It was a big surprise when we saw the tiny nest with 3 eggs for the first time in a small Red Vrukshi plant(Ixora), that too at eye level. The place is very very close to the heavy traffic main road of our area. You can notice the sound level of the honking cars and lorries in the video, which I had posted in my first post about the baby bulbuls.
The Bulbuls nested their first set of eggs in August '09. The gap was slightly more, when they nested for the second time. I had left the first empty nest for a month or so, in the plant itself and later on, removed it. After some time, they had the second set of two birds, for which they built a fresh nest. I didn't photograph them at that time. This time, when I saw the nest, it was slightly bigger with three eggs. Then I took the first photo after they hatched:
This time the nest was visible clearly. Last time, the plant was covered completely with leaves. Thank god, they survived without any mishap.
Here, notice the eyes of the babies, aren't they cute?:
Have a look at these photos, which are very clearer than last time:
Another snap of the baby birds, the feathers are forming...:
Now, they are out of the nest and the flying lessons had started already...
In this photo, their feathers are slightly apart... scared? Two are here and the third bird is on the Rathnagandhi tree on the right side of the house. It was around 10 a.m., two days back. First, it flew to the verandah of the house where I was standing...just near my feet. The amma bird came near me and ordered in so many words to her baby, to move on...! It flew down to the floor and then up...to the Rathnagandhi tree! I was so excited to watch their activity which was a rare sight, nowadays! I tried to photograph every move of the birds but huh..., the battery in the camera was down! I recharged and tried to take some videos. But could capture only small bits and pieces...
Step by step flying lessons...! I love this photograph...this flower is in my profile photo too!
Amma might be warning her baby not to sit in the area, which is open to the sky...
Appa is waiting with food in his beak to feed his babies...how responsible unlike many of the human appas!
After a hectic day of flying lessons, two birds were seen sitting in this jasmine creeper for the night...it was very difficult to see them, just located them with their feeble chirpings... The third one was sitting on the branch of a lemon tree in my neighbour's house, on the right side of our house. The whole evening the parents were criss-crossing from one tree/plant to another, teaching the babies to fly. Only a small clip of the video is clear, still you can notice the way they teach flying, clearly. The video shows the right side of the house, where the birds are flying here and there from one branch to another! Rathnagandhi and one more small tree with yellow flowers are there for them to use!
I saw the two baby birds on the Jasmine creeper (the photo above), the next morning. Later on, saw them sitting on the branch near their nest. Again the flying lessons were going on in the afternoon and evening. We could hear the loud chirping sounds of both the parents and feeble replies of the babies too, for a long time. Then... silence. The babies were off to their own lives and the parents will be on their own... I feel emptiness in my heart again, like this nest:
As I told you earlier, this video clip is just for 10 sec. but you can get a clue to how systematically, the parent birds teach their baby birds how to fly:
One more tiny video clip. The baby birds are sitting on the branches of the jasmine creeper for the night. I took this clip, the next morning. They seem to be so active and happy!:
This video clip is from my first post about these birds, with the loud traffic and loudspeaker sound as background music! Poor babies.
Please click on the photos to see clearly. This is the end of Bulbul story...or, is it?!
Edited, as usual: Embedded the video link! Videos are the same!
44 comments :
The babies were off to their own lives and the parents will be on their own... I feel emptiness in my heart again..omg so emotional...gr8 post S...like an investigative reporter would have done...a pat for u...
flying lessons!! that is so cool! I wanna watch a baby bird fly too! :)
That was beautiful! I love the way aminals and birds look after their young ones. It is amazing to watch.
You must be sad too, that they already flew away. I used to feel very bad to see the empty nest :( But now, from the look of it, they are going to be regular visitors.
Its ok !!! what can we possibly do !!
But I appreciate your efforts behind all this ! You are so much i nsync with nature, arent you ?
Babies have gone their way. It is so natural that their parents adjust very well, at least in birds.
thoroughly enjoyed the post!.pictures and they way u interpret their actions both are very good..sandhya.you must be having a beautiful garden in your house.
Sweet post sandhya.Lovely pics and the narration.U r a sweet person sandhya and ur garden will welcome another set of bulbul's shorlty.
A beautiful post yet again Sandhya :)Its so nice of u to share this with all of us :) The pics make my day so refreshing. Its so nice that ur entire family likes all this :)
I am sure the birds will return to u. The scene where the birdie came just next to u .. must hv been soo sweet :)
Ramesh: Thank you...!
Ashwini: They might come back again. Will tell you when to come home and watch!
wordsndreamz: I hope so, it is very interesting to watch them. I love their tweaks too!
vimmuuu: If you get an opportunity to watch them so closeby, you will feel like me, vimmuuu! It is interesting!
SG: Yes, birds and cats and dogs too, take care of their babies well. After they grow up, the parents too, just ignore them!
Renu: It is a very small garden, but these birds have chosen ours because they don't nest on the huge trees, I think. Crows and other birds do. These are tiny birds and they might feel that small plants are safer. Now they know that we love to have them and never disturb them in any way but just admire them!
Varunavi: Now, I am sure that they will come back and you are stuck with my Bulbul stories!
Swaram: The baby bird was just near my feet, OK, but the amma bird came and sat very very close to me on the verandah grill, chirping all the way!
I noticed a very tiny tongue inside its beak! Did you watch the videos? Though they are just 10 sec. clips, they are interesting.
Ya Sandhya .. very sweet and that pic of the bird on the flowering plant, the one which is ur profile pic is very sweet
Animals too have a way with their children
buddy thanks ya:)
very beautiful post and pictures :) :) loved this sweet narration of flying lesson :) :)
and never worry.. next set of birds will come over soon :) :)
Swaram: Thank you!
BK Chowla: Yes, Chowlaji, you are right!
Ramesh: Welcome!
Kanagu: Now, I am sure they will come back, thank you! I love the entertainment!
I'm late here!
Lovely post! All the photos are great. Empty nest is sadness, but they will lay more eggs next year again...
Sandhya ..wow the clips are beautiful and very interesting.i am sure that you are going to host many more such birds in future too .Its an emotional story but the kind which brings a smile on your face.
Manju: From last August to this March three sets of birds have flown away! So, it is not next year, but nesting might be in a couple of months once again!
They make lot of sounds while bringing up their babies. Now, very rarely I hear them!
Kavita: You are right, Kavita!
Absolutely wonderful. Really its amazing to see how the birds and animals look after their little babies and how much caring they are. You have taken lovely shots and I appreciate for your beautiful post.
Hi sandhya...
How nice. And to think you could watch too! As you said child rearing lessons for humans too
Excellent.. I loved the pics.. THe young ones are flying out .. to make a mark of there own in this big wide world..
we are beginning to get more Sun now.. So the wild life is coming back.. Robins and other birds..
Babli: Thank you Babli! I don't know about other birds, but these parent birds take care of their babies in turns, whether bringing food for them or keeping an eye on them, they are together in it!
Radha: Yes, it was very very interesting to watch them!
Bikram: My niece told me that the sun is visible there now. Her house also gets different kinds of birds.
What a great series of photos! Bravo! I had found a similar nest discarded in my garden and I was very curious as to which bird it belonged to. Now I know. Thank you :)
Sunita: I like your blog posts, Sunita - they are full of pictures, I loved them!
Thank you!
Amazing pictures and videos!! I saw them, showed them to my family and we gushed over them sometime back, but couldn't comment then... Sandhya you are so lucky to be a part of all this!!
Love their round eyes in the pictures and the video in the bushes is adorable... the noise made me feel irritable, I just can't imagine how the babies and even the birds tolerate it and survive!
Thanks for sharing!
And isn't it a wonderful feeling that they trust you and return to have and raise their babies in your garden :)
Do you know the name of the flowers in photographs 8 and 9? (Not ratnagandhi or jasmine, but the one which has huge bunches of pretty orangish-pink and white flowers)
IHM: That is Ixora. Only the white one has got nice fragrance.
IHM: I feel overwhelmed when I see the amma appa birds look at me, sitting on a branch on the pink flower (my profile photo flower, don't know the name)plant, when I water the plants. They come down from the cable wires, where normally they sit to keep vigil on their nest and chatter so much...maybe they are scared that I might disturb their babies. I tell them that I won't spray water on them and they slant their necks and listen, they don't fly away, even when I go near them!
Yes, I wonder how they tolerate the sound and dust. The colours in their feathers might change because of the pollution, I feel.
I am very happy to know that you and your family enjoyed watching the birds. If my camera had enough battery charge, I would have taken the flying lessons for a longer period. It was very very interesting to watch with all the chatterings of the parents and the tiny squeaks of the baby birds.
Help!!! Is this baby bird - a red vented bulbul?
BTW, I loved all the photos and videos of the bulbul family that you have put up on your site. All I can say is wow.
Yesterday we had this surprise visitor in our living room. We heard a feeble keek-keek and wondered what was making the noise. After investigating for some time we came across this little fellow under the chair!!
When we photographed him/her it flew up and sat on the window sill for nearly 15 minutes. He was not afraid at all when we went closer. He was looking at us and continued his feebles calls. To his parents most likely.
Can you help me identify him/her.
Thanks so much...
I realy apriciate to you..for given importence to our surownding every one want to give an importent to our environment... its our country... its our world...... we shoud be want to give pure environment to our future genaration thats why we need good awerness about our biodiversity.........u done the good job.
I realy apriciate to you..for given importence to our surownding every one want to give an importent to our environment... its our country... its our world...... we shoud be want to give pure environment to our future genaration thats why we need good awerness about our biodiversity.........u done the good job.
WE just discovered a baby bulbul in our backyard, which had apparently fallen out of its nest, placed on a mango tree, also in our backyard. For the whole day me, my sister, mother and maid looked after it, to the extreme anxiety of its parents. As soon as we came near the baby, they started chirping like crazy. We had no intention to bring it inside, as we thought the parents might abandon it. But in the evening, crows came around and also,ants started circling it greedily. We were compelled to bring it inside, to the absolute delight of my sister.So we have been feeding it wheat flour,water and glucose mixture and its been pooping a lot. We are so apprehensive and keep checking for movement after every few moments. Meanwhile, the parents are circling anxiously and apparently, sadly, in hope to see their child. Anyways we are hoping for the best, that at the moment is to keep it alive. Seeing your blog made me realise that somebody cares! Thank you.
WELCOME YOUTH: Welcome to my blog, Welcome youth!
Thanks for the appreciation!
Anonymous: Welcome to my blog, anonymous! I would have been happy if you had a name to address! This went into spam!
It is a happy feeling looking up these birds growing up and how their parents take care of them!
Thank you!
I need help.. v have a adonded bulbul in our garden. looks like egg has just hatched. poor baby bulbul was all alone in the nest. v hoped the parents would return.. but this morning I was shocked to find the baby bulbul cold and hungry.. I took it out and fed some drops of water and few strings of orange pulp. no clue was else to feed. its very fragile. plz advice wat food I need to give and the feeding time gap too?
SANGS: Sorry, sangs. I don't know much about bringing up birds. I think you can bring it inside, keep it in a small card board box with newspapers or cloth, so that the shivering would go. I fed my kittens with milk in a syringe. You can try to open its beak and pour a drop of milk. I don't know how grown up it is.
All the best. Keep writing about its improvement. I am asking people about it too. Take care.
Thanks Sandhya for the prompt reply! :) got the small fragile warrior inside. planning to keep it out in the nest during the day and inside home at night. poor thing, I am so surprised everytime I see it.. its expecting bulbul appa and Amma touch every sec.. the eyes r still sealed.. but everytime it hears a bird's voice,it eagerly stretchs its head high mustering all the energy left inside.. how I wish the parents return! Anyways thanks a lot for ur reply. I m New to blogging world.. glad that I bumped into ur site.. its lovely and well written.. great going sandhya! :)
SANGS: I can imagine how it will search for the amma appa birds. I think we should not give them water. Milk might be OK. Is there a vet nearby? He should be good too:) Try your and the bird's luck. He is already lucky you are there to take care of him, Sangs. I just don't know what else to tell you. All the best. Take care.
I saw you had tagged me for this post on FB, Sandhya. After joining bird groups, I have learnt that we should never go close to bird nests or photograph them (especially no flash). The reason they say is that, the bird parents abandon nests and babies if humans interfere or if the birds sense they may. That is why all bird groups have strict rules, of never posting bird nests and chicks in nest.
As for Sangs bird, it is better to find out if there is some local bird group/rescue group and ask them or hand over the bird to them for expert help. Alternately she can post in bird group and ask for professional help on how to deal with the baby bird.
SHAIL: I did that mistake earlier, but thank god, they ignored me and nested thrice in the same nest. But I regret it now. The tiny birds were not happy or the parents. I had written about how the parents watched me when I went to pluck flowers in the morning.
Well, Sangs has not photographed the bird, thank you, Sangs. Let me post her comment in the bird watchers group, Shail. OK?
Thank you!
In our house also we are expecting 2or3 birds nice I go thanks. May be I would post photo once we get.
LOKESH, Bangalore: Please do! Thanks for reading and commenting!
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