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The grassland is busy with birds
Shikra and Shaheen flew out of their
hiding places, disgusted at this widespread disturbance. Both birds of prey
flew across the river to go and perhaps search for some other grassland. But
there did not seem to be any sight of Bater and his family. Kotwal’s father
flew down to Salonki and asked her to send some mynas to a distant bunch of
rocks and tall grass. Salonki flew towards her sister’s group of twelve mynas
who were busy gossiping about the good nesting spots in the old bungalow inside
the forest. Salonki’s sister was explaining that the bungalow was not in a good
condition, without anyone living in it, and had begun to break apart. It was a
good spot to choose for several nests this season. It would also stay cool
during the summer.
Salonki asked her sister and her group
of mynas to go and continue with their gossip at the distant bunch of rocks and
tall grass. The small flock of mynas went to the spot as directed and continued
with their conversation about the bungalow in the forest. Salonki could still
hear her sister explaining all the good nesting qualities that the damaged
house seemed to possess. They needed new nesting spots, undisturbed ones, that
would provide security and peace for the new flocks of mynas. The village
indeed had been able to give them good nesting spots, but Guturgu and the blue
rock pigeons had taken over all the nesting spots that the mynas had. The house
crows were in control of the trees and their nesting spots near the village.
Salonki’s sister and her flock were
busy making plans to shift to the bungalow in the forest for the coming
breeding season. But all the conversation was what was helpful, thought Kotwal
to himself. Teetiri was intelligent. She knew that all the mynas loved to
chatter. And that the chatter was going to be helpful in disturbing Billi and
now to search for Bater. Meanwhile,
Kotwal’s father accompanied by Salonki, flew to a tall tree near Salonki’s
sister and her flock of mynas. The chatter was good, and it would disturb
anybody who lived in this patch of the grassland.
Sure enough, from among the rocks, out
came Naag’s sister, followed by two scorpions and some grasshoppers. Those
grasshoppers looked tasty, thought Kotwal’s father and decided to go after
them. He quickly asked Salonki to tell Kotwal to come over to this area to
search for Bater, and flew after the grasshoppers. Angry but helpless at this
instinctive gesture by Kotwal’s father, Salonki flew off to ask Kotwal to come
over to join up with her to search for Bater. Kotwal’s father, in the meantime,
kept darting in and out of the bushes, intent upon catching the grasshoppers.
