Windows to Woods

Among all the birds that I have encountered until now, Scaly-breasted Munias are as close to my heart as cats are among all the animals. In future posts, I will be sharing a lot of beautiful experiences that I had with these small little beauties. My mom used to always tell me how she had seen these munias near our balcony and how cute they were, but I hadn't seen them even once in 9 years. In June 2020 I finally got to see those cute little birds that my mother had been talking about for so long. So how did that happen? Well, before answering this, let's learn a little from Miss. Know-it-all. So the thing is that Scaly-breasted Munias don't make a normal nest like other birds. They prefer a nest made from lush green grass over brown dried twigs; a nest that barely has an entrance. They started visiting us to collect lemongrass from our kitchen window for the nest they were building on the balcony in front of our house. Look how they were plucking grass from the pot They vi...

Imagine you are roaming around in a garden, early in the morning. The weather is cold, the air is filled with silence and as far as your sight goes, there is no one with you. Suddenly you hear this sound (Audio credits: ebird.org) Creepy, isn't it?😂 Even though it may sound creepy right now, this sound is associated with omens in many cultures. You may have heard it from your parents, relatives, or the elderly that catching sight of the Greater Coucal brings you good luck. The Greater Coucal, i.e. our Bhardwaj pakshi. Well, I don't know about the good luck part, but watching this bird up-close in its natural habitat will definitely make your day. I have been living in this society for 9 years now, and all those years went by observing the Bhardwaj from a window on the 11th floor. The first time I got to see this bird at eye level was one of those days when I visited that mini jungle. Moreover, this first look was kind of funny as I saw the Coucal with a potato in its beak whil...