I woke up early this morning and sat upright in bed. I had woken with a start and felt extremely tired. Surely, it couldn’t be morning already! No light crept in from my ajar bedroom window; my phone lay silent. But it had to be morning for outside, about a dozen birdies chirped for all they were worth. In fact, they presented quite a rousing orchestra, punctuated by some shrill screeches and a few out-of-tune notes. I love birdsong, but just then, I wanted them to shut up and let me catch a few more minutes of sleep.
I inspected the alarm clock on my bedside table.
It was 3.00 a.m.
No kidding! It was HOURS before I needed to wake up, but the birds had grudged me an undisturbed night of sleep. I shut the window all the way through, plugged some cotton-balls into my ears, and tried to slip into dreams again.
Last night wasn’t the first time I have been so unsettled. Lately, the birds have been singing at all odd hours, completely refuting my long-held belief that they serenade the morning. The koel has been especially loud, cooing throughout the day. Many crows attempt to imitate her. I think the sparrows join in too. On silent, brooding summer afternoons, when the world seems to have come to a standstill, I love the music they make. But I would prefer my nights to be quiet, thank you.
But truth be told, I cannot blame the birds for being so boisterous. They are thirsty. They long for rain. Summer has been insanely early in Pune this year, and the heat has started to be scorching. The nights are completely still, without the slightest hint of a breeze. Perhaps, raising their sweet voices in protest is the only thing the birds can do to fight this oppressive weather.
I wish a big horde of birds would come together, complete with sharp beaks and raging tempers, and silence all those who claim global warming is nothing but fear-mongering.
Picture: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net
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Of Paneer, Pulao and Pune 
Sweet, I bet this is the bliss of spring. We have had a similar experience with the birds here, sunrise is a bit early and we curse the early morning rise 😀 . But at the same time, it is just so relaxing to hear to their voice. We have now slowly started to keep bird feed to entertain more of them. Among the many pigeons we are also lucky to sight an occasional robin or two 🙂
Yes, their song is indeed beautiful and melodious. Lucky you to spot the occasional robin! A few days back, I managed to spot a small group of parrots 😃
Thanks a lot for dropping by, Vinay.
Wow. I didn’t think of it from that perspective. I think going ahead I’ll supply water to them in the balcony grill window of ours.
P.S. Your last statement is pretty much a summary of what happens in Robot 2.0 (Rajnikanth movie).
My God, seriously? Haha makes me want to watch it now, if only for the laughs. 😀
It’s a one time watch. Raises the point of ecological and bird conservation, but doesn’t do anything further.
Hmm…that is sad. Well, at least someone is talking about ecological conservation.
Oh! Temperature is soaring high and living beings are showing signs of restlessness. Poor little birds❤
Indeed. My heart goes out to them too.
I’m with you. It’s horrifying to watch while our Earth hurts so badly and people argue about it, all the while doing nothing.
I like bird song but not at 3am! I hope you have a better sleep tonight.
Indeed! It vexes me that the grim reality of the situation doesn’t rile people up more and gets them doing something.
I totally understand. Even Mumbai heat is mad. It sucks out all your energy and tires you out mentally and physically…Hope you get some good sleep soon..
Yeah, Mumbai summers are also pretty oppressive, no? I remember visiting the city a few times in the summer months and gloating about how Pune was so much better. Guess I jinxed it.
Aww.. I feel for the birds! Hope you get your monsoons soon!👍👍
PS – I’m in AWE of how you write! It’s brilliant!❤️❤️
Thank you, Richa. Let’s pray for the rains together.
Also, big hug for making my morning so much happier! ❤
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How nice Deboshree. I liked the way you interspersed the rising temperatures with the early morning chirping of birds. And the description was so beautiful. Global warming is no myth. You are so right.
Thank you! ❤ So happy you enjoyed the post.
Yes – global warming is no myth. Our leaders and administrators need to wake up to this reality.
Oh, I understand! Summers have been cruel lately!
Cruel is correct! 😦 😦
We have been waking up around 6 am ever since the kid started school. Every morning there’s a group of sparrows nibbling muri and drinking water from a container that is kept on the edge of the verandah. The temp is getting so hot every year that it is difficult for them to survive.
You did a wonderful thing by keeping refreshments for the birds in your verandah. It is really painful to see them parched and restless in these draining summers.