Birds Around Me 0058 - Bluethroat (नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा)

Birds Around Me 0058 - Bluethroat (नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा) - Cyanecula svecica

There is an interesting story about how I saw Bluethroat (नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा / Cyanecula svecica) and clicked them in Jabalpur, MP, India.

It was an early winter morning and I was about to venture out with my kit camouflaged in military green. The milkman who was on the daily run out of curiosity and astonishment inquired about where I am going this early, what I am doing with my big camera, how much I am paid for this work, do I work for newspaper or television and all sort of questions. In the end, he concluded I have got too much free time and have nothing better to do. He ended up inviting me to his farm saying I can click loads of birds all day. He gave me directions to his farm which was few hundred meters from where I was and drove off.

The farm was on my regular daily trajectory, so thought on my way back I will go there, at least will be able to buy fresh butter that he always boasts about. After a good 2 hour walk, I reluctantly went to his farm. He was excited, introduced me to his family, asked me to show my camera, and requested me to take a few pictures of him with his favorite cow. Then showed me, swamp/drain behind his farm and what he meant by loads of birds. I pretended to be surprised to see 10s of egrets, pond herons, and myna while having his special farm-fresh tea.

And here it was Bluethroat, literally 10 meters from us, on the water pipe. I gently and in slow motion started to get hold of my camera but he had his own plans. As soon as, he saw this bird, removed his shoes, he knelt down, and started a prayer. The ritual went for good few minutes, while I was clicking, he was busy with his mantras, and all this time Bluethroat was hopping from one pipe to another.

I asked him what happened there, a bit sarcastically. What was all that about? Joyous he was and told me this bird is considered an avatar of Lord Shiva if you see this in the morning its equivalent to Lord coming to your doorstep to bless you and takes away all bad vibes around you. He told me that this bird in Hindi is called Neelkanti (नीलकण्ठी), simply Bluethroat.

I was pleased and happy that I went; people, culture, myths, and beliefs in India never cease to surprise me. There is a story behind everything, you just need to have the patience to be at the right place, at the right time to hear it. All living beings - birds, mammals, reptiles, trees, plants have importance in religion, mythology, and are of significant spiritual importance. Yet, we don't leave any stone unturned to destroy what around us - knowingly or unknowingly.

I always go to his farm, every time I go to Jabalpur and kind of made him a bit of a bird watcher, he keeps telling me about one or other bird that he notices, some of them as big as a calf. I haven't seen them yet.

Hindi name of Bluethroat (Cyanecula svecica): नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा

-- Ashutosh Jhureley @BirdsAroundMe

Unfinished List (अपूर्ण सूची) https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-birds-i-clicked-since.html

Bluethroat (नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा) - Cyanecula svecica
Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur

Bluethroat (नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा) - Cyanecula svecica
Taken on November 10, 2017
Location: Sanjivini Nagar, Jabalpur, India (Latitude: 23.172826, Longitude: 79.881881)

Bluethroat (नीलकण्ठी पिद्दा) - Cyanecula svecica (15 cm), is a migratory insectivorous species breeding in wet birch wood or bushy swamp in Europe and Asia with a foothold in western Alaska. It nests in tussocks or low in dense bushes. It winters in north Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Identification: plain brown above except for the distinctive black tail with red side patches and has a strong white supercilium.

Where: bushes, reeds, and grass near the water

Birds Around Me - Unfinished List (अपूर्ण सूची)

https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-birds-i-clicked-since.html