Winged Visitors

I love birds a lot. My compound is full of birds due to the high level of tolerance from my side. Waking up to the sound of the chirping of birds early in the morning used to be so refreshing. However, of late, they are becoming too friendly.

Sparrows are the most numerous. They are busy throughout the day. They will take every opportunity to enter my house and will come in pairs. The heavy curtains are a haven for them. They will hide behind these curtains and try to build a nest there, of all the places. If I see them inside a room, they will be so scared of my presence that they cannot find their way out of the room and I must be quiet so that they will calm down and retrace their steps.

Early morning, some beautiful flower buds will be waiting for the sun to come up so that they can blossom in the sunlight. By that time, my mischievous friends would pluck them off...making me boil inside! I don't know what they do with these buds, just dropping them there neither using it for food or for building nest.

Then, there's the smart kingfisher. Twice every day, at 8am and 2pm, it comes to my pond and and makes a clean sweep over the water picking up a fish each time for breakfast and lunch. Each dive is a successful one. I have never seen such smart fishing before.

The goose berry tree is coming out in its first blossom and I have been watching it daily. The miniscule flowers have turned into small berries and will gradually become bigger. But, another winged friend has been busy when I am not around..all the berries are gone. That's the work of the cuckoo! Beautiful couples coming and munching away...my property is not mine anymore!

I have also planted some peas and beans. Even before these seeds could sprout, the wild pigeons dig them out with their beaks. Early morning, flocks of them would be feasting in my courtyard. A rare visit of one pigeon is considered as a sign from a deceased ancester but certainly, all my ancestors cannot be showering me with so much attention!

Then, there is the lark. A lark building a nest in your house heralds prosperity or so I heard. So I was happy at first thinking that now I would have some 'bank balance'. But, they are so enthusiastic in their goodwill that even when I am sitting in my patio, they are also flitting here and there as if we are very old friends. Maybe, I am about to become a millionaire.

Yesterday, I was just taking a walk in my compound when suddenly splashes of water fell down on me from above. It was bright and sunny with not a single cloud. I was quite surprised. When I looked up, I saw two bulbuls taking a thorough bath in the water drain pipe of the terrace roof. 

It's a literal aviary now!

Now, I must seriously tackle some issues. Is it my home or theirs? The movie 'Birds' by Alfred Hitchcock comes to mind and gives me a scare. What should I do now? 

Erecting scarecrows will not help because they are not afraid of even living walking people like me and my family members. Avicides are too cruel. Shining tapes and discs will be so uncomfortable to my eyes instead of theirs.

No way out! Then I see a banner on the roadside..birds are our natural pesticides...Lord! How little they know. Birds themselves can be a pest. But, true enough there is very less pest population in my garden..must appreciate the balance that way and must rest my case here!