Abigail Barretto
MARGAO: It is the parents of the fan tailed fly catcher chicks who deserve all the applause for facing all odds despite the fear invoked by the destructive cyclone ultimately saving their chicks from imminent death as the cyclone Tauktae swung the nest dangerously in all directions for two days.
It was definitely inopportune for the eggs to hatch just a couple of days before the cyclone Tauktae hit the Goan shores, as the parent birds bore the brunt of the gusty winds and torrential rain and didn’t give up eventually triumphing by saving the hatchlings from inevitable death.
Both the parents commenced the construction of the simple yet time consuming nest more than a month ago supported on a flimsy branch of a Jack fruit tree in our neighbour’s compound failing to realize that the powerful cyclone will hit their shelter once their eggs hatch.
The fan tailed flycatchers didn’t anticipate the relentless pre-monsoon rain and even though caught off-guard remained settled over the nest, with wings spread out to shelter the chicks who comfortably nestled inside the nest which was drenched from outside but with its interiors well insulated and dry.
The cyclonic winds swayed the main branch greatly and coconut leaves fell from overhead narrowly missing the newborns but the fan tailed flycatchers were undeterred and took alternate turns in incubating the newborns.
This is not a first time a bird has built a nest beside our house and this is not going to be the last as we are well concerned about the wild life and their role for the overall survival of this planet which we so fondly call our home for whom we hardly care for.
It was uncommon to see wild creatures or for that matter birds come close to our house when we started living here in Gogol (Fatorda) ten years ago.
Our warmth towards these wild beings by keeping water for them to quench their thirst and take bath for birds,
in a few years saw many birds making our surroundings their home, considering the favourable environment with multiple trees besides the abundant availability of food.
At a time while humans kill wild animals to fill their big bellies we have a regular visitor, a wild civet cat.
Since the last 7 years the civet cat comes here without fail at dusk, the thought of driving the nocturnal feline let alone harm the innocent creature never crossed our mind.
It’s more delightful when the civet cat comes with her kittens once in a while.
While talks of distress due to the ongoing pandemic are very common the fan tailed fly catchers have taught us a lesson that despite the obstacles put forward, giving up is never an option.
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