Published in Dwarka Express on 10.6.23

I had gone mad in Ooty on seeing sparrows. Yes, my purpose to go to Ooty was to see the flower show and engage my lens with colourful flowers. But I went crazy on seeing sparrows. In fact, one can find sparrows anywhere in Ooty. Someone has to make a research study about the secret of the survival of sparrows in Ooty. Whether it is near a street vendor, or near a flower garden, one will not miss this bird. What fascinated was when I saw a male sparrow feeding a juvenile. When I reached the Bazaar to have my grub, a few sparrows were picking up the spilled food particles. I went to boat house, there were hundreds of them. An enraged tourist never bothers to look at this little bird which is the talk of the world. In botanical garden, I was a bit angry that the crazy lot are more concerned about documenting themselves in Selfie mode. I called my sister to show this rare discovery. She quipped, ‘Yes, I remember seeing it in my childhood’. Nilgiris is a paradise for varieties of colourful birds. But I changed my idea to go for birding after looking at these sparrows. I mean, I can compare my happiness to that of a child who got her favourite strawberry ice cream. Almost about 500 birds, I might have counted. When I left Ooty, I had a life time satisfaction as I have done my PhD in sparrows!