Rain

Today, when it rains, have a good look out of your window. Don't ask yourself what you are looking at. Ask yourself what you are seeing. If you are a true nature-lover, though you may be looking at a polluted roadside, crammed with vehicles, you will see how the rain has cleansed the atmosphere—how it has washed off part of the haze in the air and formed a magnificent rainbow.

Look a little beyond the hustle and bustle that forms a part of the lives of almost all of us: the rainy season is the best time of the year to connect with nature. Most people just look upon the rain as something to be avoided (so as to stay dry). But that is not so. In fact, this season is the best time to find how closely you share this world with a huge number of plant, bird and animal varieties.

The unique location of India has gifted this country with a variety of species, plant, bird and animal. From the Himalayas guarding the northern part of the country to the 7,517 kilometer-long coastline, India is home to diverse classes of organisms. In fact, five percent of all the documented species of the world are in India.

Now, you may ask - what is five percent? Just a small number? Five percent of the entire world's species means five out of every hundred species, and there are approximately 1.8 million known kinds of organisms classified till date.

No part of the Indian subcontinent is possible to be imagined without birds. There will always be birds everywhere. At this time of the year, bird activity is high (though not the highest) because of the easy availability of food and water. When it is pouring heavily, many birds can be seen sheltering in trees.

Birdwatching is recommended if your job stresses you out, because it is proven that this hobby aids stress management. The near-perfect coloring of some birds can potentially take one's mind of the pressures of life and refresh the mind and body. Apart from the common pigeons, crows and mynas, there are several exotic birds that that one can see almost every day, like the golden oriole and coppersmith. These birds are also fairly common, but city people would probably think otherwise, because city life leaves people with almost no time to stand and stare.
There are more than 1200 species of birds in India. So, even if you went on a birdwatching trip every week, you could be assured of peace of mind for twenty-five years. There are so many birds to choose from that one can never hope to get tired of watching them. After all, they were created by Nature. And they may, in all probability, be our closest link to Nature.

We have witnessed the massive loss of life and property in the recent natural calamity that has befallen our fellow countrymen in Uttarakhand. Our prayers are with them. The tragedy is largely attributed to the greed of a few unscrupulous people, excessive urbanization and an uncaring administration. 

Lets us do our best towards conserving nature and that we do not cross the threshold beyond which we have no control over nature's wrath. 

 

Plumbeous Redstart - male (top) and female

Picture courtesy: Upendra Chandratreya