Monday, March 10, 2014

My Latest Friends, Dummi And Others!

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This is a 'sort of' happy post! Remember, how I was brooding for shifting from our old house to a new flat, here?!  It was during last May '13.  Now, my mood has changed completely, thanks to the  clean environment here at the new place!  Yes, I enjoyed living among fragrant flowers surrounding the house, but the house was situated in the outskirts and so we had open drainage, which meant, dirty stench.   Now, the underground drainage is coming there shortly!  Apart from the flowers, I enjoyed the cats, their families, birds, their families, butterflies, etc.  We were watching many sun bird families too, but I couldn't capture them in my camera.  These pleasant memories of that house will always be there. 

Now, we are living in a flat.  The compound has many croutons and flowers without fragrance.  But they look green! The next compound has got many trees.  Though we don't see different kinds of birds often, we see parrots and sun birds occasionally.  We hear the lovely sound of Bul bul birds too! But we see crows, crows and more crows everywhere, nearby! So, I have started enjoying them, watching them which is not very new for me, though!  Have a look at my old post here!

I place curd rice in my kitchen window sill and many crows of all sizes and shapes, come here to eat it.  I see many andangaakka (Jungle crows) which have got shiny, beautiful coat! They take chapatis from my hands when I give them through my kitchen window!

I see other entertainers too, like these:


Baby Monkey came into our compound today! It was fun watching him!

Click on the photo and you can notice the make-up on his face, clearly!

The red/orange sindhoor-like teekha, eyes are full of kaajal and one black drushti pottu (what do we all it in English?! It is placed so that kisi ki nazar na lag jaye!) too on the cheek.  Some cloth is in his waist and one belt-like band too! Neck has got colourful beads! My maid said that he must have come here from the next door Murugan temple! One man sits there with monkeys, it seems.  He was making different types of sounds, sitting on the compound! We, flat people, were all standing in our balconies, throwing bananas, carrots etc. to him.   He ate just one banana! I think he was here for a couple of hours.  We were worried about the crows which were sitting on top of the trees waiting to peck him! I think he went home without any harm! The man should have come and taken him home.


This peacock is a regular visitor in our compound.  We give him fried grams! A small girl from one of  our flats, stands very close to him and gives him fried gram! He is also from the next door temple! This bird is Muruga(Subrahmanya)'s vaahana/transport!





This area is full of crows, I said...proof is here! These birds used to fly across the flat from our kitchen window to the other side via our balcony.  They started flying like that even after we occupied this house.  So, we tied the wire,  like it is shown below, to block them.  We lift from one side and place curd rice for them now!
 
This one is a regular visitor for our curd rice...he is a pest...keeps on making different sounds from his throat without opening his beak!  Sometimes he makes full-throated sound which blocks my music sound, which I hate! I love to hear Kishore Kumar's music than Kaakka music!


This one acts like a baby always! He was born here in a nest in the next tree.  He was always sitting in between his parents, for many months.  One of them always fed him.  He had a 2 inch gash at the back of his neck for a long time.  He was just sticking to his parents.  Now, his gash is gone and sits mostly here! He takes a piece of chapathi from our window, goes there, places on the branch and within minutes, a squirrel will come running to the chapathi and starts eating! He will watch from another branch...this happened even today morning!


This is Dummi!

Dummi is always there in the morning when I enter my kitchen, waiting silently.  Sometimes I give him one biscuit.  He never pesters me like the one about whom I told you earlier!  He just waits there till 8.30 or 9 am.  Sometimes he sits on one leg like he is in the picture!  Sometimes he keeps his beak inside his feathers and sleeps (I think so!).  Looks very innocent!  We call him 'dummi' because he is the fattest among the crows who visit us!  He silently eats and leaves.  He doesn't come back.  We see him only the next morning!

I notice one crow which is a bit thin, starts doing kabaddi steps around the curd rice, hopping to the left and right, without letting the other crows near the curd rice! He is a good sportsman, very very light on his feet!

The small box is waiting for the sparrows to nest in!

I have seen a couple of sparrows in the front side of this complex near the gate.  We have got pigeons too which I don't like...the only bird I don't like.  They spoil the place with their excreta ...huh, I am using a polite word!  I asked my husband to keep a box here, in the balcony for the sparrows or any other small bird to nest inside.  It is more than three months now and I haven't seen anyone even peeping into the box! Husband is planning to put a 'tolet for sparrows only' board here soon!

Now, I will tell you the Best Entertainer for our family...the Rising Sun!  We see him rising among the clouds and trees, everyday, with our coffee cups in our hands, sitting in our balcony! I have got some 183 snaps of the sunrise scenes! One is here:




I told you in the beginning, this is a happy post!

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25 comments :

SG said...

Thanks for sharing these beautiful photos.

Sandhya said...

SG: Thank you, SG! You were fast in commenting!

Destination Infinity said...

The sunrise photo is excellent. I don't think I know any apartment where one can spot a peacock, you are very lucky! I guess crows around your house are happy :)

Destination Infinity

Sandhya said...

DESTINATION INFINITY: I have got many more pictures of sunrise!

The peacock is from a temple nearby! Yes, I guess the crows are happy because I came here in this area to pamper them!

Sivan Suresh said...

Good day Sandhya.
Suresh from Vijayanagar - Chennai.
Self and my wife are visiting Rameswaram the coming week.
While browsing we thankfully stumbled upon your blog on your Rameswaram visit. Fantastic experience.
We also thank your introduction of Shri Sundara Sashtrigal, whom we have contacted and initiated visit process.
We thank you for your wonderful blogs and salute the nature lover in you.
We would like you to drop your contact number for us to understand more on Rameswaram.
My mobile is +91 9543243437.
Best regards,
Suresh with Shanthi.

Usha Basker said...

Very nice photographs and interesting story abt sparrows,crows,peacock,and monkey. Nice description abt the monkey. Even I offered fried gram to pigeon coming to our balcony. They eat very fast and make excreta still more faster. It is very interesting to watch them from balcony. Enjoyed ur blog very much mami. Thanks for sharing.

S. Susan Deborah said...

Wow! a treat definitely S. I love watching different life forms as well and even our garden attracts so many varieties of birds, snakes, bees and butterflies. But a peacock in your compound is surprising. Enjoy the beauty and please do treat us as well time to time.

And yes, it's a happy happy post for sure.

Joy always,
Susan

Shail said...

This is a super happy post! I could visualize everything you wrote. I missed the peacock though.
The monkey looks really cute! :)
Dummi's picture is not loading. I will come back later to see it :)

Shail said...

The sunrise picture is really good. And the squirrel stealing food from the crow was funny. :)

Renu said...

what an apartmeent you have got..we get pigeons and crows in hordes, but peacock, i am yet to see anywhere here and monkeys make me feel really scared..

KParthasarathi said...

You live in sylvan surroundings,
amid verdant green and many birds to entertain you with an awesome view of the sky in the mornings I presume and may be a view of the sea too.Feeding crows is highly desired in our sastras.Fixing a box to get the sparrows nest is kind act.No doubt you are happy at the change in your residence.

Sandhya said...

SIVAN SURESH: Welcome to my space, Sivan Suresh!

Happy to know that you enjoyed my post on Rameshwaram and happier to know that it was useful to you.

I may not be able to give more information about Rameshwarm since it is a bit long time now since we visited the place, remember, my name is 'maradhimanni'.

Thank you! Will call you sometime.


USHA BASKER: Their excreta corrodes the area fast. That is the main reason I don't like them!

Thanks Usha!


SUSAN DEBORAH: I am so happy to know that you are also an admirer of snakes too! I don't see many like me! I used to watch a long mustard and black coloured beautiful snake on our compound wall nearly everyday when we went to our old home which was in the outskirts! An open space with palm trees was there behind our house and water used to stagnate there after rains. One watchman hut also was there. He had small children too. But his wife used to say that the snake just walked here and there in their rooms! Even children were not scared of them and the snake was also not worried about them. Don't hurt me, I don't hurt you was the policy, I think! Poor things, now, flats have come there and we never know what happened to it.

Peacock comes from the nearby temple!

Thanks for the comment, Susan!


SHAIL: You have the squirrel photo! I will capture one, some day! The 'paavam kaakka' still sits on the same branch and takes the chapathi and keeps it there even now!

You will see more sunrise picture in the coming days!


RENU: The monkey didn't come near me, you know! The peacock is from the next door temple! He and his wife come here often!


K.PARTHASARATHY: We can see the sea from our terrace! Yes, I am enjoying the atmosphere in this house now! Thank you, Partha Sir!


Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Nice post. Living in a house surrounded with birds of various kinds is a joy in itself. Have a nice time.

Unknown said...

Nice post. Living in a house surrounded with birds of various kinds is a joy in itself. Have a nice time.

BK Chowla, said...

Sandhya,
Its wonderful,I mean blog and the house both.
We too live an apartment and community living ahs great advantages.
We have pigeons come in every morning for their feed.
It so lovely

Avada Kedavra said...

Sunrise pic is really good. Wow! you get to see peacock from your flat. That's really awesome. :)

Priya Anandakumar said...

the monkey and the peacock were so cute, very nice write up. I had the same experience with the crow, but I had two of them coming one was very nice will keep screaming until feed him with something, the other will try to steal has stolen so many things from my window. all this happened in Chennai, your write up brings back lot of memories...

Sandhya said...

USHA MENON: Thank you, Usha! I need something for distraction. Earlier it was dog and then cats and now birds!


BK CHOWLA: Life becomes interesting if we start enjoying small small things! We will never get bored, Chowlaji! Thanks you for the boosters!


AVADA KEDAVRA: I watch sunrise everyday from our balcony. This peacock is from a nearby temple! We enjoy here!


PRIYA ANANDAKUMAR: Happy to know that I am bringing back happy memories to you!

These crows have not yet started stealing! We have put 'kambi' for blocking them!






Sai Charan said...

Happy to read this post, great to hear about all the elements of nature around you, I had a nice smile reading about the crow's name and also 'to-let only for sparrows' :)

What, 183 snaps of sunrise? That's a lot, you can pick the best of them and share with us sometime here, sunrise/sunset are the most relaxing, soothing and peaceful photos!! :)

Take care,
Sai :)

R. Ramesh said...

wahhh superduper...happy post indeed and u made us all happy too..and thanks sandhyaji for the message..sorry i could not get in touch when in chennai...will stay connected..best always:)

Anonymous said...

I think even luckier than having such a splendid view is that you have a sunny disposition to taste the joy of these things.

Krishna/കൃഷ്ണ said...

Beautiful photos

thanks

Ramakrishnan said...

Beautiful post - one should always look for beautiful things around you at present instead of brooding over the past.You have adjusted well. It is all in the mind after all ! Best wishes.

Sandhya said...

SAI CHARAN: One more sunrise photo is here today, Sai! Thank you!


R.RAMESH: Thank you, Ramesh! Write more often!


SWEETYSHINDE: Welcome to my space, Sweety Shinde!

This attitude makes life easy, don't you think so?!

Thank you, Sweety!


KRISHNA: Thank you, Krishna!


RAMAKRISHNAN RAMANATHAN: Thank you, Ram!



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