An evening stroll !

Anna and I took a less popular route yesterday, going through village roads, because we had enough time to arrive at our friend's home for a visit!

As we were driving through a less inhabited village with paddy fields on one side and a wooded stretch with thickly grown tall grass on the other side, we spotted a movement in the grass. A peacock appeared first, followed by its family. We stopped to watch their movements; so also another car! A family of five of them crossed over to the other side moving towards the grass stretch. They were lost since then, from our visibility.  

It was a sight that aroused curiosity within us to enquire more about the peacock behaviour. Our domestic helper told us recently that he spotted a peacock in our garden. A neighbour seemed to have spotted one on the road leading to our cottage. 

There is a greater awareness of harms of using chemical pesticides and herbicides among farmers. They are getting used to the use of biological methods to control the pests, which means that cows, goats and birds can feed on the grass and insects safely. 

The paddy field below our property was a wet land for a long time. We could watch a variety of birds all through the day. Some of them were residents in the bush and trees in that area. They even nested in the bushes and trees.

The wet land was recently converted into a rubber plant nursery, since then birds have deserted the area. The mornings are bereft of the bird calls and the cacophony. The stillness of the mornings is worrisome. As I watch the chemicals being sprayed on the sprouting rubber plants, I feared for the birds, butterflies, dragon flies, and the fish in the wet land. Children used to be in the wet land to catch fish with a towel held between their hands, to get a fish or two to keep them in their bottles at home! All these sights have disappeared! 

We live in a threatened environment where the eco system of bio-diversity is compromised. 

It was therefore more than delightful to watch a peacock family strolling on the road and finding their feed from the ground. 

There is a desperate drive for success and financial prosperity. I wish there will also be more passion to keep our environment viable for all living beings to feel secure!

M C Mathew (text and photo)