Yellow-footed green pigeon: Treron phoenicoptera

Yellow-footed green pigeon: Treron phoenicoptera

 

Yellow-footed green pigeon: Treron phoenicoptera

 

This shot is from the balcony of my home. There is a story about this Yellow-footed green pigeon couple. The two were regulars and citizens of my lane. Their nest was in an electricity junction box outside my home. The season before, they were evicted partially by a squirrel couple who made them move out of the box and beneath it - sort of a basement on an electricity pole if you will - while they moved in and se up nest. Baby squirrels were soon out and sprinting around but the 'Hariyal' sat determinedly on her basement nest eggs. Through rain - year before last, the rains were heavy and continuous and irregular for season - and through the hot sun on her back. Then there were the covetous packs of Corvus splendens always badgering...to fry those eggs for breakfast.

 

I kept an eye on the Hariyal incubating her eggs against all odds whenever I could, in the hope that my presence in the balcony would keep all the agents under check. Hariyal looked me in the eye during rainstorms, as if drawing strength. At least I imagined so. That I was transmitting good strong vibes across. Then I had to go for the weekend. I had to leave my balcony, my home, my city. I simply had to go on a journey.

 

Only for a weekend, I comforted myself, and left reluctantly. My thoughts were on Hariyal even as I attended to my business elsewhere. Never mind, I calmed myself, if Hariyal could brave it though hell, fire and villains for so many weeks, a couple of days wouldn't matter. I had a photo on the web somewhere of Hariyal looking straight at me while incubating eggs. I checked on the site. As if the vibes would travel across.

 

It was a late rainy night I returned to Delhi. As soon as night lightened, I was there on the balcony peering. Nothing. No Hariyal! Not a twig of its nest was to be seen. The couple weren't to be seen. I went down to have a look around the base of the pole. As if clues would still exist.

 

I didn't see this couple again in my lane till last year when I shot this. Meanwhile, an aggressive Common mynah couple had pecked and scratched the squirrels out of the box and taken over. The destroyed the nests of smaller birds and set up home. Gentle Hariyals dare not fight the wild mynahs.

 

I haven't seen this couple since. Nor other small birds who have shifted out of the area to the lane behind due to the Mynahs.

 

Just thought I'd put up the story here. By nature, I do not interfere with the flow of Nature.

 

Photographed at South Extension, New Delhi, India on 27.4.2013

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens.