Wicked conspiracy, that is the answer. I ended the first part of My garden birds wondering why I don't get House Crows (HC) in my garden. I started writing that as I included Large-billed Crow (or Indian Jungle Crow)(LbC) in my list. After I wrote about the LbC I realised I don't have a picture of LbC. So I removed the write up on the LbC but retained the note on HCs. Then started the wait on the terrace to get a good picture of LbC. I got more than I bargained for.
The day I decided to try for a picture I witnessed a strange phenomenon. There were about forty crows, half on the eucalyptus tree just behind my garden and the other half on another a little away. They were flying around, cawing loudly, in a circle for a few seconds and perching on the tress for some time, then again flying. This was repeating for a few mins. I took a few pictures of the birds when they were perching and tried to take some in flight. I took a crow in flight and then I got a doubt whether it was really a LbC or HC.
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| The House Crow being chased around by the Large-billed Crows |
I checked the picture and found that to be a HC, and there were two of them. I saw that the HCs were being chased around by the LbCs. So the whole phenomenon of the forty LbCs cawing and flying around looked like a way to keep the HCs out. The ruckus continued for almost 15 minutes. Then I saw the two harassed and dejected HCs flying away. So the question is answered, there is a wicked conspiracy among the LbCs to keep the HCs away. I have seen LbCs and HCs together. So I don't understand why the conspiracy here (And no, I don't want an answer to that next time I go up on my terrace, it is a rhetoric question).
Large-billed Crow
I have two big bird nests on the rain tree in front of my house. I haven't seen any bird using them. But I see Large-billed crows on that tree every day and I think those are possibly Large-billed crow nests, now abandoned.
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| Large-billed Crow on the Eucalyptus tree (in between harassing the House Crow) |
Visible
throughout the year.
Wikilink
Red-whiskered Bulbul
One of the very early visitors to my birdbath, these birds can be noisy or musical based on their mood, but will always make their presence known. Usually they visit the birdbath as a couple, together with the Cinereous Tits and the Oriental White-eyes. At times the birdbath gets really busy with all these taking turns in taking dips and preening on the trees and then coming back for the next dip.
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| Red-whiskered Bulbul |
Visible throughout the year.
White-cheeked Barbet
I first noticed this bird when I heard a constant pecking sound coming from the rain tree and thought that I might be having a Woodpecker in my garden. When searching around for the source of the sound I was surprised to see a round hole on a dry branch of the rain tree and this beauty pecking away to round perfection. Every year after that I see a new hole on the same branch and we are on the fourth one this year, and possibly running out of space there. Their kutroos become background music in the garden through most of the day.
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| Towards perfect round. White-cheeked Barbet working on the 4th hole on the rain tree. |
Visible throughout the year.
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Ashy Drongo
During winters Ashy Drongos either join the Black Drongos or take over from them the leading of bird waves. I see more Ashy Drongos during winter and lesser Black Drongos. Their calls sound like there are two different birds calling, the musical call followed by a sound like the bird is clearing it's throat. These aggressive birds are seen chasing Shikras and even Black Kites above my terrace.
Ashy Drongo
During winters Ashy Drongos either join the Black Drongos or take over from them the leading of bird waves. I see more Ashy Drongos during winter and lesser Black Drongos. Their calls sound like there are two different birds calling, the musical call followed by a sound like the bird is clearing it's throat. These aggressive birds are seen chasing Shikras and even Black Kites above my terrace.
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| Ashy Drongo on silver oak. |
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Asian Koel
A lot of us have grown up responding to these very musical birds, calling back to them in the same tone and rhythm. When we call back, we find them singing back with even more vigour. I really don't know whether that extra vigour was imagined or real. At my layout gate there is a ficus tree full of berries at this time of the year and almost every day we count up to 6 Koels on the tree.
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| Male Asian Koel on silver oak |
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| Female Asian Koel on silver oak |
Visible throughout the year.
WikilinkShikra
After I started getting a lot of small birds in my garden, one day I spotted a slightly bigger one attacking couple of birds sitting on the electric line. It was quite fast and I couldn't get a good look at it to identify it. Next day early morning at my terrace I was pleasantly surprised to see this guy sitting on the (now famous) rain tree. I spot this beautiful bird once in a while on the neem tree and the eucalyptus. I hear the Drongos imitating the Shikra call also once in a while.
Visible throughout the year.
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Oriental Magpie Robin
Last winter two Oriental Magpie Robins adopted my neighbor's birdhouse as their nest. After that they were continuously in my garden whistling their high frequency, long whistles. I didn't see their chicks, but I assume that they were there and they flew away with the parents a few weeks after they were born. This winter they have come back, but they are not using the birdhouse next door. I don't know where they have nested, but I guess it is quite far away enough to be not seen very often in my garden this season.
Seen last, last winter
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Red-vented Bulbul
The otherwise common bird is not so common in my garden. If I go to the lantana bushes near the railway line just 400 metres away from my house, I see at least one of these birds every time. But they visit my garden very infrequently. I don't know whether these Red-vented and Red-whiskered Bulbuls have similar rivalry like the Crows which makes these stay away from my garden.
Vagrant visitor
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Blue-capped Rock ThrushOriental Magpie Robin
Last winter two Oriental Magpie Robins adopted my neighbor's birdhouse as their nest. After that they were continuously in my garden whistling their high frequency, long whistles. I didn't see their chicks, but I assume that they were there and they flew away with the parents a few weeks after they were born. This winter they have come back, but they are not using the birdhouse next door. I don't know where they have nested, but I guess it is quite far away enough to be not seen very often in my garden this season.
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| Female Magpie Robin at my birdbath (I have special love for pics of birds on my birdbath) |
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| Male Magpie Robin on reed |
Winter visitor.
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Brown-breasted Flycatcher
I wrote about how I moved from butterflies to birds; I have a strong feeling that this was the guy who caused it. Last winter a Brown-breasted flycatcher was seen quite often in the garden, I have seen it some previous winters too, but this year it has given a slip to my garden. Not just my garden, I haven't seen this little fellow at all this winter till now.
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Brown-breasted Flycatcher
I wrote about how I moved from butterflies to birds; I have a strong feeling that this was the guy who caused it. Last winter a Brown-breasted flycatcher was seen quite often in the garden, I have seen it some previous winters too, but this year it has given a slip to my garden. Not just my garden, I haven't seen this little fellow at all this winter till now.
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| Brown-breasted Flycatcher on a dry silver oak branch |
Seen last, last winter
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Red-vented Bulbul
The otherwise common bird is not so common in my garden. If I go to the lantana bushes near the railway line just 400 metres away from my house, I see at least one of these birds every time. But they visit my garden very infrequently. I don't know whether these Red-vented and Red-whiskered Bulbuls have similar rivalry like the Crows which makes these stay away from my garden.
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| Red-vented Bulbul on my pomegranate tree |
Wikilink
This colourful bird has been seen earlier also in my garden, the same year when we saw the Indian Pitta for the first time. This winter Blue-capped Rock Thrush was spotted only twice in my garden; I don't know where it disappeared after that. I am still waiting for it and I need a much better picture of it.
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| Blue-capped Rock Thrush on my Sapota tree |
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I have more birds in my garden. Writing my story about them, together with finding a presentable picture is turning out to be more taxing than I have expected. But I am going to be at it till I finish.
All pictures are taken by me in my garden.
First part of this blog is here - My garden birds - I
