Drongo, Owl and Barbet !

I am now familiar about the places in the trees in our garden where a Drongo and an Owl can be found at sunrise! I have noticed a few times that it seems that birds too have their preferred locations. The territorial claims birds make by frequenting their familiar sites is well known. 

What makes me curious is their composed presence which spare them from being noticed after the ritual of selfceare of their body is over!  

I have wondered whether they locate themselves in their favourite sites for  sunbath to dry their body! 

This is almost a fact since I noticed a Barbet too in a similar place for sunbath with its drenched body! I decided to wait till the Barbet had dried its body to get a glimpse of its post-bath ritual! Unfortunately a crow disturbed it and it flew away into the horizon.

One of my struggles when I have to welcome parents for consultation is to become familiar with the habits or rituals of children to understand the home environment. 

Most  parents do not follow a routine schedule of sleep hygiene,  bedtime reading practices, meal time rituals, play times, family times, etc. In some families the TV programmes condition the behaviour and timing of rest of the activities of adults and children.

When children grow up in such a loosely structured environment, where their choice alone dominates, children get into the habit of grabbing their choices somehow.

One habit children develops to get their likes approved by parents is to be insistent in an incremental way, which some refer to as 'temper tantrums'.

When a child of five years insisted to have the mobile phone to watch cartoons during the consultation, the father gave in and mother refused to yield. This made the child roll on the ground and scream. I could see the child gauging the impact of the loudness of his cry to sense if there was favourable response from the mother! It went on for five minutes. I encouraged the parents to let the child 'wind down'. At one stage the stern voice of the mother helped to seize the opportunity from further escalation. 

After all these, when my colleague was engaging the child in the other room, the parents told me that they view such situations differently. Father yields to the child's 'deamnds'and mother resists.

This led us to have conversations about the upbringing of the parents. Father grew up in  a 'permissive' environment without guidelines for desirable childhood behaviour. Mother from early childhood was introduced to 'boundary setting' with routines and rituals which made it easy for children to conform. 

Human behaviour is an extension of childhood behaviour.

Behaviour is nothing but a pattern in formation !

That is why I was fascinated by the rituals of these three birds. They have a pattern to their daily rhythm.

I know of a Bishop who after getting up every morning would walk five kilometres which he started thirty five years ago. It is during this time he meditates, prepares some of his talks and recalls people who needs his attention. He told me that such a practice adds to his wellness. 

I am learning more about the rituals of some birds which reinforce to me that living well includes following good rituals.  

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)