A Bulbul pair with a message!

I watched this Bulbul pair yesterday having a refreshing morning with watching their images in the car mirror in our courtyard.

One Bulbul had arrived first and having noticed its image appear in the mirror called out for its pair, who arrived on the scene to share in this surprise experience. During the next few minutes they were there, they changed places to watch their images in the mirror. 

It seemed to me that they took delight in an experience which occurs occasionally and communicated that pleasure by chirping to each other and looking at each other. 

Often small experiences are good enough to keep us enthused and refreshed. 

I remember a child at the end of a visit coming towards me to give a hug! He did not speak much but understood language and often expressed through gestures. His mother was surprised at his gesture, as he does this only occasionally to strangers. She wondered whether, pictures of birds in the room would have made him happy. He is fond of watching birds by sitting in the veranda of his house!

For the Bulbuls it was watching their images in the mirror; for this boy it was watching the birds in his courtyard, which brought cheer. 

We can offer tokens of our regards towards others through small gestures of kindness. A greeting with a smile is cheer giving! I found this during my walks in the corridors of the hospital, where an exchange of a smile and greeting brings a mood of cheerfulness! Since I discovered it I do not turn to my telephone during my walks along the corridors. That is the time for meeting and greeting others!

The Bulbuls brought this message to me yesterday morning!

M.C.Mathew(text and photo)

 

A Bulbul's body response!

I was engaged in getting a close up pf this Bulbul which was perched in the electric cable! As I moved forward to get a view, it repositioned itself and look straight at the camera. That gave me a good view of its semi-flexed head and the wide open eyes. The body posture changed with the feathers partly open ready to fly away in case of a threat. 

Even a bird is able to adapt in the midst of a possible threat! Its innate defence poise came to overtake at such a time. 

I captured a similar body response from a Kingfisher, while perched in another cable. It even changed its position to get a view of the  other side. I felt that it was doing a threat survey!

I have had a few experiences of the way pre-school children perceive engagement with strangers. The three photos below give us a glimpse of how they adapt facially to respond to a stranger!

A similar face responses might be present with adults as well when engaging an unexpected situation. 

I have a greater sense of the situations which can take me off guard. The readiness to face some situations would be more complete, when we equip ourselves in to the habit of anticipating what we might encounter!

This form of living with alertness and readiness is expressed in the prayer of Dr Ida Scudder used to pray:

'Father whose life is within me and whose love is ever about me, 
grant that this life may be maintained in my life today and every day, 
that with gladness of heart, without haste or confusion of thought,

I may go about my daily tasks,

conscious of my ability to meet every rightful demand,

seeing the larger meaning of little things 

and finding beauty and love every where.

And in the sense of Thy presence may I walk,

through the hours breathing the atmosphere of love 

rather than anxious striving'.

 Dr. Ida Scudder

   {founder CMC Vellore}

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)