The Pied-Cuckoo is Running Late.
This year, the much-anticipated Pied has made its appearance later than expected. Last year, I saw this harbinger of the monsoons on the 2nd of July, but this year, it appeared on the 15th of July, 2010. I’ve been awaiting its arrival since mid-June, often venturing with my camera. On the 16th, I went in search of it again, and though I only heard its marvellous call from a valley inaccessible by road, its presence was undeniable.
Now that the Pied-Cuckoo has arrived in Abu, I’ll be sharing some snapshots of these and other birds that head this way at the start of the monsoon season. According to folklore, these birds are the true harbingers of the monsoons, arriving a week or ten days before the rains begin. So far, our monsoons have not started. Each day, heavy clouds accumulate, only to vanish by evening.
Yesterday, the bunyas held a “Havan,” lighting their sacred fire and pouring kilos of ghee over it to appease the rain gods. Unfortunately, the rains did not break, leading me to humorously speculate that the ghee might have undergone adulteration, as is often the case with many products here. Perhaps a traditional rain dance like that of the Native Americans might have had a more positive effect.
Here’s to hoping that the Pied-Cuckoo, all the way from Africa, will usher in the much-needed rain that has been playing peek-a-boo with our small hill station for the last fortnight.
Cheers to the Cuckoo! “Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!”
