From a bird-watcher’s diary

Scene at the bird bath

by K. G. H. Munidasa

Though some more monsoonal rain is likely in this area during the next couple of weeks, skies are no longer overcast and there is evidence of brighter days ahead. The countryside is afresh with cool breezes blowing most of the time.

The trees, bedecked with new clusters of leaves afford a constant food supply to the creatures of Nature. With the return of sunshine and warmth, the birds which visit the garden welcome the water left out for them in an upturned lid of an old porcelain bathroom cistern, left on a long under the twin-trunk Madu tree Cycas circinalis at the edge of the compound, opposite the front verandah.

Once every three days I replenish the cistern lid, so that there would be no shortage of water for them, The bulbuls, babblers, barbets and the pair of Black-backed Robins are always there, either drinking or bathing, but most others have set time. One particular perky Red-vented Bulbul bathes there three times a day.

A party of wary, little Black-fronted Babblers come to the water around 3 p.m., from the tall grass fifty yards away. One by one they would steal out to drink and then dash back to cover as hastily as they have come. Once a Black-headed Oriole, passing through the garden, stopped a while to drink, and playfully splashed the water with beak before flying away.

Complements

A pair of Jerdon’s Choloropses, which lives in the garden, is very punctual in visiting for their daily dip. They arrive regularly between 1.30 and 2.00 p.m. and come down to drink in stages, mimicking every bird in the surrounding country imaginable. They would spend full ten minutes at the water and before leaving whistle back to me their complements.

The cock Magpie Robin was very annoyed one day when he came round for his afternoon bath and found no water in the receptacle.

He expressed his contempt by hysterical cocking of his tail, flew on to the edge of the roof, from where he watched the water being poured out for him.

In a moment he was back and after having bathed to his heart’s content sang a tuneful note in appreciation of my prompt attention to his need. A cock White-browed Bulbul in the garden does not tolerate the pair of chloropses at the bird-bath. He had on many an occasion tried to chase them away when they came to water.

However, they are the least bothered over this selfish attitude of the bulbul. Passing ‘insults’ at the young bulbul they would watch from a nearby branch until he cools down and then come down to drink or bath, without further interference.

A family group of six Common Babblers, who visit the compound several times a day to grub around for tidbits near the kitchen seem to ignore the bird-bath, and instead get round to drink or bathe from a water-filled shallow earthen vessel placed at a tap outlet, used for watering the flowerbeds. Now that the weather is fine and the daylight come quicker, birds begin their ode to the dawning day with an added gusto.

The Magpie Robin is supposed to be the earliest bird to sing anywhere in Sri Lanka. But here its place is taken by the Yellow-browed Bulbul, pairs of which begin their greetings to the new-born day, punctually at 5.30 a.m., or even earlier.

The Common Drongo follows suit at 5.35 from his overnight roost in the distance.

Next to greet the dawn is the white-browed Fantail Flycatcher, at 5.40. And at 5.45 the Orange-breasted Flycatcher suddenly burst into singing from an orange tree nearer to my bedroom and continues until it is broad daylight. Soon the Black-capped Babbler joins in with his monotonous call “To greet-you, To greet-you” from his customary recess amidst the Lantana Shrubbery.