I was wanting to write about the first bird watching adventure I had with my boys some time back. Yonten had brought home a book from his school library about "Birds of Bhutan". It was an old edition, published 15-20 years back (I saw a new version recently) and some of the illustrations did not, well, look similar to the real thing. But it had these neat description of how to watch birds, describe them, illustrate them - and so it motivated us to embark on our first bird wathcing adventure.
It was a sunday, post lunch, the sun was still high and we were all (fours of us - Yonten (elder son), Ugyen (younger son), Rigden (nephew) and yours truly) a bit lethargic but not deterred. We charted out a "bird watching course" (after much debate) - take a turn around the house, walk around in the nearby fields, go up the hill slowly, turn back on reaching the highway and come all the way down to the river. And with the book in tow we proceeded.
The walk around the house did not prove so fruitful, though we did spot a pair of "asian turtle doves". But it helped put some "bird watching discipline" into the boys and equip them a little with - pink panther-like stealth, watchful eyes and alert ears. It was still hot and sunny, so no luck in the fields too. But while resting awhile, we watched flocks flying overhead. We tried counting them.
The walk up the hill was..a bit torturous in the heat. But the boys kept it lively, they stealthily peered into every bush on the way, gazed up into the trees, listened for birds (and few times attempted miserably to imitate bird calls). We reached the highway and still could find no birds (I think the birds were all taking a mid day nap or were off to a cooler place). And we were sweaty and thirsty. So we decided to race all the way down to the river.
It was much cooler near the river. We had about given up on sighting any birds and just sat there enjoying the soft cool breeze. But just then "a bird! a bird!". Rigden had spotted one on the river. And we all saw it. A little black bird sat on a small stone out in the middle of the river. And suddenly there were lots of them, shooting out of the bushes overhanging the river bank and gliding over the river, diving down and then soaring up. And all the while wagging its white tail, in stark contrast to its dark coloured body.
Excited, we poured over the book...hmm..according to the descriptions and comparisons and our scientific analysis..it was (is) the "white wag tail". The boys were euphoric. And Yonten drew the bird into his "bird watching book" and added a short description.
Size: little bigger than a sparrow
colour: black/dark brown
habitat: near river
behaviour: flying fast, up and down, wagging its white tail
We watched the birds for a while longer, befoe heading home. And that was a day well spent.
It was a sunday, post lunch, the sun was still high and we were all (fours of us - Yonten (elder son), Ugyen (younger son), Rigden (nephew) and yours truly) a bit lethargic but not deterred. We charted out a "bird watching course" (after much debate) - take a turn around the house, walk around in the nearby fields, go up the hill slowly, turn back on reaching the highway and come all the way down to the river. And with the book in tow we proceeded.
The walk around the house did not prove so fruitful, though we did spot a pair of "asian turtle doves". But it helped put some "bird watching discipline" into the boys and equip them a little with - pink panther-like stealth, watchful eyes and alert ears. It was still hot and sunny, so no luck in the fields too. But while resting awhile, we watched flocks flying overhead. We tried counting them.
The walk up the hill was..a bit torturous in the heat. But the boys kept it lively, they stealthily peered into every bush on the way, gazed up into the trees, listened for birds (and few times attempted miserably to imitate bird calls). We reached the highway and still could find no birds (I think the birds were all taking a mid day nap or were off to a cooler place). And we were sweaty and thirsty. So we decided to race all the way down to the river.
It was much cooler near the river. We had about given up on sighting any birds and just sat there enjoying the soft cool breeze. But just then "a bird! a bird!". Rigden had spotted one on the river. And we all saw it. A little black bird sat on a small stone out in the middle of the river. And suddenly there were lots of them, shooting out of the bushes overhanging the river bank and gliding over the river, diving down and then soaring up. And all the while wagging its white tail, in stark contrast to its dark coloured body.
Excited, we poured over the book...hmm..according to the descriptions and comparisons and our scientific analysis..it was (is) the "white wag tail". The boys were euphoric. And Yonten drew the bird into his "bird watching book" and added a short description.
Size: little bigger than a sparrow
colour: black/dark brown
habitat: near river
behaviour: flying fast, up and down, wagging its white tail
We watched the birds for a while longer, befoe heading home. And that was a day well spent.
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