The Copperpod tree that grows behind my house is a world in itself. For me, it was just another tree that grew, along with several other trees that grew around my house in Mumbai, but watching the avian life that thrived on that tree, I realized it was also a home... home to the many birds and insects that live, and depend on that tree for their survival.
Still, when I watch the yellow flowers on that tree, I remember basking in the sweet fragrance of its flowers in my growing up years, and when in full bloom, it is the most beautiful of all the trees that I have seen in my life. Not only does the yellow flowers adorn the tree itself... it decorates the earth too, and the carpet of yellow flowers on the ground is testimony of the beauty of this Copperpod tree. Not surprising that it is also famous as the Yellow flame tree or Yellow Gulmohar.
Though I do not know how long it has been growing there. Perhaps, it was there even before my birth. It has seen many a season, this Copperpod tree, and when it grows so much, that its branches almost touch the roof on our house, it attracts the uninvited attention of the human residents and the local government, who come to trim its branches, so that it no longer poses a threat to us.
Of lately, due to my interest in birds, and thanks to the Corona pandemic, I work from home, and from my seat besides the window, I get a clear view of the life that unfolds daily on that Copperpod tree.
Cats are the most usual creatures that use the tree. They use the branches of the tree as a bridge to jump from roof to roof, and many times, they wait in prowl, looking for an opportune moment, when they can leap on that unsuspecting crow.
At one such instance I happened to glance from my window and caught sight of a crow, at the precise moment it got snapped in the jaws of a cat, uttering its last call while still in the grip of the cat.
Other than the crows, Coppersmith Barbet and White spotted Fantail are the most chirpy and vocal birds that live on the tree. Occasionally, the Asian Koel makes its presence felt with a series of melodious notes. Sometimes, a pair of Jungle Crow invades the tree, sending the Common Crow in a frenzy, as they try to evict the intruder off the tree.
Among the most melodious birds are the Red vented Bulbul, Oriental Magpie Robin and Common Myna. Of these two, the Red vented Bulbul is the most melodious, and if you chance to hear its call, it is nothing but sweet honey to the ears!!
Indian Golden Oriole was the most striking bird that I saw on that Copperpod tree. The one I saw was a male, and its body was mostly covered in yellow with black spots near its eyes, and wings.
I even saw a Pond Heron, and wondered how it came to that tree, since it is a water bird, and is usually found near ponds, rivers, lakes. One glance at the public toilet behind my building gave me the answer. Sometimes the public toilet has water coming out of the broken pipes, and this water collects to form a pool, which attracted the Pond Heron.
Copyright © 2021 Abhijit Pandit
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