The Intruders on My Windowsill: A Mynah Family Story
By Usha Ramakrishna
The story begins when the author returned home after being abroad for almost three months, noting that their house had practically remained a hotel where they would just check in and check out. Unbeknownst to them, a pair of soon-to-be bird parents found the home to be the perfect site to build their beautiful abode, away from prying eyes and the scorching sun.
Upon pushing open the restroom door, the author rushed in and literally jumped out of their skin. What greeted them was a barrage of nasty cheeps and chirps that made the author’s ears burn and turn bright orange. The birds had built a lovely home in a little gap under the windowpane, effectively making the author an intruder in their own home.
A stunning Mynah stood her ground and glared, exhibiting the following features:
- Her bright yellow beak moved furiously.
- Her soft brown and golden feathers were raised.
- A tinge of electric blue was visible beneath her wings.
- She gripped with her claws, looking majestic and in a mood to fight.
The mother bird was not alone; her partner flew in, described as a speck of black streaks across sparking, Nirma-like white feathers, creating a formidable force. The author withdrew in bewilderment and wonderment.
Later, when it was quiet, the author peeked in to find an incredibly meticulous and creatively thought-out nest. The master architects had built a completely “Green” home with no plastic, featuring:
- Intricately woven, almost equal pieces of twigs and branches.
- A round, thin, and trim hollow center filled with coconut fibre.
- A soft green leaf serving as a bed.
- Two gorgeous, aquamarine, oval-shaped eggs laying on the leaf.
The author’s heart swelled with joy, and with aroused grandmotherly feelings and teary eyes, they waited patiently alongside the weary mother bird sitting on her eggs.
One morning near dawn, as the first rays of the sun glistened against the window, the author heard the first squeaky chirp. There lay the miracle: two little fledglings with closed eyes, pink as a cherry, hapless and helpless, with their proud parents hovering around. Frozen in this magical moment, the author mouthed a quiet “Thnak you” and named the babies Wren and Martin.
Observing the birds, the author noted the amazing, universal nature of parental instinct. The feeding process was characterized by the following observations:
- Mamma and Pappa kept feeding the babies with precision and care.
- They dangled tiny worms from their beaks to place into the wide-opened little mouths.
- Sometimes they fed them small pieces of leaves, which the author presumed were medicinal.
- The parents actually seemed to follow specific feeding timings.
In a week, the little birds were raising their heads and standing on sturdy little legs. They had transformed into moving, noisy small balls of feathers with a dash of black, white, and electric blue.
More than a month later, the fledglings were almost ready to leave the coop to explore the open skies, and the parents began visiting less frequently. As Wren and Martin prepared to leave the nest with their amazing wings, the author bid them goodbye, thanking the birds for having them on their watch. The author concluded by noting that the nest would be dried up by the time they got back, and they would simply wait to be an intruder once again.
