SPARROWS

I read in today’s newspaper that environmental workers in Hyderabad, concerned about the declining Sparrow population in the cities, have launched a programme of distributing cardboard boxes for sparrows to nest in. Apparently, the plan is picking up steam and making a slow but steady progress. Well, more power to them. Over the last fifteen years or so I have been noticing the gradual disappearance of Sparrows from our homes. I remember that when I was a kid the sparrows used to be regular residents of our home. In fact it sometimes seemed that it was their home and we were the intruders. They would make untidy nests in ventilators, cornices, the upturned cups of ceiling fans and at times even behind framed photographs. The birds were very industrious, constantly bringing in straws and dry grass and would contribute to the dirtying of our home as much as us children. I remember my mother’s chagrin and the amused resignation at their antics. The males with their distinct plumage were as active as females in building nests and feeding the perpetually hungry baby sparrows. I remember the distinct cheep cheep and the wide open beaks of the brood when the parent sparrows brought food. Sometimes a baby would fall out of the nest much to the agitation of the parents. I and my sister would try to save the unfortunate fledgling by making a nest of cotton in a shoebox and offering it food and water but without exception they all died. I still do not know if it was despite our efforts or because of them. The remaining babies would grow fast and leave the nest and fly off. The flying lessons that the sparrows provided to the chicks were a source of constant entertainment for us. Occasionally an adult sparrow would dash against the whirring blades of a ceiling fan and die leaving us all very sad. The sparrows were such a constant presence in every house that we stopped noticing them as we grew up. One day when I was talking about sparrows to my children my son told me that he had never seen one. I realized with a shock that sparrows had vanished from homes. I am told that the dense urban sprawl, high frequency waves from mobile towers and use of plastic pipes in place of cement ones have contributed to this decline in sparrow population. Since then I have been looking for sparrows everywhere I go. I have seen a few in condominiums in Gurgaon where they nest on the A Cs and a few in the holiday resorts where there are wide open spaces. I hope that sparrows make a comeback. I don’t want the present generation to grow up without seeing sparrows.

Flowering Trees

Trees are essential for our survival. Even a class V student can tell you that. So what new can I write about them. I have no intentions of undermining their biological and environmental usefulness, but the ornamental aspects of trees appeal to me more. Take a look at trees around you. Will you find such vibrant shades of green anywhere else in nature? Try to appreciate the subtle differences between the various shades of green and you will discover an endless source of entertainment. And if we look at flowering trees, nothing in nature surpasses their beauty. Many a times on a hot summer afternoon when nothing else cools our eyes the only solace comes from the flaming orange blooms of Gulmohar. Another tree which flowers in the height of summers is Amaltas and the bright yellow blooms look very attractive indeed. The purple blooms of Jacaranda come later. One shrub which is a riot of colors throughout the year is Bougainvillea. One can devote an entire post describing the shades and colors of various varieties of Bougainvillea. Magnolia with its reverse temple like structure and mildly scented flowers is another favorite of mine. Chandni and Raat ki rani are not much to look at but they smell divine, particularly at night. One flowering tree which has beautiful flowers and smells equally good is Harsingar, also called Shefali. The small white flowers with orange stalks finds many a reference in the poetry of Rabindranath Tagore. And all the trees I have mentioned are found in cities all around us. Just take a close look at them and you will discover an perpetual source of delight, something to make the tedious job of surviving in a city more tolerable.

Birds in the city.

When I moved into this city some eighteen years back there were a lot of trees. The road I live on was lined by tall wild almond trees. As far as looks go, they were ugly trees with large leaves and large useless pod-like fruits which simply littered the street. A large number of common mynahs roosted on the trees, making a huge ruckus every morning and evening and peppering anyone unfortunate enough to be passing below the trees with generous amounts of bird-shit. Then the trees were cut down for widening the road and I started missing the clamor of birds which had made these trees their home. After a few years I noticed that the birds were back. The mynahs were now roosting on a mobile tower which had come up recently. On noticing carefully I saw that a pair of kites had made a nest on the highest platform of the tower and the rest of the tower was used by mynahs. They spent the night on the tower making the familiar racket every evening and flying away in the morning. This made me curious about the adaptability of birds in the changing urban environment and to celebrate the first monsoon showers of the month I decided to go bird watching in the city. I picked up my scooter and rode around early in the morning enjoying the mild showers. Now our city has very few patches of green left, most of the flora being represented by isolated trees by the road or small private gardens. The first birds I came across were a group of parakeets (I counted ten) perched on electric wires. The next sightings were two kites perched on a huge advertising hoarding. There were a number of pigeons and a few doves mostly on eaves and rooftops. The biggest surprise was a common grey hornbill which flew across the road and disappeared behind the few remaining trees. The commonest presence was of crows and mynahs. Some good Samaritans had left feed for birds on the sidewalk of the only flyover our city boasts of and scores of crows and mynahs were fighting over the spoils. A few years back these crows had almost disappeared but have made a strong comeback. Maybe the discontinuation of use of Declofenac (a pain killer) in domestic livestock which was threatening the vulture population has something to do with this resurgence in the number of crows as well. The best part was reserved for the last. As I reached home and was parking my scooter I spotted two brown rock chats and one bulbul on my gate. Not bad for a half hour drive. The only thing that makes me sad is that I don’t see sparrows any more. These little birds which were a part of our everyday existence when we were growing up have become rare indeed. Still, I am hopeful that like crows and vultures they will make a comeback and our children will get to see them.