Birds on a wet day!

The above birds were the first ones to appear in different trees in our garden, except for the Parakeet, which was perched on a coconut tree about three hundred meters away. It was a wet morning with no prospect of sunlight at sight. 

I watched these birds and observed them for their body behaviour and bird calls. 

They looked subdued and flying only short distances. Their body appeared wet and the feathers yet to be groomed for flight readiness. 

During the early flight movements they have a short halts in each station that it needs prompt camera action to capture their movements. 

Th avian movements in our garden is a socialising activity for some birds. 

The Magpie robin will come close to our cottage and sing for us. Sometimes they fly into the back yard and wait for them to be fed with banana or millets. On those occasions when we did not notice them, they would wait till we arrived. Ther bird calls become louder if we take time to respond to them. Whereas, the Kingfisher and Parakeets are less sociable. 

When it is wet and dusky, looking out into the garden does not give the usual visual delight. The presence of the birds, their calls and movements and social gestures make us feel connected with the avians.

What I noticed as I was returning to the cottage was a sunbird perched quietly in an obscure place. I initially thought if it was a Loten's sunbird. But the features did not fully match. 

What intrigued me was its stationary position, unlike the usual sunbirds which are fidgety and move fast between twigs hiding under foliage.   

I waited for half an hour to gather more information about the sunbird unusually perched in a stationary position. By the time I went to replace the battery in the camera, it had moved away. I listened to its feeble bird calls and vigilant look in all directions. Was it a younger or an injured bird!

It was the first time I found a sunbird stationed in one position in a restful perch. 

This is the surprise about the avian behaviour. We can come across unusual bird behaviour when we take time to keep track of their presence and movements. 

I felt good that our garden is a home for some birds and flight station for many others!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)