Birds of my park- i’ll never forget
By: Aaryan Bhalla
Tags: Lockdown Diary, Birding In India, Birds, Birding, Lockdown

3. Indian white eye/ Oriental white-eye

CLockwise : Oriental white eye on a pine tree and OWE on the wire in our park.

This is a small bird unable to find due to its size and camouflage. Hyperactive little yellow bird with an off-white belly and white “spectacles.” Found in a wide range of habitats, from mangroves to gardens to forest edge; generally favors more open forested areas, not dense tangles. Travels in flocks, sometimes mixed in with other species.

Note light bouncing flight. Gives bright but faint “sweet!” calls both while foraging and in flight. oriental White Eye birds are easily identified by the distinctive white ring around eyes and always found in small groups feeding insects or nectar. The species is found in a wide range of habitats from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia.

Pair

Description : This bird is small (about 8–9 cm long) with yellowish olive upperparts, a white eye-ring, yellow throat, and vent. The belly is whitish grey but may have yellow in some subspecies. The sexes look similar.

A fully developed Chick flew from the nest.

Scientific name: Zosterops palpebrosus

Other names : सफेद आँख का पक्षी ( Hindi )

Distribution: scrub to moist forest

Habitat: resident breeder in open woodland on the Indian subcontinent.

Diet: They forage in small groups, feeding on nectar and small insects.

Total 3 Nests of Indian White Eye during Lockdown in my park Let us see :

#Story no. 1 : When I saw them with wings !!..

The Day was 21 May 2020

My first ever chicks seen in my life.

We all were there in the fourth phase of lockdown.

God gave me a ray of hope from our park after we lose Bulbul’s eggs.

That evening, my father ordered me to go to the gardener in the park to tell him about some work.

So, When I went to call him, I went to the park to call the gardener, but the gardener showed me one thing and after seeing that thing, I got mad with happiness, then I came home and picked up the phone and took that picture given below.

The cute chicks opening mouths for the food.

I saw the 3 chicks of a bird sleeping in a small nest which was very little just like the size of my hands and those chicks were very cute, their little wings also came out, That was for the first time that I saw chicks of any bird with my own eyes . it seemed that they were at least 5 to 6 days old. The naked chicks had now worn their feathers. Then, I shooked the branch on which the nest was made. Then, a child woke up from sleep and considered me his mother and opened his mouth, and just saying that — “mother first give me food. I am very hungry, my siblings are sleeping right now”. so, I quickly took a picture of that.

May 22, 2020, Friday

I decided last night that I would wake up early in the morning and go to the park to see which bird these kids belong to. I went to the park with my father. We saw a little movement in the nest and a yellow bird was sitting in it. On May 22 I saw this bird first time in my life ever. That was your small bird — Indian White Eye.

Rest in Peace cute chick……..

But, unfortunately the next day on May 23rd the nest was empty and one chick died in it and ants were eating it. #RIP Sorry chick. I couldn’t do anything. So I have lost these too also same as of Bulbul’s eggs and was able to spend only 2 days with me.I shook the nest he was not waking up for food. As it had said goodbye to all of us. It probably died due to the heat yesterday because it was a very scorching sunny day yesterday and When the gardener cut that tree, the sunlight was direct on them. So in the nest , the chick was uprooted and his beak was also dry and there was no sign of the other two as you can see in the picture given. It seemed that the mother had taken the rest of them somewhere. Otherwise, if there was no other big animal, those two children would have eaten, then why would they have left that child ??.

To read to continue full sad story of the cuties of Indian White eye. Click the link given. In English and In Hindi too.

#Story no. 2 : Hardwork : Nature is Unique

The typical clutch is mainly 3 Eggs.

Walking in the park in the morning is good for health.

One day when I was walking in the park in the morning. Then, I saw a small greenish-yellow bird with white eyes. Google says that this bird is known as ‘The Indian White Eye’ she had something like cotton in it’s mouth. So I thought that it must be making it’s nest, there was another bird as well. Whoever may be male, there were small twigs in it’s mouth as well. So I followed those two birds and they entered a tree.

So Both of them went on this tree.🌳🌳

Thus, they Decided to settle their family on a short but, dense tree.

I keep them captured till 21 days From 21 June to 11 July and this time no one was there to disturb us. All of the three chicks of the Indian White Eye fly free in the sky.

During these lockdown and unlock days. I have saw total 3nests in my locality. Birding or bird watching is very amazing to fresh the mind. See how much hardwork the birds done to raise their young ones.

Full story is not here. Don’t miss it out. link is already there for you. Again for you in english and hindi.

#Story no. 3 : The excellent arts of Nature!!..

In “ Hardwork: Nature is Unique “ The journey of the chicks of Indian White Eye was successful. From their birth to the first flight, they happily flew into this emancipate sky.

I have never found many nests in my life as seen in coronavirus during the lockdown.

Again 3 Eggs were laid by the another white Eye.

But the main thing is that the nest which was the last Indian white-eyed bird made. suddenly, it broke down one day due to heavy rain. Which I brought home, but the miracle happened that in the same place an another Indian White Eye made a nest which was looking like a swing, and laid three eggs same as previous White-eye.

broken Nest due to the rain

Again eggs were by the Indian white who rebuilt the nest at the same spot on the same tree. Probably both of them will be friends and both of them would have talked that from here my chicks flew to touch the border of this beautiful sky, you too can try here.

At that time the nest had been made a bit bigger. That was my fifth nest during Lokdown after Tailorbird’s nest. I traced them for 10 days From 2nd of august to 12th August. That was the journey of the first chick from nest to first flight during the delightful days of Raksha Bandhan to janamashtami .

Continue White eye story also in this link given above.

We saved one of them Indian White Eye chick

Rescued chick putting in the nest again.

when I went to park in afternoon to buy something from Vita booth I saw that one thing was moving on grass and several crows were flying in the sky. when I went close to it. It was the small cutie of Indian white eye maybe it was separate from its family. I tried to find its parents but I was not able to find them because they gone in the morning only. so, I helped it as crows were flying (crows are scavengers as well as predators too) in the sky. I didn’t want to took any risk at that time.so I took a wooden stick from Park and I took the chick at my home.

I took a wooden stick from Park and I took the chick at my home to protect

my dad and mom were very happy to see it as it was very tiny. when the crows flew away. I kept the chick again to its home (nest).

The saved white eye chick from crows

I hope that we will able to see more excellent arts of nature. Now the Tailor Bird’s and Indian white eye’s chicks have flew away.