The seasons are changing and dryness has already set in. Trees have started shedding leaves in anticipation of the coming summer. There is hardly any surface water on campus and wildlife around us are looking for water.
On the last day of January, a little after we had poured water in the birdbath in our small yard (behind Red House), I heard bird song and a flurry of activity at the birdbath. A pair of Oriental Magpie-robins were having a bath, the male keeping a look-out for predators while his mate was enjoying a leisurely dip. A Red-whiskered Bulbul was awaiting its turn on a branch above and chirping. This seems to have irked the male Magpie-robin who hopped to the bulbul and shooed him away! A little later, after the Magpie-robins were done, a house crow drank a few drops of water.
The next afternoon, there was a pair of Cinereous Tits at the birdbath, splashing water all around and enjoying themselves, one at a time. They were quite bold and allowed me to take a few shots with my camera. After their bath, they retreated to a nearby branch to dry themselves and preen their feathers. The Magpie-robins were around but somehow did not object to their presence. Just then the flamboyant male Indian Paradise-flycatcher came into the scene and flew low over the birdbath and had a dip. This was repeated a couple more times before it noticed my presence and moved away.
I have been observing other birds like the Tailorbirds and the Yellow-billed Babblers moving around in the area. This morning the babblers came looking for water and started complaining when they found the level had fallen below their requirements, prompting me to refill the bath!
Birdwatching does not mean just making a list of birds in an exotic location. It also involves careful observation of bird behaviour and ecology. A birdbath offers excellent scope to study the personalities of individual birds and once used to your presence, they shed their inhibitions and behave naturally. Try this at home this summer. Only ensure the water in the birdbath is not deeper than a couple of inches and its placed on a raised platform (a metre or so from the ground) in shade with plenty of vegetation cover nearby as the birds need time to dry up and cannot fly away from predators immediately after a dip. Also clean the bath regularly so that there are no chances of infection from bird droppings etc. I am sure you will gain a lot of insight of bird behaviour.
Dr Santharam
