Birds and squirrels never fail to enchant me. Watching the flights of the birds and listening to their music, and observing the antics of squirrels have always been my favourite hobbies. In my school and college days, I have rescued and looked after many ‘recalcitrant’ small birds and squirrels who were over-smart enough to fall from their nests. I once rescued a baby parrot—after he grew up, he would fly away in the morning and come back in the evening. I have had a squirrel who too, after growing up, used to go out in the morning and come back later.
My father used to tell me, “It seems that you are only interested in birds and squirrels, but not in your studies.” Once when I was returning from the playground, I heard the desperate cry of a little bird from under a bush. I could not find out how it got there. It might have tried to fly and fallen down from its nest on top of some nearby tree.
I waited to see whether its mother would come and take care of it. But it cried and cried and no bird came to its rescue. So I took it and brought it home. I had no idea what bird it was and what it would eat. I offered it cooked rice and raw rice, but it didn’t eat them. I offered it milk, it didn’t touch it. I offered it water, it didn’t drink... then fruits, again it refused to touch them. It kept crying nonstop— creee...creee... creee... Then I guessed it belonged to a species that feeds on worms and insects.
“How can I offer it worms?” I was in a dilemma. Night had arrived. The little bird not only ate nothing but also didn’t stop crying. And the creee...creee... sound was insufferable and horrible. Whenever I put it in my lap and gently patted it on its head, it stopped crying; but the moment I stopped patting, it would start its horrible creee... creee... and I resumed patting, to prevent the screamer from disturbing my father’s sleep. Patting and patting, I would drop down sleeping. But the screamer would soon start ‘creeing’ and I would wake up. At last my father’s sleep was disturbed and he asked me to throw it out.
Then I took care not to stop the patting and I could not sleep the whole night. As soon it was dawn, I ran to the playground, deposited the ‘screamer’ where I had found it and rushed home without even looking back. I still don’t know what happened to it or what bird it was. The episode still haunts me—it is the darkest chapter in this nature lover’s book