Laxmi nagar’s much loved feathered visitors

How long has it been that you have had no leisure to look around you, or pause a little and admire the simplest of sights? For many the answer would be months, blaming their hectic routine. Beauty is never very far, it can be observed within the range of common man’s eyesight, only when searched for.

In the heart of the city, at Laxmi Nagar, hundreds of birds feast together  throughout the day, paying no heed to the pandemonium of daily life. But who do they please with the marvelous sight? The number of the amused audience may seem negligible, but when the lens captures grand moments, the frozen images get indelibly etched in the minds of onlookers, probably forever.

During the day’s common mayhem around them, the winged and feathered creatures spend quite a time in the centre of the street! Who said, only the early bird catches the worm? When you get better things to eat like corn, wheat, paddy and yogurt in the afternoon, who needs to wake up early to catch mere worms? Some humans around, have been kind enough to utilise their time in the things that ‘matter in life’, rather than running after busses and other humans. 

Today in the afternoon, the common feasting ground seemed rather empty, until a man came in to add a new cuisine on the giant table. Kings are never attracted to leftovers, neither are birds. There were already enough pulses scattered around from a previous meal, but no sooner had he catered out the dish, the table had numerous beaked guests readying up for lunch! It is surprising how well-mannered birds are in the natural order, without being schooled, while some of the educated social animals from the best schools around town forget decorum. The first guests at the table were martins, who galloped about the fresh addition to the menu and enjoyed their feast. 

The next in line were the larger birds - the pigeons, who came in one by one when the martins had seemingly started to feel full, gradually waving them goodbyes with their large wings. The final call among the birds, was taken by a lone crow, who had waited patiently for everyone to have finished their course, and then head for the leftovers.

The scavenger did not seem very comfortable with the fact that a big camera was focusing on him, as it seemed he had not been admired much by photographers.