I Spotted A Tiny Owl, A Few Knob-Billed Ducks and the usual Spot Billed Ducks at the National Park

I spotted a tiny owl flitting out of its hole in a tree lest I should spot its nest. When I crept closer, I noticed that the nest was nicely padded with feathers of all sorts. I guess this particular bird had been left behind to hold fort!

Barely larger than a healthy Pigeon, this juvenile Owl, or can we call it an Owlett, looked at me with curiosity, wondering if I wanted to pry into its home. Well, I guess they all have their own privacy, and we should give them space. Usually, it is possible to spot these Owletts in groups of three, but that day I spotted a loner. Interestingly enough, these birds can be spotted in the same tree.

Knob-billed Ducks are distinct because of their knobbed_bills and their vividly iridescent feathers sparkling electric blue in the sunlight. These lumbering birds put in an effort to take off into the sky.

Knob-billed ducks are quite shy in nature, and I have rarely spotted them sitting so calmly on mounds meant to provide them with nesting grounds. I spotted one of these birds making a rather contorted movement as if it wanted to take off into the sky, but then the next moment I noticed it poop!

I was also able to spot another Knob-billed duck in close proximity to a few other Spot-billed ducks. I guess, on a lighter note, birds of a similar bill stick together! If it is about bills, then let them bill together.

But then, spot-billed ducks also need to be acknowledged. These ducks are commonly spotted in the wetlands of the continent. They are resident birds, and they can be found in abundant numbers. Often found in pairs, they can be seen guarding nests, moving around in pairs, and generally in close groups.

These medium-sized ducks are called Spot-billed Ducks because of the red spots on their bills. The scale-like patterns on their feathers make them distinctly different from the birds that have more brightly coloured feathers.

The Jackals of Sultanpur-Fighting For Survival?

Sultanpur National Park

This post is not just about the Golden Jackals that play an important role in maintaining ecological balance, but also about some resident bird species that can be found in the last months of winter and as summer approaches. This year will see the continent burning under a heatwave, and it will affect everyone. Golden Jackals are opportunists who scavenge the grasslands for leftover food in the form of carcasses. The Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon is in a critical condition today, as it is being choked off from its water sources. While at the park, one can spot desperate attempts to keep the place replenished with water. Unfortunately, rampant development activities have cut off rainwater runoff into the park area. It is in the context of these tough times that it seems poignant enough to see wildlife attempting to survive in such harsh conditions.

In these harsh times of extreme heatwave conditions, depleting resources, and shrinking biodiversity hotspots, one cannot ignore the consequences of these conditions on us human beings. I have been photographing these Jackals for the past six years post Covid and have noticed how bold these Jackals have become. Hiding in the middle of the tall grasses, stalking boldly, and sometimes playing with each other,  I find these Jackals fascinating. At times timid and at times curious, these Jackals are fighting for survival, vying for space with the numerous stray dogs that inhabit the Sanctuary.

When the grass dries up and the birds fly away, there will be nothing left for these Jackals to feed on. Life is tough, and these Jackals know how to fend for themselves. They will probably jump the fences and move into the surrounding settlements for food, and that is the crux of the man-animal conflict that we are facing all over the country. There have been reports of Tigers and Lions being spotted in towns and cities, often far away from their sanctuaries.

In the meantime, people can only trace the journey of the Golden Jackals into the unknown, disappearing forever, only to be recalled through photographs and memoirs written for them. Their journey is our journey, and what happens to them is what will ultimately happen to us. Unless, of course, we can mend our ways and think about co-existing with Nature.

A Comparative Analysis of Khushwant Singh's the Portrait of a Lady and A Photograph

Two lessons that have been added in the first unit of the literature textbook for grade eleven, Hornbill, have both similar and dissimilar themes. Khushwant Singh's The Portrait Of A Lady celebrates the life of his grandmother, while A Photograph describes the passing away of her mother. It is pertinent to note that Khushwant Singh focuses more on the qualities of his grandmother that transcend time. He describes her maturity, spirituality, and serenity; her locks are scattered around her face like the winter landscape, mountains covered with snow. She was the epitome of peacefulness, her fingers counting the beads of her rosary, lips moving in constant prayer. Shirley Toulson's poem, however, talks more about her mother's past and her past coming together in a moment in time. The poem ends in the words, "And of this circumstance there is nothing to say at all. Its silence silences." There is a sense of emptiness, a sense of loss, and a vacuum that cannot be filled. There is poignancy in the poem.

There are, however, a few similarities between the lessons. They have as their central theme the theme of relationships, pleasant memories about relatives they have lost, and they describe a common shared past. It is interesting to note that both the lessons are portraits of people they loved. While Khushwant Singh's Portrait is a written portrait, a capsule of his memories of his grandmother, Shirley Toulson's Photograph is a picture of the mother; her memories are encapsulated in a photograph. 

Both lessons are aptly included in the textbook, as they highlight the importance of relationships and how people continue to live on in our memories long after they have passed away. While A Photograph seems to focus on the temporality of human life, "the sea, which appears to have changed less, washed their terribly transient feet," The Portrait Of A Lady talks about how even in death, there was a "peaceful pallor spread on her face." The room in which the grandmother lies is lit "with a blaze of golden light," suggesting that even in death, there is peace! It is for the reader to decide which lesson is more celebratory of the Dear Departed! In closing, it is important to remember that both lessons teach us to cherish those we love, never to take them for granted, and to uphold the goodness that exists in them!

Meet the bird that can fly 8000 miles without stopping!

The humble Godwit bird is capable of flying 8000 miles without stopping! And this is a lesson in humility for us human beings! All those human beings boasting about their endurance and strength might as well eat their own words when they learn about the godwit bird.

I spotted a large flock of these migratory birds in April 2026, and I took their photographs because they looked distinct. I was also interested in photographing Bar-headed Geese, which are symbols of endurance for their ability to fly long distances at great heights.

It is a matter of great honour to be able to host these birds, although, looking at the developmental activity taking place in the region, one wonders how long we will be able to see migratory birds in the near future. The birds were spotted in the Chandu Budhera wetland area in the month of April. Also spotted in the area were Pied Avocet birds, including the resident Spot-billed Ducks. Pied Avocet birds, too, are migratory birds that travel to the Indian continent during the winter months.

However, some of the most amazing migratory birds are Greater Flamingos. These beautiful birds migrate to India in the winter months, and they are turning large swathes of wetlands into a vibrant canvas of colours. I was lucky enough to spot what I believe to be a juvenile Greater Falmingo that was left behind by its parents. While one naturalist stated that he had spotted it a week back and that it was one-legged, a few photographs proved otherwise!

Don't Weep Over My Bones - A Poem

 

Don't Weep Over My Bones!

I was what I was, a person that lived my life.

There were those who criticised me, but I

Still lived on! I strived to my level best,

And did what I could for those I loved.

Life was a gift, something that I celebrated,

I could not, unfortunately please everyone, though

I tried! I strived and worked to the best of my abilities.

I was tired and exhausted when I came home from work.

Life was an adventure, sometimes great, sometimes not

So great. But, I could not please everyone. Now that I

Am gone, don't remember me for my faults. Appreciate

The efforts I put in, for me and my loved ones!

Don't weep over my bones, for I was more than them.

I was but an ordinary mortal struggling through the 

Times, I fell and got up, sometimes with help and

Sometimes without help. But then I did my best!

If these lines were to be my epitaph, do read these

Lines and think, I was just like you, in life and in

Sleep. For life is just a phase, or is it so? But hope

Did dwell in me. And I write these lines for you!

For we all share in the same end, Dust to dust,

Ashes to ashes, and all it ends in memories so

Vague, etched in the minds of those we loved, or

Those who hated. Remember me if you like!

For where I end is where you you end, the true

Destiny! We all live a short life, but one that might

Be blessed, or not so! If you remember me, then

I salute you, for bones may crumble but memories don't!