Monday, November 13, 2017

इंतज़ार


ज़िन्दगी के हसीन पलों में
साथ थे मेरे कितने अपने
दोस्तों की हंसी से खिल उठी
मेरे जीवन के हर पल मीठी

आज तन्हाई की चादर ओढ़े
खडी  हूँ मैं उन मीठे यादों को समेटे
बेचेनियाँ दिल की मैंने  छुपायी
एक मुस्कान में, जो थी थकी हुई

दिल की आवाज़ किसी ने न सुनी
थी सूनसान वह पुराने रस्ते भी
काँटों भरी पगडंडीयों ने पेरों को नहीं
मेरे टूटे दिल को हैं घायल कर दि

आँसू भरी आँखों में क्यों दिखाई दिए
फिर वही चेहरा, जो मैंने भुला दिए
दिल की पनाहों में छुपायी यादें
बिन बुलाये दस्तक देते आगए ||

मन को संभलते संभलते थक गयी
कोई सहारा मिले यही आस लगायी
आज भी बैठी हूँ अपने चौखट पर 
उम्मीद लगाए कि तुम आए इस पार||


Saturday, November 4, 2017

An Eye Opener

They say travelling broadens your horizon. I can't agree more! Every little bit of travel I have done in the past has added something to my life. If not anything else, the sheer joy of seeing new places and clicking a few snaps made it worthwhile. I was comfortable and happy with a set pattern of life a couple of years ago when a change came in the form of relocation. This time it wasn't just packing our things and leaving to settle down in another city across the country - we had to cross the seas and settle into another country altogether.

I was aware of the need to adjust - new country, rules, climate, people, culture - everything was drastically different from what I had known all my life. Of course, any new experience brings with it a new learning. Slowly, I too adapted myself with the new way of life and the different surroundings.

The thing I missed most in my new life was my birding - back in Kerala, I was lucky to be surrounded by abundant birdlife. Not a day passed without seeing or hearing those magnificent winged beauties. The barbets, Orioles, Magpie Robins, Crows, Koels, Treepies, Babblers, Woodpeckers and Sunbirds chirped and fluttered around adding colour to life. And I ended up in a place where at best I could see a handful of gulls flying around. The occasional sighting of Magpies, Wood Pigeon, and Blackbird did not enthuse me. I was still gloomy thinking about the birds I left back home. I spend hours peering at the photographs and reminiscing the good old birding trips.

Some of the winged beauties @home


And then I came across Springwatch - rather Autumnwatch - a program by BBC where they showcased the British wildlife. The format and presentation of the program was entirely different from what I had seen or known until now. It had me hooked right from the first episode I watched. It was an eye-opener for me in the real sense of the word.

Before I took up an active interest in birding, all my trips to the forests and woodlands ended in disappointment as I innumerably failed to see any of the big beasts (leopard, tiger, bear and so on). Every trip to the jungle ended up with sightings of hundreds of deer, monkeys and in some cases, elephants. What can be more disappointing to a person whose dream is to see tigers and leopards roaming in the jungle???

Birding changed that perspective. Once I started birding, I started seeing the forest as a wholesome environment rather than a puzzle with the tiger or leopard pieces missing. Instead, I started spotting incredible birds and hearing sweet chatters at every nook and corner of the jungle. Suddenly, the forest became the magical land it always was...

Springwatch took this perception to the next level. While birding gave me the eyes to see birds and the big picture, springwatch helped me see the butterflies, moths, other creepy crawlies and even a seemingly small creature like the earthworm in a new light - the bigger picture!!! I realised the bugs and insects too play an important role to make nature the beautiful place it is. The world is made up of every beautiful, weird, incredible, magnificent and enchanting creatures you can imagine. What's more - there are even more undiscovered/lesser known beauties underwater.

Thanks to Springwatch and its spinoffs, I will never make the mistake of looking at nature the way I did. Now I know why the gull in the park stamps its feet in a dancing style, I have better understanding why certain birds feed the way they do, why butterflies and moths aren't just beautiful creatures... There is so much to know and understand. And when you start to realise the vast scheme of things planned by nature, you can do nothing but bow your head in admiration at the alter of the supreme intelligence which designed these in the most amazing way. When you realise how little you know, how tiny you are in the big picture, you'll just be awestruck and humbled by the knowledge... 

Yes, I do miss the constant 'Kuttr... Kuttr' of the White-cheeked Barbet in the background, but I don't feel sad about it anymore. Now, I hear the chirps of Robins, Tits, Blackbirds, and Magpies through my window. Although the gulls constantly call out harshly, I don't find their sound offending as the beginning. And I look forward to seeing everything in nature with an open mind and a wondering eye!!!


Monday, July 3, 2017

An unusual year!!!

It's been a year - when life took an unexpected turn and gave us a chance to explore hitherto unknown world, I didn't grab it with both hands. It was with some reluctance and apprehension that I packed the bags and started the journey to a new land. I didn't write about the new place - I knew India is a strong emotion that could make me look at UK in a less favorable light. So, after a year, here I am, struggling to put my thoughts across.


Liverpool welcomed me with a glorious summer. I was amazed to discover the long days - day light stayed on until 10.30pm during summers. Daybreak was as early as 4 am. Although I had heard about long days, I never understood it fully until I experienced it. It was a different experience altogether.

After the brief sunny days came Autumn. Adorned in all hues of yellow, orange and red, the nature looked colourful and vibrant. The colours of autumn had always looked magical in pictures and as I saw the colours changing from green to red, I was thrilled beyond words. Soon the colours faded and all that left was bare branches....



Winter was cold and bleak. Daylight refused to show up on days altogether. If at all it did, it disappeared even before the evening was over. It was a bit eerie to pick the kid from school as darkness enveloped us....

As I watched the sun and moon travelling from horizon to horizon at eye level, I marvelled at the ways of nature. The snow fell, bringing child like happiness and we awaited the warmth of summer. As the spring came, nature was reborn. The flowers and birds heralded a new beginning and one couldn't help singing an old tune or two.



Each day I discovered new aspects of life. I made new friends, visited beautiful lands, learned to live without meeting dear ones every now and then, and as life centred around our nuclear family we discovered ways to be happy with ourselves.

At the turn of the new year, we embraced healthy living like never before... now half way through this year, we are healthier and fitter than before - a proud and happy bunch.

Of course, as a wanderlust who feels at home anywhere within few days, I feel at home here. Yet, somewhere in the heart the yearning for motherland is strong. Not a day goes by without the thought of 'home' prominent in my mind!

Life has been kind - so has this new 'home away from home'. Perhaps when the time comes to move on, this beautiful city will also find a special place in my heart. Until then, I hope to make the best of the opportunity and keep discovering life anew!




Sunday, April 16, 2017

A Date with Nature

I am missing the leisurely walks around my home and the numerous birding opportunities back home. Living in the city definitely has its own benefits, but staying away from nature is one of its shortfalls. Having fallen in love with birds, this first winter in the foreign country was a bit harsh for me. Huddled in the cold, I did miss the sultry weather back home. But more than that, I missed the chirps and songs of my winged friends. Not a day passes without my wistfully remembering the magpie robin's song or the barbet's call. There was never a silent moment.

Hearty Welcome!
Of course, the spring awakens the nature here with a new life. While it was amazing to see the blossoms and newly sprouted leaves, it was more heartening to hear the birds. Thanks to the prediction of a sunny day, we visited the RSPB Marshside reserve today.

Black Tailed Godwit
The good connectivity between Liverpool and Southport ensured a smooth journey to Marshside reserve. As we alighted the bus and walked towards the RSPB Marshside hide, we were welcomed by none other than the black-tailed godwit. Although I have seen it in high numbers (possibly in a large flock of more than 5000 individuals), this was the first time I saw a solitary individual up close - that too in breeding plumage! I clicked a few snaps and when I reviewed the pictures, I realised I had left the memory card in my laptop back home. What a sad way to start the season. However, my better half loaned his memory card as he knew how eager I was to test the new lens he bought me. Feeling a bit guilty, but happy to snap some pics, I got the camera ready and snapped the pics.


Avocets
On our walk to the hide, we saw Northern Lapwing, Eurasian Coot, Moorhen, Canada Goose, Black-headed gull, swallow and so on. Although it was sunny, there was quite strong wind too, which made the weather bit chilly. Soon we reached the hide and were welcomed by the sight of two brooding Avocets. I saw an Avocet for the first time in 2015 and the thrill of that maiden encounter still remains. Every time I see an Avocet, I remember the excitement I felt on seeing the bird for the first time. It is a rare sighting in my home state of Kerala, India. Even though I saw a greater flamingo and Avocet together that day, I think the little (in comparison) black and white bird excited me more than the huge avian.


Coming back to Marshside adventure, I was glad to see the pair of Avocets and clicked away happily. Once inside the hide, I could see hundreds of black-headed gulls before me. The first time I saw the black headed gull (or was that a brown-headed gull?) was during the annual Vembanad lake bird count by Kottayam Nature Society in 2014. Then, the tiny black mark on the head wasn't very visible and even though some experts told me the id, I couldn't see why it was called so. For a novice like me, all gulls looked same and the winter plumage wasn't a great help in identification. But now, I could see clearly why it is called black-headed gull.

Mediterranean Gull - A record shot
As I sat observing and clicking pictures, few fellow birders at the hide seemed excited about something. Dave, the RSPB volunteer was gracious and showed the subject of excitement through his spotting scope - a Mediterranean Gull among the black-headed gulls. This was a lifer for me!
Soon, I got a record shot for my collection. I spotted mallard, mute swan, coots, Moorhen, redshank, Canada Goose, Lapwing and the like. Dave told that the Avocets are due for a change of guard anytime now. If we manage to see that, we could get a glimpse of the eggs too. We waited for some time and shortly, one of the partner turned up. As soon as it came nearby, the brooding individual got up, walked to the edge and started preening itself. The newly arrived individual took on the responsibility of incubating the eggs. They seem to have worked out the schedule very well. Division of Labour with no fuss!!! Sometime later the other pair too swapped roles and we too got going.

Reed Bunting
We reached Neil's hide and saw nothing extraordinary. As hunger had started gnawing, we decided to eat our lunch there. As we munched, the reed bunting made its appearance for a moment or two. Luckily, the camera was at hand we snapped a few shots - another lifer for me!


As I scanned through the lens, I saw some oyster catchers a little far. This was a bird for which we had travelled 120 km early one morning in 2015! It was a rare sight then. But here, I am lucky to see them more often.

We saw a big flock of godwits enjoying their afternoon nap in the sun, Shelduck and swans having a siesta, Lapwing strutting restlessly while the noisy gulls were busy gathering nesting materials and some, mating.

We started our walk back and decided to explore the grassland on the other side. The ceaseless chirping was one reason, whereas the absence of footpath at the other side necessitated it. Shortly, we found some steps to go down there and kept scanning for any movements. At first, we could only see wood pigeons. But as we looked closely and keener, we could see some reed buntings wavering in and out of the reeds.

It was quite windy and I struggled to see properly. A little ahead of us was a movement. I tried clicking some pics. However, the unfamiliar lens and strong wind were against me. Still, I managed to click some record pics. (It turned out to be a pipit - another lifer). I saw another bird, the id of which couldn't be confirmed. Sadly, I couldn't get a decent picture of the same.

Wheatear
Few meters ahead, I spotted a wheatear (a lifer again!). I had seen quite a few pics of this beauty that I could id it on the spot. I somehow didn't imagine it to be so small though. Anyway, despite the wind and unsteady hands, I got a few record shots of this feathered beauty.

Wheatear

By then, it was time for our return. The sky was turning dark and wind got stronger. I started feeling the chill and longed for some warmth. We soon reached the bus stop and within a couple of minutes, we boarded the bus. A few stops later we got into another bus and headed back home after a satisfying day spent with nature.

Of Little Trips and Great Learnings

The other day, we (some staff, volunteers and service users of Mary Seacole House, Liverpool) went on a day trip to Llangollen. This wasn&#...