A Tailor bird finds its feed!

I have a fascination for this common Tailor bird which is around 13 cm in length, therefore not easy to locate it, except when they move causing flutter of leaves or sing tunefully! Another thing about them is that they are hardly still bodily. They move their body in a jittery and shift positions. For less skilled photographers like me, it is a challenge to get well focussed photos, like what is in this series. 

As I watched this bird move about in our Bell Fruit tree which is just blossoming, I knew that it was searching for the insects in the flowers. Finally what I saw was a grass hopper between its bills. 

I do not think it is easy to track them beyond a few minutes as they would have either flown away or moved in different directions in the branches of the tree hidden in the foliage. 

They have an elegant body and olive green plumage which make them distinct in the small bird species. 

Some small birds distinguish themselves to compensate for their smallness in size. That is why  the phrase, 'small is beautiful' suits them well'.

Since I started bird watching in our garden ten years ago, I realised how birds bring a new outlook to the avian nature and movements. They are often messengers and visitors who bring enrichment to our understanding about the wonder of the world of birds!

Dr Sanjeeth Peter a cardio-thoracic surgeon of considerable repute, who has a passion for bird photography travels to places to to spot and take pictures of rare birds, who are vulnerable for extinction. He sent me the photo of a Nilgiri wood pigeon with an outstanding details of the body through his artistic photography. 

Every time I get a photo of a bird from Sanjeeth, I feel touched for his traction towards birds. His friendship for avians is behind his adventure travels to spot birds in different places in India. 

I owe a lot to him for inspiring me to stay interested in birds!

With Anna composing and publishing the book in June this year, Bird movements, our inner responses, I feel acknowledged for my feeble efforts to be friendly towards birds!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)