Weeding out the gardener

His garden
flowers grew,
like shadows
caught by
sundials in
a playful mood,
as the seasons
changed, most
of them stayed
the same – except
the gentlest of
the lot – a dahlia
out of sorts, his
polka-dotted muse
in comfortable shoes;
she rode colder winds,
un-plucked, unrestrained.

If I could not host hummingbirds daily in my own terrace garden atop the hills some day, I would not have fully lived. They don’t even have to land on my palms to reaffirm any special connection I might have with birds. They just need to come and see me whenever it doesn’t rain. However hummingbirds are restricted to US and Canada with winter holidays in Mexico and Central America. Perhaps a good enough reason to leave these waters.

For now I play hide-and-seek with Purple Sunbirds and Purple-Rumped Sunbirds from a few balconies in my city. In hill stations too. They are thimblefuls of joy. They hover around like adorable helicopters with curvy beaks and songs in the key of trrrtit tituuuu tituuuu.

The dazzling hues on the coats of male Purple Sunbirds leap out in well-lit environments; they appear fully black otherwise. The females look like pint-sized versions of Yellow-Browed Bulbuls. The Purple-Rumped are more sexually dimorphic than the average birdie. I have confused the females with Little Spiderhunters many times given their fishhooks for beaks.

Taking care of a terrace garden is another priority on my bucket list. It could be on the ground too. It doesn’t matter. I would want to do it because it would make me feel good about myself, and the tiny contributions I would have the privilege (and pleasure) of making to the environment.

I can see that take time though. For now, my friend – Shannon’s updates would do. Her family, a merry bunch of gardeners, birders, conservationists and all-round beautiful people, sound like ideal neighbours. She writes wonderfully and posts lovely photographs about the peculiarities and possibilities in their lives at Dirt N Kids.

Purple-Rumped Sunbird – male,

Purple Sunbird – male

Purple Sunbird – male