Nature shows us that living life joyfully with all that is already provided is the way always. Animate and inanimate things in this universe tell us in so many ways if we care to notice. Rains, rivers and oceans, mountains, forests, grasslands, deserts, wildlife, all animals and plants function with precision utilising everything available. This is fascinating for me as I watch wonders of nature around.
This time, my small but cosy balcony became the dwelling place for bulbul birds as they began visiting frequently late February onwards. A pair of bulbul birds started visiting frequently, supervised the balcony for suitability to make their nest. They eventually finalised a tiny area behind a potted plant on top shelf of a plant stand. While I wondered if the space is enough and suitable, the birds were convinced and got busy to make the nest.
They brought tiny dry twigs, spider web parts, dry leaves and more plant materials and also took from my balcony! This went on for few days with both birds busy and engaged. To me and my family, something that looked as collection of dry materials turned into a cosy, beautiful and absolutely sustainable nest soon. We wondered at the architecture, skill of making and understanding by the little birds. We saw the birds flying in and out of the balcony while shaping the nest to perfection. The female bird kept adjusting and completing the nest as it sat in the nest every now and then. I admired the way this was done by the birds. Nature is bountiful and beautiful indeed. They conversed and chirruped continuously and communicated with each other. What a sight to behold!
A couple of days post completing the nest, the female bird laid the first egg early in the morning on day 1 of this process. The elongated speckled, orange red egg was joyful to watch. Next day morning the bird laid the 2nd egg and spent time staying in the nest most of the day and entire night. The bird took short breaks at some interval to return quickly each time. The incubation lasted for 10 full days and with each day passing by, we became more and more eager to see the hatching of young ones. The birds seemed to stay absolutely calm and perseverant. This puzzled me no end to see the transformation from the chirruping and exchange of cues all turning into silence and absolute stillness. I felt this is Bird Power, declaring in stillness lies the ability to shape the new life in the eggs.
On 11th day, early morning, the first egg hatched and out came the young one with it’s eyes closed and very little movement. The second egg hatched soon after and the mother bird stayed logner and all through the day and night. After the first few days, the quiet and stillness gradually changed to chirruping and lot of exchange between the parent birds as they got busy feeding the young ones with worms, insects and more live organisms. Both parents were equally engaged in this as the new born seemed to be demanding more for food each day. For 8 days, while the young ones grew in size, they continued to stay largely inactive and with closed eyes. 9th day turned hectic and more active as we saw the young one opening it’s eyes and flapping the tender wings in making. The next 2 days were blissful as we watched the cute young bird trying best to move, spread the wings and communicating with parents in mild chirrupy sounds.
On 11th day of it’s birth which coincided with Gudipadwa on 19th March’26, the beginning of the auspicious new year, the young one moved out of the nest in the morning in the balcony. It settled on nearby plants and explored my balcony. It was pure joy to watch this wonder, spectacle unfolding for all of us. This exploration went on the entire day well into afternoon while the parent birds kept coming back to feed and communicated probably informing the young one to make it’s first flight out of the cosy place it was born. By evening the young one went and settled on a plant at the edge, closest to the external space and after some time, before the sunset, flew out with both parent birds guiding it to reach nearby tree probably as we watched with both joy and a little disappointment. The joy was immense and immeasurable to witness this journey by our little bird friends but watching them move out was a bit disappointing. We seemed to have developed an emotional connect and these birds gave us so much to cherish and feel happy.
I kept water for our little friends as it was hot and humid period in Mumbai. They drank water from the tiny cup in a plate kept by us and this was a sight to enjoy for all in the family. The birds continue to visit the balcony although much less frequent and for now, water is still kept for our little friends. When they take those tiny drops in their beaks, I say Thank you to them and in fact, thank God for giving us this opportunity to watch up and so close.
As our birds stayed for more than a month in building nest, laying eggs, grooming young ones to move out eventually, we saw them work with precision, skill, talent and being purposeful. When to stay quite and calm, when to call out, communicate, converse and make noise, completely involved in every action undertaken and much more. This is Bird Power and Resilience as they never gave up while completing the entire process. Thank you dear little bird friends for spreading so much joy with us and we wait to see you return next time for young ones to be born again!
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