Brownie chooses his path (Part 3 of 3)

    While Brownie's affiliations with humans grew, he remained the ferocious alpha for other dogs. An abandoned pet dog found her way into our neighborhood. Led by Brownie, the other street dogs hounded and dominated her. The world of street dogs is not known for charity and she was unprepared for this rough and tough world. She could barely scavenge food to survive.  On a rainy afternoon, my mother saw her sitting alone in the middle of the park, staring blankly at a distance in the rain, oblivious to the downpour and her surroundings. We called this dog Jimmy.

     Jimmy was growing weaker every day. So, I decided to feed her. Late in the evening, we walked Brownie to the park and my Dad blocked the gate. Brownie was trapped inside. Outside, I tried to cajole Jimmy, offering her water and food, but she would have none of it. She was either completely heart-broken or too scared of the consequences. Finally, we had to give up and let Brownie out. He came out in a state of shock and shaking with fear. He had been betrayed by the very people he loved. I had to reassure him with pats and strokes before returning home. 

    A few days later, Jimmy was injured by a motorbike, and then disappeared the next day. We feared the worst for her. A couple of months later, I saw a woman taking two dogs out for a walk; one of whom resembled Jimmy. She had adopted her! This abandoned dog story had a happy ending, unlike many others.

    Brownie loved mass gatherings - groups playing in the park, festival gatherings, wedding processions and even seeing-off visitors. Election days were exciting, with so many people stepping out to cast their votes. On such days, one can see small groups of people hotly debating on politics; and Brownie next to the circle listening keenly. If he had the rights, he would have cast his vote for the right candidate :)

Most memorably, he decided to visit the Durga Puja Pandal with us.

Durga Pooja Pandal

Brownie at Durga Pooja

He saw us walking in the direction of pandal; having heard the sounds and smelt the smells emanating from there since a few days, he decided to visit.  The guards with sticks at the gate did not look particularly friendly to him, so, he slipped in through a gap in the tent. Once inside, he made it embarrassingly clear that he was with us by sticking close to us. However, nobody seemed to notice him in the crowd. What a happening place this was! Dazzlingly lit, people dressed in their finery, the perfumes of incense sticks intermingling with aroma of food and soulful music. We quickly took the darshan of the deity, Ma Durga and were in a quandary on what to do next. With Brownie in tow, we could not sit to watch the performances or visit the food stalls. Exactly then a woman saw him, and shrieked in Bengali "Eeeeeeeeeee! Kukura!" This was followed by a lot of confusion, and we quickly exited the Pandal, with Brownie in tow, before any of us could get caught in a tight spot.

    Brownie's age began to slow him down. His visits to the market shortened to the corner of the street and then just across the street. His power of smell reduced too. Earlier, when we got him leftover bones, he would catch the whiff from far-off . Now, we had to take the bag near him before he could decipher the treat. His front teeth had worn out too. Multiple injuries on his right hind leg, meant that he could not walk straight. He had this peculiar walk that took him ahead sideways, and his moves resembled that of a knight on a chess board.

    While earlier he survived on a healthy diet of leftovers, suddenly there was excess of food. Many people became had turned dog-lovers without understanding dogs. Sometimes they offered a whole loaf of bread without comprehending that the creature weighed one-fourth of an adult human, and could not eat as much. Some people fed yellow rice khichdi on Tuesdays and Saturdays, probably on the advice of an astrologer. Our fit and healthy dog turned into a fat cylinder. 

    His duties towards our apartment, however, continued undeterred- morning walk, dropping kids to school, prayers in the evening and guarding at night. He had to share the park with other dogs, but he was still the alpha and respected. By now, I could understand Brownie quite well. If he wanted to play, he would put his paw on my foot. If he did not want me to leave, he would put circle his paws around my foot. If we wanted a pat, he would call me with a typical howl-bark. If he was fast asleep, I would not disturb him. One day, he looked asleep, and I suspected he was not. So, I walked past and turned around after crossing the gate.  Brownie was slyly checking, with his one eye open in a slit, to see if I had gone away. He was pretending to be asleep to avoid my affections. The crafty dog!

    In December 2019, severe winters descended on Delhi with bleak sun, chilly winds and gloomy hazy days. It was bone chilling. Some dog lovers gave Brownie a sweater and shawl, that he gladly accepted. This was a first, as dog-jackets or sacks offered before had been promptly discarded. This time, however, he sat on the sweater and the guards wrapped him in it at night. Then someone gifted him a small mattress, which was accepted too. Over the years, the guards of the society had changed many times. But they all valued his company. The guards put out his clothes for drying on the bushes in day time, and wrapped him up in shawls and sweater at night. Royal treatment for a street dog indeed!

Brownie was approximately 15 years old by then - very old by street dog standards. Many dogs vied for his territory, including one who looked like him, and would walk by, pretending to be Brownie. During these cold days, one dog from the park gang approached Brownie - a short dog, looking almost like a beagle with a thick furry coat. She had lost one eye, either due to cataract or genetic causes. He tolerated her at first, she had to keep her distance, and not eye his food. She would sleep near the light of the gate, which probably helped her bear the cold. We called her "Chhoti".  Brownie soon declared Chhoti as the heir to his throne, by allowing her to share his mattress and the gate. Under his keen eye, he started to train her to do guard duties, learn to recognize the residents of the society, and receive pats from his friends. We used to joke about this new apprenticeship, but we did not realize that Brownie was dead-serious about it.

    On March 22, 2020, India went under a nation-wide lock-down. People stopped moving out of homes, the morning walks, the schools, the evening prayers and the coming and going of visitors - his entire life came to a grinding halt.

    Someday, in April, I noticed that Brownie was missing. The guards had not seen him in last few days. We searched for him in the park and around but could not find him. Dogs, I learnt, walk away from their pack in their final days. This is a natural instinct to protect their family and we had no choice but to accept his decision. It is sad, that a dog who was so well looked-after all, spent his last few days in solitude. But I console myself, reminding myself that we never owned Brownie; rather he was his own master and owned us. 

He had chosen his own life-paths all along, as in the end.

"Hariyal" says Hello

Hariyal or Yellow-footed Green Pigeon

    Hello there. Have you seen me before here? Let me introduce myself. I am 'हरियल' also known as Yellow-footed Green Pigeon. I think my English name is unimaginative; probably the person who named me so thinks it is colourful!

Tree dwelling is the best

    I am a tree dwelling cousin of the common Rock Pigeon. You may have spotted me in the peepal tree near your home. The peepal tree is a favored neighborhood; the branches perfect for  perching and nest, it's leaves give shade and privacy and fruits are our daily diet. Our entire clan can live in a peepal tree, unseen by predators and troublemakers, the canopy providing a perfect camouflage.

Hariyal family tree

    You are familiar with the rock pigeon, who is an ardent fan of the cities and all kinds of human construction. It leaves no building structure or a shady nook unexplored. Till a century or two back, this pigeon was essential for message delivery system of humans. The age old livelihood and traditions of the rock pigeon is displaced by the  cables, wires and transmission towers. The rock pigeons of the world are trying to fight back.

Rock pigeon admiring human creations

    They are protesting by mass gatherings near cables and wires hanging in the city. Sometimes the pigeons use force and try to weigh the wires down by shear large numbers. The wires and cables are not relenting or retaliating; the towers may shock the pigeons sometimes but that is about all. Every popular space of humans, has it's own protesting pigeon gang. The gangs graffiti these spaces with feathers and big stinky splotches and voice loud "go- go-goo" slogans.

Rock pigeon gang & Raging red eyed pigeon

    Usually, the humans don't pay them much attention; but some fools try to feed the pigeon gang. Do the humans not see the rage- red eyes of the rock pigeons?

    Enough about the raging rock pigeon now! This post is about me - the blue eyed darling of pigeon species. Poets have penned odes praising our blue eyes. Yes, my kind is special. So is our call, a sweet whistling one, just like that of  naughty little child.

Grab on to the tree branch

    Keep an ear out for our whistles near fruit laden trees. Our flock eats all kind of berries and ficus fruits. Trekking through the branches is easy because of our big strong yellow feet. These feet help in grabbing the branches  and holding on to them during windy, stormy weather. Strong wide feet are good for everyone; they take one far and wide. We cannot comprehend the trend of thin narrow feet and pencil thin heels.

Hariyal loves berries

    My species is spread all over the Indian subcontinent. You need not go towards sanctuaries and forests to search for me. I can be found with my flock in the local gardens or any tree lined avenue amidst tree foliage. Bothering humans by dirtying their buildings, cars, clothes etc is the agenda of rock pigeon, not ours. If you wish to befriend the Hariyal flock, plant some indigenous trees in your neighborhood. And if your neighborhood is green with lots of trees, then my kind will probably be the in the nearby tree. Just use the binoculars to locate our bright yellow feet, or the pale pink shoulder patch; or if you are lucky enough then the gorgeous blue eyes, watching you from behind the green leaves.

Our shy neighbor - Hariyal

Brownie sees the City Lights (Part 2 of 3)

Brownie and Whitey became adventurous, with many new friends and human acceptance. They decided to latch on to us sisters, for exploring new uncharted territories. On weekends, we would usually walk-down to the market, which is 10-15 minutes away. The dogs usually followed us till the end of their territory. On one such Sunday, as we stepped out of the society gate, the duo's excitement was palpable.

Team Alpha territory

They greeted us enthusiastically with wagging tails and eyes shining with mischief. That day, they followed us beyond their territorial border; sometimes running excitedly ahead and sometimes falling back to "mark" a spot. But, whenever we passed near a pack of dogs, they stayed close to our heels, pretending to be our pets. They brilliantly fooled most of the dogs, at least on this first trip.
    By the time the four of us reached the market, it was a sight! We had a distinct feeling of escorting two village bums, from the quiet tree-lined residential neighborhood, to the dazzling and noisy city market. Undeterred and to our embarrassment, they waited outside each shop we visited; taking in the sights and smells, their tongues hanging out with excitement, sniffing each new scent.

    And, then we reached the ATM: brilliantly lit, with glass walls, shining like a jewel amidst the other shops. Brownie pressed his nose on the glass wall to see the strange contraption that humans were paying homage to. He wanted to get in, but the security guard had already read his intentions, and hit him with his stick. Yelping, the poor dogs ran away. We finished our errands, worrying about the dogs. We need not have; the two adventurers were hiding in a dark corner outside the market, waiting for us to return. They happily greeted us and followed us back home with their heads held high. Their "Mission" for the day was accomplished.

  

    The market became their favorite haunt. Unlike pet dogs, they had many human friends from different households, and could go with one, and could return with another. Their adventures were not without injuries. Brownie would sit near the gate, leaving just enough space for cars to pass by and would refuse to budge. It was a driving test, that many failed. He injured his right hind leg several times. If a street dog gets sick or injured, it goes away into a hiding place, and returns when it recovers. Brownie would do exactly that, returning with a slight limp in his foot.

    One day, both Brownie and Whitey disappeared. We waited, assuming that one of them was injured. A couple of days later, Brownie returned alone, he looked physically fine, but sad and lonely. He would sit near the gate, as if waiting. The guards found out that Whitey had passed away in a road accident on the main road. Probably, he was running crazily to dodge the cars on his way to the bus-stop. Brownie was in mourning. He never be-friended any other dog, till almost the very end. We usually greeted the dogs on returning from office, but after this, I made sure that I patted Brownie every evening to reassure him. Brownie had more worries on his plate these days.

    Firstly, he had to give up some territory, as he could not control it alone. This loss was minor compared to the loss of the neighborhood park for the better part of the day. The new gardener of the park was not pleased to see his flower beds being destroyed. He chased the dogs out of the park; canine entry was a no-no in his duty hours. Brownie protested. Every day, he would put up his front paws on the corner wall and bark at the gardener, non-stop, for a few hours. The gardener, now a sworn enemy, was equally prepared for the war. He would slowly jog past the park's corner in a comical manner, teasing the dog.

    To get past his misery, Brownie quickly drowned himself in a routine. Dogs have a keen sense of time and Brownie was never late. At 6 AM he went out for morning walk with the residents. He played the "wet nose" prank on his old and new friends. He invented a new prank, where he would "ambush" people by suddenly emerging out of bushes onto the jogging path. At sharp 7 AM, he could be seen hurrying towards school bus point to see off school kids. He would stand with the kids, his tail wagging at top-speed, while the parents waved good-byes. He was fiercely protective about the kids and would not let any stranger near the bus pickup point, till the kids left.

     Brownie would then sun himself in the park with the senior citizens and ladies, till the gardener arrived, followed by a few hours of barking. He would welcome the kids back near bus drop off point in the afternoon. Sharp five in the evening was the time for prayers. He would sit with a group of elderly men who prayed and chanted together, every day in the park. Brownie would sit around them listening and waiting for the occasional "prasad" in the end. This was followed by an evening nap; a visit to the market, if possible; and then the night-long guard duty. I have not seen a busier dog.

    Sometimes, he would also see me off to the office cab. He had noted that scent of my office cabs and had no objection to them. One day, I returned home late in a hired cab. Brownie sat near the gate, alert, and waiting. As soon, as I got out of the cab, I was greeted with a volley of barks. I tried to pacify him, but he was visibly upset with me for returning home late. This became a pattern. He had no objection, if I came back late in our family car or in the office cab. But, returning home in a hired cab, like Ola or Uber, was met with strict disapproval.

Part 1(Brownie Adopts The Neighborhood)

Part 3 (Brownie Chooses His Way)

Brownie Adopts The Neighborhood (Part 1 of 3)

By any stretch of imagination, Brownie was neither cute, nor handsome nor cuddly. 

He did not fit into any of the typical descriptions of a love-able dog. Yet, with his unique personality he walked right into the hearts of many people. He also had his share of sworn enemies; but I will tell you about them later.

    My first memory of Brownie is of this young, probably two-year-old dog, running on the street on a winter afternoon in 2007. It was a cold and sunny day. Our area, being newly developed, did not have a lot of traffic. And here comes Brownie, leading a pack of four dogs and growling ferociously at the one trying to overtake him. He looked quite menacing, with his two canine teeth protruding out. 

   

Neighborhood watch - Dog duties

    Brownie was named so because he had brown spots on his white coat. His identity were two conjoined brown spots on his lower back, giving an impression of the figure 8 when seen from the front, and the symbol of infinity (∞) when seen from the sides. There were also some black dots, which could give an impression that he was dirty, even if he was quite clean. He was not a dog that you would want to mess with! This is how we saw him over the next few years, fighting for territory and food. He had soon established himself as the alpha male.

    Our locality, Dwarka in Delhi, was still developing and used to be quite desolate at night. Petty crimes and robberies were commonplace as many areas were uninhabited and under-construction. The first human friends who befriended Brownie were the night-time security guards. They valued him for his alertness and ferocity; and fed him regularly so that he would accompany them on the night-duty. Brownie was sharp. He could detect an approaching far-off stranger in pitch dark and would immediately alert the guards by growling.

    On these guard duties, he made another canine friend. Whitey was a light-buff colored dog with black shining eyes. While Brownie with his two teeth sticking out looked ferocious, Whitey was furry and handsome, by standards of street dogs. Always full of joy, he quickly befriended all the humans around. He would put up his front paws on your knees and demand your attention. I remember being surprised, on seeing my sister Pallavi, patting this street dog affectionately. I was ambivalent towards dogs, neither afraid nor friendly. Touching a street-dog was a big no-no for me, since they could carry infections and ticks.

     Soon, Brownie and Whitey formed a team and became best friends. They announced this friendship to the world spectacularly with chest thumps. This was a dangerous duo, and no dog dared to enter their territory. Their princely estate was a road stretching across entrances to no less than four apartments and an entire public park. Moreover, they had unquestioned, visiting rights to the areas of neighboring dogs, right up to the main road 260 meters away. Whitey's affectionate ways rubbed in on Brownie, and he decided to befriend humans in his own unique way.

 

Team Alpha - Brownie & Whitey

  My sister was walking down to the bus-stop on the main road. There were very few other people on the road. Suddenly, something wet and cool touched her hands. Shocked, she turned around to see Brownie, his two canine teeth sticking out in a grin. It was difficult to interpret if it was a growl or a smile; until you saw the smile in his eyes that literally said, "Wasn't that a fun prank?". A passerby commented in Hindi, "Ghabrao mat, woh shaitaan hai."; literally, translated to, "Don't be scared, he is a naughty dog". These surprise attacks became a trademark of Brownie; he would approach stealthily from behind and surprise you by touching your fingers with his cold and wet nose. The people who shouted, fled in fear or scolded him were not befriended; the ones who smiled at his prank were. Although, they were the best friends, Brownie would compete for affection of humans and food, with Whitey. We fed them sometimes with leftover bones from a meal. But that was not often. The dogs were well-fed, and all they wanted was affection and human company.

    They found this company in many people. The vegetable vendor who stood outside our society premises in evenings, the guards, and many of our neighbors; most significantly, an elderly gentleman whom they accompanied on morning walks, and a lady with two kids. This lady soon became their favorite. She fed them regularly and gave them medicines if they fell sick. Soon, they were duty-bound to drop the kids to the school-bus with her.
    Together the duo ruled the roost. If they were not chasing away intruders, they were chasing cars or playing in the park, happily rubbing their backs on the grass to groom themselves. Going by the number of white-furred and brown spotted dogs in our area, they must have "dated" a lot of females in their hay days. They guarded the street at night and entrusted themselves with further responsibilities in human affairs. This included escorting people to and from the bus-stop. Many a times, they would drop my sister till the bus-stop in morning. Whitey was a bit more adventurous. He would cross the main road after her, running like crazy to avoid the moving cars. In the evenings, at least one of them would be waiting for her near the bus stop, to escort her back. This company was welcomed, as the road used to be lonely at that hour.
    It was after this, that I truly warmed up to the pair. Brownie tested me with his "wet-nose" prank, and we soon became friends.

Part 2 (Brownie sees the City Lights)

Woodpecker Fest

A jackfruit tree canopy frames the kitchen window of my Miramar apartment. Loaded with fruit during the summer months; it attracts squirrels and different birds through the daytime.

Lesser flameback woodpecker

The lesser flameback woodpecker, a shy visitor frequents the canopy; eating ripe fruit, as well as flies and maggots that infest it. These visits are concluded with a loud cackle. The bird apparently announcing that it has eaten it's fill and will return to the feast on another occasion.

Raiding the food store

Waiting for more species to join this feast.

#birdwatching #indianbirds #woodpeckers #birdingwindow #birding #birdingathome #naturelovers #nature #woodpecker

Vigor's Sunbird

It is rare to find a Sunbird perched peacefully for a photograph. This Vigor's Sunbird was preening it feathers to impress its mates on a late winter afternoon. The bright colours vibrant in the warm winter sun.

#birdwatching #indianbirds #woodpeckers #birdingwindow #birding #birdingathome #naturelovers #nature #sunbird

Birding in Hampi, capital of Vijayanagar empire

Hampi, once capital of Vijaynagar empire, is now a world heritage site. The extent and magnificence of the Vijaynagar empire can be experienced here, while exploring remnants of the city that are spread over few hundred square kilometers.

Pigeons in temple courtyards

The ruins, surrounding paddy fields, banana plantations and rocky surroundings provide diverse ecosystems for our avian friends. Here are some of the common ones which can be found while exploring Hampi & its surroundings.

Green Bee Eater

Cormorant at Pushkarni stepwells

Skylark at Royal Palace enclosure

Scaly breasted Munias amidst banana plantation

Spotted owlet

#birdwatching #indianbirds #woodpeckers #birdingwindow #birding #birdingathome #naturelovers #nature