Teetiri protects the grassland - 2 - With the dawn, comes the sound

2

With the dawn, comes the sound

And then suddenly, in one very small moment of time, the orange shade in the sky glowed brighter, and all the trees seemed to come alive. It began with Bulbul, the redvented bulbul, whistling a soft note, trying to wake up her partner in the nearby branches. Phoolchuki, the purple sunbird, picked up that note, in the small thicket of weeds and grasses. Phoolchuki was searching for his partner, for she could not be seen easily inside the thicket. His frantic calls set off Dominga, the magpie-robin, sleeping on the topmost branches of a nearby Babool tree.

Dominga, the male Oriental Magpie Robin - 

He loved to sing from the topmost branches

Teetiraa and Teetiri were good friends of Dominga. 

His morning song woke up the grassland.

[Photograph - Savio Fonseca]

Teetiraa knew that Dominga was a very proud bird. He loved to hear his voice, he had told Teetiri. She had for once, agreed with him. Teetiri had said that Dominga sang for two reasons. Firstly, was to tell all other birds that he could sing beautifully. And secondly, he sang loudly in order to prevent his brothers, uncles or nephews from singing nearby. Teetiraa had seen Dominga chase away his male relatives on several occasions, and therefore was not unhappy that he had to agree with Teetiri.

Dominga's song woke up Chimini and her large family. And, instantly the small grassland between the forest and the sandy banks along the river was filled with sound. Lots of sound. The Chimini family was very noisy. They seemed to talk to each other all at once. Chatter-Chatter-Chatter-Chatter seemed to be followed by Chatter-Titter-Chatter-Titter. Sometimes one did not know if at all there was a purpose in all their talking. Their loud chatter in the babool trees, seemed to get Salonki, the common myna, and her family started. Salonki's family and several other Myna families preferred to rest together in the large Chinch (tamarind) trees that stood bordering the grassland with the nearby forest.

During the day, only her partner accompanied Salonki, while they moved around hunting for food. At times, eight to ten of her brothers and sisters and their respective partners came whenever food was available. At night though, the Chinch tree was filled with hundreds of myna families, and their sounds at dusk could easily drown the sounds of the Chimini families in the babool trees. It was indeed amazing, thought Teetiraa and Teetiri. Here they were, one partner to the other, only the two of them, content in living with each other, and these other crazy birds, were intent on living with hundreds and thousands of their relatives, in the same tree. In the same tree? Would they not get tired of seeing so many relatives all the time? How much more boring can it be, thought Teetiraa.

Teetiri protects the grassland - 46 - Billi attacks Bater and attacks and attacks

46

Billi attacks Bater and attacks and attacks

Billi crouched low and waited. Bater stepped out of the grass clump, walked about four steps in front, towards Billi. The drongo continued to call out in single syllables. The bulbul continued to sit quietly. Billi waited, hoping that Bater would take at least two more steps. Bater seemed to have different ideas. He retreated three steps. Bater stood quietly, and moved forward once again, and stood still further than he had come before. This is probably the best chance he could get today, thought Billi, and jumped up, hungry, forgetting his injured leg. At the very moment, the drongo called in a long screech, and Bater disappeared back inside the grass, just as Billi pounced on the spot, barely a microsecond later.

Kotwal - the black drongo - gave a warning call to Bater

Billi was worried that Kotwal was helping Bater to escape.

[Photograph - Govinda Swami]

Billi landed on the spot with a thud, and raised his paws hoping that he had caught the jungle bush quail. But there seemed to be no such luck. Bater was gone. Bulbul now seemed to be looking at Billi very intently, wondering what had happened just now. The drongo in the high branch continued to call out in short and single syllables. Confused, Billi looked around. There, that Bater was back, standing scared. But only this time, he seemed to be about four feet away. How did he move so fast? Billi wondered. The jungle bush quail seemed to be absolutely unconcerned that Billi had just then pounced on him. He seemed to be going around, excitedly at a small rock, pecking at something nearby. It must be an insect, Billi thought. How greedy can this jungle bush quail be? He had just then been attacked by Billi, and here he was, standing there, absolutely unconcerned, feeding on insects.

The jungle bush quail was not moving away from the rock, pecking repeatedly at the ground. Billi crouched again, and crawled nearer. Once again, Billi looked around, at the mynas, at the drongo and at Bulbul. There did not seem to be any other bird or animal visible nearby. The jungle bush quail was coming closer, and would again be near reach for a successful lunge by Billi. Crouching again, Billi covered two feet and jumped the other two feet.  Landing heavily on the ground, Billi checked out his paws, and realised that he had once again failed to catch the jungle bush quail. He was almost certain that the drongo had not called out, but could not be sure. But, the bulbul certainly seemed to be smiling at Billi’s failure. Was he laughing at Billi’s problems? Billi wondered. 

Teetiri protects the grassland - 49 - Bulbul is puzzled about Bater and Billi

49

Bulbul is puzzled about Bater and Billi

But similar to Billi, Bulbul could not understand how Bater could disappear and reappear four to six feet away. Why did Bater simply not keep running towards the village so that Billi would run out that way? Billi was also getting tired at this roundabout. This frightened looking bird seemed to be able to move so rapidly and always kept escaping his attacks. How did Bater do it? How did he escape each time? And, how did he move so fast? There he was again, four feet away this time. The jungle bush quail continued to look very frightened. Billi looked around, to see if any other bird would warn off Bater. There did not seem to be any, for the drongo was not to be seen, and Phoolchuki was moving about in the inner branches.

Billi crawled faster this time through the grass. He was low, and he was certain that Bater had not seen him move towards him. This time around, he would be successful, Billi thought. It would be better if he did not waste more time, but straightaway jump right on the jungle bush quail. There, the jungle bush quail continued to do that strange side-step to the left and right, followed by two steps to the front and a brief running scamper backwards. Billi wondered as to what this strange movement was. Even Bulbul was getting fascinated by the dancing steps of the jungle bush quail. Both Billi and Bulbul were so engrossed in the step-movement of Bater that they did not see Darzi’s sudden appearance in the babool branches.

Again, just as Billi got ready to pounce, Darzi called out in a low whistle. Bater disappeared instantly, but Billi had already begun to jump. This time around, Billi landed further in to the marsh, and found that he was sinking in the slushy mud. At the very moment, Bulbul saw that there was a jungle bush quail standing behind Billi at the spot that he had jumped. He looked back inside the marsh startled, and found that there was another jungle bush quail standing at the spot of the previous jump, and another quail at the second jump and yet another jungle bush quail at the spot of the first jump. 

Teetiri protects the grassland - 50 - Bater and his quail family

50

Bater and his quail family

So that was the other part of the strategy, and what a wonderful plan, Bulbul thought. Billi was actually trying to catch a different jungle bush quail each time. Billi seemed to be absolutely sure that he was trying to catch the same jungle bush quail each time. Whereas he was, in fact pouncing on one quail, allowing him to get away, and then chasing another quail. Teetiri must have thought up this strategy when she saw that all the jungle bush quail looked equally frightened and nervous. Billi would never guess that he was chasing a different quail each time.

Meanwhile on the ground, a tired Billi had managed to pull himself out of the marsh waters. He was exhausted from all the effort that it required to come out of the very sticky slush. He decided to sit down and take some rest. Teetiri had planned for this situation also; it seemed to Bulbul, for Kotwal immediately flew down to where Bater was hiding in the marsh grasses. Hiding himself behind a thick clump of grasses, Kotwal tried to talk to Bater. It seemed like an impossible task for Bater was totally invisible even though he was sitting right in front of Kotwal. He could only see Bater’s eye looking back at him from the dry brown grass in front of him. The rest of the body was very difficult to trace out from its surroundings.

You had better signal to your family to withdraw from their positions, Kotwal told Bater. Bring them all closer to you and slowly start moving back from the marsh. Bater’s eyelid flickered up and down, and he raised his head to speak to Kotwal, Move back now? Why? We are doing so fine, all of us. I have never seen my family so bold, so courageous and faithful. They are, each one of them, confident of facing up to Billi. And they are doing it, without my presence at their side. I am so proud of them. Why should we withdraw now? Is this the end of Teetiri’s plan? Bater asked Kotwal.

No, my courageous friend, this is not the end of Teetiri’s plan, Kotwal replied, there is more to come. Just wait. Billi may get dangerous as he gets more and more tired. That is why Teetiri wants you and your family out of the marsh now. Each time that Billi pounced on one of your family, we were lucky. It could have gone the other way also. Each time, Billi could have managed to catch one member of your family. Now it is the turn of the other birds of the grassland to harass Billi. So, Bater, my friend, you had better call your family back. 

Teetiri protects the grassland - 59 - The birds of the grassland are happy

59

The birds of the grassland are happy

All the birds in the grassland congratulated Teetiri, and Salonki said very proudly that she deserved to be known as the leader of the birds of the grassland. The birds had managed to protect their grassland today because of Teetiri. Saying so, Salonki took her family back with her to where they had come from. Chimini went back to her sixty-seven relatives to prepare for the night. Kotwal said goodbye to his family, who went back to their favourite tree along the river bank. Phoolchuki and Darzi returned to their nests. Bulbul finally understood the entire strategy and flew immediately to tell the story of the “War of the Marsh Waters” to all the pigeons in the village. Guturgu smiled happily when the shy young female pigeon came and told him about how Billi had been chased away from the grassland by Teetiri’s plan.

Back at the marsh, Teetiri looked around for one last time. She was happy that the marsh was once more back with the birds. The grassland and the marsh would now be a safe home to her chicks when they would hatch out. Teetiri entered the marsh in search of Bater to thank him and his family. He must have already disappeared, Kotwal said and flew back to his usual perch to continue to catch insects for his food. Teetiri laughed and went about in search of red crabs to eat, thinking about Teetiraa who had missed out on all the fun in the grassland. Teetiri was happy and convinced that Billi would not return to the grassland. Not later, and not ever. The grassland, the marsh, the river and the rocky patches of grass now definitely belonged to Teetiri, Teetiraa, their children, and all the other birds grassland, she thought to herself.