Looking to see!

Of all the birds I have become familiar, the King fisher has surprised me the most because of their alertness and promptness! 

The King fisher in the photo series above is often found on this cable at day break. It is stationed in this site for nearly half an hour most morning and keeps looking at the movements and activities around it. I have not noticed it pouncing on insects of fish in the marshy field below at this time of the day! Its breakfast feeding is at a later occasion. 

I have wondered what this bird might be doing through this searching look all around! The King fishers live mostly in their territory and not often are trans-territorial.  

It was later in the day I noticed that from this height it would then go to perch on shrubs near the stream, edge of pool of water or in an elevated place near the marshy ground to fly down to catch the feed and return to its earlier position to swallow the catch. Often the King fishers are found as singles during such times. 

The way the King fishers function is interesting! From an overview to a focussed attention on its feed! 

When this is over the King fishers are found in tall trees resting! 

Its vigilant look, awareness of its surroundings and the clever way it finds its feed fascinated me. Perhaps the largest number of photos I have in my collection would be of King fishers. 

 To live with a sense of awareness of the environment in which we live is the need of the hour!

Recently  the Christian Medical College, Vellore lost its right to admit students for post graduate training who are sponsored by different churches and hospitals. This is a departure from what has been the practice for over fifty years. We would never know if this privilege would be restored! As the honourable Supreme Court hears the appeal on 14th Feb 2022, I hope there would be a favourable decision for  CMC Vellore. The Mission hospitals in the country depend on this access to get trained specialists for the hospitals. Those who worked for two years in mission hospitals were eligible to be sponsored and were obliged to serve in the mission hospitals for another three years after their training. This seemed to work well and brought many mission hospitals to an upgraded status in their level of competency offering higher specialty services. 

We live with gain and losses. 

Whether we loose or gain, we are to live vigilantly doing what we are called to do. 

That is the least we can do to ourselves!

There is so much reference to the religious identity of people in India that intolerance towards other religious groups is the undercurrent in our social fabric. 

The righteousness that Jesus of Nazareth advocated His followers to practice was to 'exceed' what was prevalent at His time. I wish the followers of Jesus of Nazareth woeful be known for their uprightness and integrity so that even those who oppose them would not have anything wrong to point out! The followers of Jesus of Nazareth do not follow a religion but a faith journey to live serving mindful of their neighbours. 

The mission is to live as Good Samaritans. 

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)