I heard the bird call of a Kingfisher close to our garden and noticed the above Kingfisher perched in the cable in front of our cottage. While taking a few photos, it moved up to the coconut palm and perched there and looked around.
Shortly thereafter it started its chorus of bird calls, initially short and interrupted with pauses, but later went into longer calls with varying chirps in between. It was music to the ear. I noticed its body movements of lifting the head and stretching it synchronous with the bird calls.
Another Kingfisher joined in another palm leaf of the same coconut tree. They both took turns to look towards each other in prolonged silence.
The silence while engaged in looking at each other intermittently gave me an indication of the friendly link they were ready to establish.
Seeing this, I knew that the kingfisher that was engaged in continuous bird call was calling out for togetherness!
As they flew away after a short while, in the same direction, it was an indication of a pleasant equation between them for becoming a pair. A male bird with its loud bird calls and other gestures has to impress a female bird to become a pair!
To begin the day, with this pleasant sight of friendships between two birds, set me thinking about the language of communication between them. I watched few times the video recordings of the bird calls of the Kingfisher. The bird calls were tuneful, sonorous and variable. There were at least four different tunes in the bird calls. The loudness, length of the call and body gestures differed, which gave an indication of the bird calls being a full expression of a bird in readiness for partnership.
Friendships can begin only when there is readiness to give an offering of goodwill and welcome.
A child of three or four years, was walking past our gate to the cottage. Seeing me, he handed over a jasmine flower, he was carrying between his fingers. He did that with a smile. He did not stop to say anything but turned back to look at me a few times before the turning in the road. His mother looked amused and surprised by this gesture. I do not remember seeing this child or mother earlier at any time. A stranger offered a gesture of friendship to me.
The Kingfisher in the morning and a boy in the evening-both expressing acts of friendship!
These two experiences lifted my spirit on a day when there were news items of a former president of the USA getting nomination of his party for contesting presidential election, in spite of cases against him in the court of law. There were unruly behaviour between protestors and police in the street near to where Anna and I live. The state government employees did not get their salary for February on account of shortage of funds in the state treasury. The mood of the nation, as the parliament election is approaching, is one of fear of loss of freedom, if the ruling party were to proceed with its divisive agenda! The day temperature has soared to 37degree celsius. There is a sense of stress and anxiety all around!
Amidst this, a bird call for friendship! A child with a flower and smile!
Small acts of friendship, which restore hope and purpose!
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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