‘Sighting of an owl is a bad omen and so is a black cat crossing your path. I have heard this since my childhood from the elderly people. Ever since I heard this for the first time, I have wondered as to why these poor creatures have gained such a bad name? There could have been an occurrence of some co-incidence in the past between these sightings and the unfortunate events that followed; or it could have been associated to their deadly looks. Superstitions run high all around the world whether they are associated with cats and owls or with Friday, the 13th.’
The above thoughts flashed my mind when I received a phone call from Dr. Satish, my cousin, who requested me to accompany him to take photographs of the Indian Eagle Owl that was sighted some 50 kms East of Pune. It was a Sunday afternoon and I had become a bit lazy after having a lunch at a family get together. The phone call enthused in me a new vigour and within an hour we were on the Eastward journey. The idea was to reach the place of sighting before the sunset to get a few good snaps which could be used for research on these owls. Dr. Satish, an ornithologist, voluntarily works for an organisation engaged in research and conservation of the feathered friends.
Several twists and turns through Bopdeo Ghat brought us on a plateau at an elevation overlooking Pune city. The terrain was barren, the grass dry. The January evening ensured coolness in the atmosphere. Barring a couple of villages that we passed through, there was no sight of human beings. A narrow rough country side road a few kilometers ahead took us to the spot in another half an hour. By the time we reached the spot, the original colour of the car was buried under the dust.
An enthusiast birder from Saswad who had sighted the Owl’s nest showed us the direction of the sighting and led the way from here. In a few moments we were on the cliff on the left bank of the river. The river flowed silently some 30 feet below, with cliffs on both the sides. The still water presented a perfect reflection of the sky, the grass, the cliff, the trees and the mountains behind. The landscape on the other side of the river was no different except for a few green patches of the farm lands.
The nest of the owl was in a hollow space in the rocky ledge of the cliff. The young ones with fluffy feathers sat next to one another. The male and female birds were away from the juveniles and had left the nest, probably in search of food. We waited for a while and since the sun was going down fast, we doubted the chance of getting an opportunity to sight the bird. Of course, a seasoned birder gets used to such situations after a few outings.
The river water attracted different species of kingfishers though. The small blue kingfisher made a couple of unsuccessful attempts of fishing. The fish in the river seemed to be swift and alert enough to outsmart the hunter. Poor kingfisher will have to fight harder to earn his supper. While the white- breasted sat calmly on the electric wire, the common kingfisher made a few routine sorties and vanished. Pied kingfisher, the black and white version of the bird, hovered over the river to take stock of the underwater situation.
While the kingfisher was presenting his skills on the surface of the water, the Indian Eagle Owl landed on the electric pole on the far side bank of the river. The Owl then flew across the river and descended on the branch of a leafless tree facing the nest. The blackish brown ear-tufts, the trademark flat face, brown head and the dark brown curved beak immediately grabbed our attention. The Owl was almost two feet tall with dark brown coloured wings and light brown feathers on its stomach with a small patch of white feathers on its chest.
The Owl watched us with its hawkish orange eyes from the distance. It was probably a signal for us to keep away from the nest. Last season some notorious people in the region had stolen the young ones and sold them to someone in the town. Poachers like these drive the species of animals and birds on the brink extinction – be it Desert Elephants of Namibia or the Great Indian Bustard.
The sky was turning darker with every passing moment. It was time to allow the Owl to spend time with and feed the young ones with no one around. Having captured the images of the Owl, it was time to wind-up our expedition. We drove back in the dusty car with equally dusty clothes.
Though only time will tell whether sighting of an Owl brings bad omen or not, we returned home with a lot of good memories and a sense of satisfaction
[Nishad Umranikar]
Nice very nice
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