A lesson from Daphne !

Daphne was calling for attention from her kennel at twilight. As she is still recovering from her two surgeries, I opened the door to go to her. \ She was barking differently from her usual loud and crispy barks. She kept looking outward though the kennel. That is when I noticed two Great coucel birds perched in the coconut tree in our garden. They were grooming their wings which were spread out fully. They turned their face to each other. It was only when I noticed the birds and came out with the camera, Daphne stopped her growl. 

Is a Beagle dog so observant that she would indicate the presence of birds nearby! I noticed her similar growls earlier, when bird movements took place around her kennel. This time it was evident that she associated the birds with the camera! Is it my wild imagination! I know Beagle dogs are sniffer dogs, used in the air port to detect scent from checked in bags in the conveyer belt, when there is a suspicion of illicit drug movement. They are also used for hunting to chase the prey. This discovery of associating me with the camera and birds, was a discovery that surprised me.  

I watched this pair of Great coucal birds for a while. The grooming process was meticulous. Theirs was a different process than what small birds follow. The small birds dry their body by shaking. The coucal birds spread their wings to have them dried in the morning sun. 

It was Daphne who brought me out to watch the above sights. When I looked out little while before this, the visibility beyond our garden was diminished with mist. I dropped the idea of walking in the garden with the camera. 

I feel amazed that a Beagle dog can convey messages, from the observations she would have made earlier. Almost every morning, I am out with the camera and stay outside her kennel for about 45 minutes, watching the flight movements of the birds in the garden. The two trees, adjacent to her kennel are permanent flight stations for Bulbul, Leaf bird, Tailor bird, Maggie robin, Sunbirds, etc. 

I got distracted at that time by the arrival of a Kingfisher in the adjacent coconut tree. It was still dark to capture its beautiful plumage. It slowed and long bird calls got responded form the other side of the stream. Hearing the reciprocal calls it flew away in that direction. Even that was an engine experience. Most bird look out for other birds of the same species in the morning. 

 

Three cheers to Daphne! She has been with us for thirteen years and crossed the average life span of the Beagle species. 

We feel pleased to have her with us! 

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)