Bird Watching in Neighborhood : White-breasted Water Hen

The White-breasted Water Hen had been a resident of my former neighborhood in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, was stayed with its family. The open vegetation opposite to our then apartment provided shelter to the water hens along with other species of birds and reptiles, but I have seen only the adult hen (may be a female) which come flew or leap on our compound wall to feed on the gains left by us to the birds and go back quickly as possible hiding among the bushes. I was happy to capture the water hen couple of times while it came feeding on the compound wall and only my mom had seen her with juveniles since I can’t lookout the compound wall, about 5 feet height.

As we shifted houses, I don’t know what happened to the water-hens since the vegetation was cleared and an apartment on construct right now wanted me to think they immigrated somewhere. The White-breasted Water-hen is a water bird of the rail and crake family (Rallidae) that widely distributed across Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent. It is a large and distinctive rail species with dark grey upper-parts and flanks and conspicuous white under parts, from which the species gains its common name. The beak of the bird is yellowish with a reddish base, which becomes more olive outside of the breeding season.

The water-hen has long legs, colored in yellowish with large feet and legs dangled in flight. The female birds are generally smaller than the male, with a somewhat duller beak, while juveniles have duller plumage with the white of the under parts tinged brown and a darker beak and legs. This species is described as being very noisy during the breeding season, producing a loud call consisting of various grunts, roars, quacks and chuckles, followed by a repeated kru-ak, kru-ak, kru-ak-a-wak-wak. The bird feed on the ground had varied diet including insects, worms, small fishes and grass seeds and roots and shoots of marsh plants. 

(Source of info net)

Comforts and suffering

While the other part of the world welcomes spring with uplifted spirit and energy and celebration of colorful blossoms, we are forced into the sultry heat and summer sweat makes quite exhausted. We aren't in the middle of the summer yet but still experiencing hot weather felt like ever to recollect on memories. Though the entire day wasn't under the control of heat - the post afternoons are pleasant rose to sea breeze - waking up and leading up to noon seems frustrated and fatigue, which I experienced a lot today. I wasn't active enough from morning and was out of concern and running out of time to keep in touch with deeds I vow to do daily.

 I hear complains of raised temperature from various part of the country early to summer, the fear of running  out of water or electricity threatens people and they believe all the comforts will lead only up to the day of polling to parliament (Apr 24). I am going through the phase to decide whom to vote and I concerned for their vows to the constituency and public service mind rather praising their party or party presidents. During last parliamentary election I voted for an individual candidate who promised hope, even though I was certain that is his winning was impossible I tried the best selecting the candidate. I don’t believe in voting for who show hope of winning or party based polling, as I know there are many who vote only for certain political parties whoever the candidate maybe… I wish they change their mindset and vote on their individual thought.

Coming to the summer heat, I believe I experience the least sitting inside the house with an option of getting cool under the air conditioned room, but those with work outside and mainly under the sun seems unbearable. I never been an A/C guy and avoid as much possible unless unbearable or due to pollution and dust while going out in car, I am quite a natural being and enjoy the cool breeze brushing through environment than facing A/C blower. There’s nothing equivalent to the source of nature, even it hurt us sometime comforts though its various aspect bringing smile on face. I relived little bit by this time of (4.pm), and it seems living close to school zone increases the anxiety by raised temperature and expose to whistle sounds, horns of cars that deliver and deposit students and noise of engines and vocals creates wreck to environment.

I really liked the environment out here in evening … just opposite to what we experience until 2pm and no one will believe it was high in decibel at morning. The heat waves and sunshine has settled down by now, but still it wasn't favorable due to humidity in air. It sounds terrible how we going to pass this summer, however better it was in latter year seems worse and there won’t be inadequate suffering. 

March account

You perhaps could guessed the reason for my absence here since I have announced about house shifting and I am glad I did so thus u no need to worry what happened to me. I couldn't get my net connection; even though the Airtel was quick attending us, the lack of space on the Airtel box in our area delayed my connectivity. It took four weeks to get back the connection; a duration ever took so far since got internet connection at home in 2004 and shifting couple of houses. It was quite a month I blogged and totally out of touch on any online activity, but it wasn't bothering me much as I took it as a chance to spent time on other works that were left incomplete and lack hands for some time.  We also thought to go for other internet connections disconnecting the Airtel but I don’t find anything better than that and the new entries with 4-5 times high speed access faces the same problem with no empty slot in their boxes.

We transported things almost on the first weekend of March and handed over the key to owner (of previous house) on 3^rd evening following quite occupation of this house. We settled well within two days of shifting house and it was a safe and smooth transfer and arranging things wasn't difficult because of helping hands from my aunt and cousins. The house being situated right opposite to Adyar Sishya School, the environment was little noisy but after 3 pm it was quite calm and silent. I see all kind of cars here, picking and dropping students and it was also entertaining checking the activities everyday through the window facing the school gate. I don’t find any difficulty with this house and it is convenient enough for the four of us and being a duplex house, we don’t find heat sweat drop our spine much rather it was cool breeze brushes in evening.

The house, as well the area comes under the canopy of tall trees and in evening I could hear birds twitters aloud and I get to see bunch of green parrots come screeching and preaching the tree tops. Other day I find a rufous treepie chased by crows for which it shrill cried to escape. We also received special guests through backyard - the bonnet monkeys came in about a group of ten two days later we shifted here. I know there are monkeys in this area which takes shelter among the canopy of trees covering a large portion that begins from our home rear. I wonder when I noticed the windows of this house having an additional door-frame of net which is enough for small bugs to enter… so it is not a net to keep away insects or mosquitoes, but only after receiving the monkeys I understand that these net frames must be laid to prevent young monkeys entering the house through the enough gaps in grills or leaving hands to loot anything.

The monkeys weren't threatening in anyway rather they all seem kind and leisure coming around the neighborhood. There’s nothing much to complaint about this house and I feel better than what I really thought early. This is also a corner house just like the previous house, with an arched gateway that was adorn by Nithiya Malli (eternal jasmines) creeper making a flowery welcome. The house shifted to Adyar helps us working/sharing close with our uncle’s family who lives at our native house here. The distance between ours was just more than half a km, which I covered in my wheelchair last Sunday while visiting a corporation park nearby. I spent most of the time last month reading books and watching television esp. buying a DTH HD make it more interesting watching, going through its amazing details and clarity.

Last week my father went through sever abdomen ache due to some infection, put him into hospital for couple of days and it was my uncle’s family whose support wasn't there could have made it more trouble, esp. taking care of me while mom was away with dad in hospital. My uncle stayed with dad during nights at hospital and aunt visited home taking care of food preparation isn't so practical easy if we continued stayed (5 km) away from them which was the then situation before shifting house. I think we moved on the right direction now rather going out of comfort in search of space, solitude and less in pollution environment. Dad is doing much better now and hope he’s fine in few more days, my uncle and cousin visit us everyday helping in our need. Thus life goes fair well unless for dad’s health, post shifting house was very positive on me and the new environment is encouraging to involve in other activities as well. 

My attachment to old

I believe in old is gold! There are certain things that we can’t stop appreciating, however old or ruin they are and unused for ages, remain nostalgic whenever thinking about. I have a mind that does not give away certain things easily esp. used for long term or still feel content with quality and usage rather being old.  During my childhood or young days, one could see me roaming on the streets with friends and go rounds often in our area… and while this course we used to find many interesting little things on road and my favorite place of picking things  was Kailankadai (old iron shop). I had my own table drawer then where I used save things I brought from the shop and streets. My mother used to scold me for bringing those useless things to home and often engaged in war with brother for stealing one or two things.

My tape-recorder when in use

I never listened to her and kept saving those things and since my uncle had workshop adjacent to our house, I used to pick things from there as well. I had a collection of small iron balls in various shapes exists from the bearings until my brother swallowed one of it accidently. I think I had few of them even after shifted house for first time and I am interested even now if I get chanced to pick things at Kailankadai.  I know there is no future for broken arrows but we can do many things using those pieces. What is useless to someone could be utilized to other. Let me come to the matter of old things, which I still hold without use. I know tape-recorders and cassettes has no more futures and almost settled as sediments underwater leaving way to light and transparent technologies let move into air. The CDs and players has also become old stock with blue-rays and “I” series looking out for more light waves to wash away.   My passion for old and useless things comes out objecting the idea of mom’s proposes to dispose our old tape-recorder and a box full of cassettes.

I don’t know why and I am not going to listen to them anyway, but there’s something rolls me with the reels here. Until I bought my first CD player in year 2002, the tape-recorder was my only source of music and it was a foreign set bought to me by my late uncle, replacing the Philips tape-recorder with single speaker. I want to hold it back not because it was bought by my favorite uncle and it remain as a remembrance of him but apart being so, there was something that wants to keep it around. This tape-recorder enhanced my way of listening music with enough bass and treble effect unlike plain mono-stereo. Even until I bought my home-theater, I was connected my CD and MP3 players to this tape-recorder speakers using AUX wire. I ever had trouble like using this set, which often get struck with reel and have to bear to electronic shop, where the electrician used to take more than a week and above to mend it after number of walks to his shop, just two houses away from us!

Music always been my source of inspiration and uplifts my spirit when I feel down and there is nothing excitement like listening to new song or tune for first time that too from our favorite directors or actors. Until few years back I used to buy original CDs and cassettes from the music store, because for me quality is much important when it comes to music and movies… I can’t withstand the noise and sound disturbance. I know the tape is taking place enclose, but I have no mind to give away and not only the player there are few more things I kept safe in bureau. 

House hunt come to end

The house hunting has come to an end or we ended. The chaos related to house searching seems unending and we decided to put a full stop to the weariness and stress by choosing the best among the better exists. We aren’t content with any house during our search mission and being first time intended to search for a house rather unlike going with the heart of desire by how we chose the current residence... without much options of houses and within our budget we picked a house to relieve ourselves from the house tension. It doesn’t mean we couldn’t find a content house but what seems to fulfill our needs aren’t belong to us or forced to give away for certain reasons unmatched between us and owners.

Except one or two, most of the apartments showed red signal for allowing pets and having pet is one specific reason that we couldn't get a house we wanted. The brokers who promise to finalize certain houses were all seems liars and actors, their intentions were only on getting commission rather listening what we say or owners convey. We didn't believe their words and we were also on our own search for houses since we have already said the owner that we quit house this month end, we have no time to wait and see further.  So we decided to move into a house near Adyar Sishya School, even we aren't totally satisfied with the house it wasn't too bad to avoid or lack of comfort to reside. It was a duplex house and we are taking the ground portion.

It was a very quiet and calm area except for being busy at morning and evening while the school open and close… cars seems to stand in long queue to drop and pickup students since almost students study here were from wealthy background. I was born and brought up in Adyar until we shift to apartment in Thiruvanmiyur, 8 years back, but it was my father who wants to let back to Adyar or close to our native house there because he was quite depend on Adyar for almost sufficient work. This house shifting is also gonna be a temporary one, not only because the owner has plan of demolishing the house and built a new one there after 3 years, we would also shift if we find a better one than this when the situation was favor.

We have planned to shift home at the weekend and if done I won’t be able to blog or flickr for some time until reconnected with internet. It was the brokers who force us to end up the house hunt because being exhausted by their way of making wandering and showing the same house we have already shown by someone. Some brokers fear and hesitate to talk to owners in reducing the rent and they also have no clear idea about the facilities and only we have to convey them by talk with owners but what they want was, was only commission. By searching house, I think anyone could become a broker and what they do was, go through the classifieds and give separate Ads to the already exists by just mentioning his mobile number and area alone. So we can’t guess which is genuine and for a single house there are multiple brokers making turmoil.