Birds...

I had been to Vedanthaangal Bird sanctuary (near Chengalpet) this saturday. Almost 80Kms from Chennai.
Watching the birds was too good. There were a lot of them. Painted Storks, Cranes, Spoonbills, Ducks. All migratory birds. Many were from Siberia. Few from Bangladesh, Pakistan.
Watching the birds building their own nests, looking after their new borns, teaching the younger ones to fly was nice. One of the small birds was trying to fly and it couldn't get the elevation properly. It was falling quiet frequently in the water. There were few ducks also. I guess some were a little photo conscious. While some posed for our photos, some got shy and flew

away.

There were a stork which was sitting in a solitude in a high branch for quiet some time. It was enjoying the swinging effect of the branch and was swaying itself to the tune of the gentle breeze that was blowing over. After some time another stork came by and sent this one packing. It was almost like the new one saying "Ok you have had your time. Its my turn now".

Few people had brought their kids. One small kid identified all the birds individually as "Beeee". She insisted her parents to see the very bird whom she just named "Beeee" and was quite annoyed when they did not follow her directions.

Another kid was more interested in feeding the sick dog. She found the dog's sincerity in eating her biscuits "Cute". The monkeys over there were more elegant than us. One mother monkey was so perfect in cutting open a packet of groundnuts and having them "one by one".

Watching the floating birds balancing themselves according to the ripples in the water brought me the thought of life, were as individuals we balance ourselves according to the ripples that exist in the environment that we live.

The birds were put up in bushes which seemed more like islands in themselves.

They say these birds start coming by the month of November and go back by February. Its not that they all arrive on one short. But in lots. Just as they arrive, they go back with new members added to their groups while here in India.

When I heard that they come from Siberia, Bangladesh and Pakistan I was thinking - How nice that these birds do not have restriction of borders like we humans do. As a matter of fact, the local birds did not have any problems with the touring "Visitors". Crows, local ducks..none had any problem with these migratory birds.

I wonder why God made so many species of Birds, animals, worms, insects. And only one species of Human. Yeah there are variants in us. But not such total difference as in others. Did He think, "with just little variants, this one Species has so many problems that it is less bothered about the well being of other creations of mine."

When Birds fight, they don't fight the entire race. They fight as individuals and stop there. Their fights don't extend even to the next kith and kin. Look at us. We fight. We destroy races.

I wanted to be as free as a bird so that I can fly high. No hard and fast rituals. Yes, I might have to follow the discipline of my group, but there are no punishments, no hard feelings, no carry forward of sorrow, no memories. Life is being lived then and there. Enjoying the "Now" factor.

It was nice to see them float in the air, without even having to flap their wings much.

Birds are more far reaching than we are. They travel around. They see a lot of things. Lot of people. I wanted to get inside a bird's mind and see how exactly it comprehends what it sees in we human beings. It is a far fetched one. But then, I wanted it then.