what to do, what to do?
adri & i ended up backyard birding!
we started birding in the dry confines of the house, looking out from the screened dining room window at a pied fantail, a couple of eurasian tree sparrows and a yellow-vented bulbul picking at an indian mango (fallen from the tree, peeled & stripped to the seed by our rescued black lab pearl) and the insects hovering around it.
the rain seemed to have been reduced to intermittent showers (interspersed with heavy rain!) and the garden seemed inviting to several birds who probably welcomed the chance to look for food. so we decided to bird from the terrace, our toes warmed by sleeping dogs curled up on top of our feet.
the pied fantails (at least 2 of them taking turns) have taken center stage in the garden, literally. the current favorite perch now is the stick used to prop up the clothesline... a good vantage point to survey the garden at grass level. they didn't mind the showers and the beads of rain rolled easily off their tails and back. they only retreated when the rain began to fall in heavy, noisy drops hitting the roof.
almost all the regulars were there. the sunbirds called loudly as the checked out the heliconias and the ornamental bananas. the male even took sips of water from the drops which formed on the hairy kamias leaves.
a zebra dove landed behind the bushes against the garden wall... walking the periphery of the garden and disappearing behind the foliage only to re-appear and fly off from the behind the plants on the opposite end of the garden. we called it the zebra dove-rail.
colasisis zipped by noisily, woodpeckers and gerygones called out loudly but were no-shows (we didn't even attempt to move from our dry terrace seats & dog warmers for better views).
a pair of yellow-vented bulbuls (probably the same pair who enjoy dips in the bird baths on hot days) now huddled together for warmth as they attempted to fluff out and dry their feathers (in vain).
the eurasian tree sparrows were drenched by the rain, but bravely searched through the grass for food... probably very hungry after 2 days of rain!
pretty soon though, the birders themselves had to go searching for our own food! we left our garden view feeling good that we were still able to go birding (and in adri's case bird photographing!) in rainy weather, without having to leave the house!
(thanks to adri for all the beautiful bird photos, except the first 2 which i took thru the screen window with my point-&-shoot! click on the photos for larger views)
