A small paradise lost in neighborhood

I know that I already miss badly the birds and green canopy that gave me great company and joy in my previous residence by shifted home, but I was glad even I can’t keep watching the birds, they cherish the green space spread over the neighborhood. Not only birds, but snakes and few reptile species and mongoose were resident of this wild vegetation that has Gulmohar, Peepal tree, Albizia saman and Camachile (which often sighted with parrots perching) to name among the number of unknown shrubs and bushes. I was shocked to know from my parents who visited our old apartment flat today, that the entire green space of our next compound where destroyed to ground level prior to building constructs.

The picture shot during one foggy morning of winter, overlooking our car parking partially taking shelter by trees and bushes.

From the time we shifted to that apartment 7 year’s back, leaving our native home in Adyar, the plot next to ours was vacant to be only occupied by wild vegetation and few flowering trees. The plot seemed to be under lawsuit, left untouched by the owners and even it went through a partial cleanup of green during our time of resident, it took a new leash of life from the debris. I used to tell to my mom that if they happen to construct the site we should look house somewhere else, because, only the environment outside the house made me sustain over there. It’s a treat to visual and hearing everyday expose to birds and their sweet twitters, kept me inspiring throughout the years.

I couldn’t digest it now hearing from mom that everything was uprooted and down to ground level in couple of days. My inspiration for bird watching was brought up from there, and I have seen all kind of birds in common there rather some regular visitors like Kingfisher, yellow billed babbler, mynahs and long time resident Asian Koels! To say in few words it’s a small bird paradise comprising birds of immigrant! Post monsoons, we get to see many water birds like Pond Herons, Little egrets, Cormorants and Water Hens visiting the plot which would look like a pond with 2-3ft in water. Two days of constant rain is enough to stimulate the sleeping frogs to raise alarms and snails begin crossing our parking a lot.

A green parrot nibble on Camachile (fruit)

The vegetation and trees had been a sunshade for our apartment, as all cars are parked beside the compound wall it provides a canopy from sunlight and heat. At the end of summer, the Gulmohar (right in front of our doorstep) would whoop red flames adding glory to shimmering green shrubs and in rain adorn by sticking dewdrops on fern tips.  The Peepal tree on its part, cheered, when I feel downfall by clapping with its palm like leaves to the wind motion and rolling on ground as dry leaves making crunchy noise as music. Apart being a dump yard in case absence of garbage collector, the open plot is a hideout for snakes and its archenemy mongooses, who make noise occasional like clashing with snakes?

A bird (mynah) amid bushes

I feel at least good, that the cleanup does not take place when we staying there and for me to see my favorite green space deriving empty. I at least hope the birds that make their way home there nestle somewhere safely. But I wonder and worry what would have happened to the snakes and mongooses that have least way of escaping, since all sides are enclosed by compound walls adjoining buildings. I was feeling somehow down for disown the green space by shifting house, but hope to develop my own green space around the new home… the cleanup has come up with least uplift in my feeling that I no more miss them, but lost entirely to its own destruction in name of development.