Ratnaja Gogula -
Hylam Colony Hylam Colony, Jubilee Hills Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh
For the past several months I tried attracting the Sparrows into my house from wherever (they definitely were out there somewhere!) by scattering grain and pearl millet in my garden every day. I could only attract more Doves but not sparrows. I set up a bird feeder filled with grain and millets in the garden and a bird nest box as well, but to no avail. One fine afternoon, I accidentally spotted a sparrow carrying away a portion of the leaf of a random Pearl Millet plant that sprouted in my garden. The Sparrow didn’t stop by for me to cherish the moment and suddenly I knew what I needed to do to invite my friends back into my house. I planted a patch of Pearl Millet in my garden. Within about 3 months, the plants bore the millets and were literally beckoning my bird friends to come get them. On days that I was at home, I would eagerly look forward to seeing the sparrows in their horde on the plants. But alas it was not to be so; at least not yet. Finally one Saturday afternoon, just like 35 years ago, I was awakened from my nap by the noisy chirp of birds. I tip toed out into the garden and hid behind the parapet to see who was making the commotion; “it had to be the Sparrows”. To my ‘pleasant disappointment’, they weren’t the Sparrows. The group of birds that I was seeing was one that I never saw before. These were smalland brown too and they chirped as joyfully as the sparrows, if not more, as they pecked on the millets in my garden. I dashed in and brought back my camera and captured them. I am yet to find out from someone what these birds are called. Though I haven’t been able to lure my Sparrows back as yet, I continue to plan on the next patch of millets, grains and vegetables in my garden in the hope of enticing yet another winged species into my garden and home. I know that one day I will succeed in bringing the Sparrow too back into our home and lives.
For the past several months I tried attracting the Sparrows into my house from wherever (they definitely were out there somewhere!) by scattering grain and pearl millet in my garden every day. I could only attract more Doves but not sparrows. I set up a bird feeder filled with grain and millets in the garden and a bird nest box as well, but to no avail. One fine afternoon, I accidentally spotted a sparrow carrying away a portion of the leaf of a random Pearl Millet plant that sprouted in my garden. The Sparrow didn’t stop by for me to cherish the moment and suddenly I knew what I needed to do to invite my friends back into my house. I planted a patch of Pearl Millet in my garden. Within about 3 months, the plants bore the millets and were literally beckoning my bird friends to come get them. On days that I was at home, I would eagerly look forward to seeing the sparrows in their horde on the plants. But alas it was not to be so; at least not yet. Finally one Saturday afternoon, just like 35 years ago, I was awakened from my nap by the noisy chirp of birds. I tip toed out into the garden and hid behind the parapet to see who was making the commotion; “it had to be the Sparrows”. To my ‘pleasant disappointment’, they weren’t the Sparrows. The group of birds that I was seeing was one that I never saw before. These were smalland brown too and they chirped as joyfully as the sparrows, if not more, as they pecked on the millets in my garden. I dashed in and brought back my camera and captured them. I am yet to find out from someone what these birds are called. Though I haven’t been able to lure my Sparrows back as yet, I continue to plan on the next patch of millets, grains and vegetables in my garden in the hope of enticing yet another winged species into my garden and home. I know that one day I will succeed in bringing the Sparrow too back into our home and lives.
