in peace.  Completely slipped my mind that I could have taken photographs with my camera!!