13th Sept, 2012
Last evening it was just a ‘less than an hour walk’ in the area behind the stage where Amma was giving darshan. How many kinds of birds did we get to see around us? More than a dozen in all!
Our walk began from the bird hospital behind the western canteen. There we saw a wounded coucal, a tree pie, a crow, a pigeon being treated there; there were also a lost and found baby- cormorant and a few baby-herons.

Then we began to walk to see ‘free birds’. First we spotted a barbet on a bird berry. As we entered the hospital area we saw two magpie robins in the familiar big tree tweeteeving to themselves and preening now and then. They were in a listless mood, and didn’t mind our gaping or me videoing. Then we heard tailor birds calling merrily. When we looked up to see them, high above our heads on the highest twig of the tawny tree was a black purple shimmering sunbird busy preening. Its opening of wings alternatively reminded one of some cultural dance of the Far East.

We saw some ducks of the neighbourhood. Then we moved on to Prahlada and other flats’ area. We heard mynas squeaking; soon we got to see quite a few of the ‘bird with yellow eyeliner’, as my friend called them. We also saw several pigeons, whose necks glimmered in the slanting sunrays.
Soon we saw a beautiful rover bird, up a palm tree, overseeing some residents doing gardening! We saw a heron among wet grass. We saw more barbets in a papaya tree and in a bird berry tree.

We heard a koel, and soon located him in the bird berry, in the company of two bulbuls and a few tiny singing birds.
Then came a coucal that didn’t mind us at all, but went about looking for its insects and worms, meanwhile making a good show of its talents in walking on walls, digging into bushes, jumping up with its lagging heavy tail straightened up etc.
We saw eagles and kites high up in the sky. And of course we saw crows and ravens in plenty.
Just like in the darshan hall you get to see people from all races, all cultures, all countries! Amma’s bird children are also of so many kinds! Counted 15 birds on a single evening in one area in less than an hour!
– Sandhya