A very private bird
Yesterday I was called to come see something that had captured everyone's attention .
At the end of our property, I was directed towards to a rather unusual bird sitting very silently on the branch of a gum tree..
"That's a Tawney Frog Mouth!!"exclaimed Sri Radha Raman..
At first I could not see the bird clearly because of its clever camouflage. Being nocturnal, these birds eat lizards and moths at night, and by day they sit and sleep as if pretending to be a tree branch.
Today two magpies had noticed and were creating a fuss which drew our attention to him. Perhaps he had been sitting there quite unnoticed for many days.
When I came close to take his photo, he responded by slightly opening his eyes to indicate he'd heard my approach.
Look at his disguise - given to him by nature. Look how well he blends in with the trees!! For the soul now occupying this bird's body, life is simply meant for "camouflaged sleep" by day and eating at night. He has no choice but to accept the experience, the nature and the habits of a Tawney Frog Mouth. Yet he remains an eternal soul.
I stood below taking his photograph.He was not very happy about this unexpected attention. Unlike the noisy chirpy parrots who fly here and there eating gumnuts, this bird resists movement and avoids social interactions.
I walked to the other side, below his tree, to take a final photo and almost expected him to open his eyes and say...
"That's enough, now leave me alone!"
Leave me alone! I am not bothering you. Leave me in peace!
That evening Sri Radha Raman conjectured that tomorrow our Frog Mouth would have choosen another place to spend his day's sleep unnoticed from below.
Sure enough. At dawn we all saw there was no Tawney Frog Mouth at Gopinatha dham any more. Of course that is hard to say for sure.
So now when I walk around, I look up into the trees, hoping to spy a branch which looks like a bird or a bird which looks like a branch, or to hear a group of magpie's consternation over a sleeping guest.
I've noticed a lot goes on up there in the trees.
---------------------
