One quiet afternoon a few weeks ago, I looked out of my bedroom window to see a hoopoe sitting on the Millingtonia tree, and surveying his immediate environment. (Now I dont know for sure if it was a he or a she, since they both look alike, but since he had the cocky air quite typical of the male species in general, I assumed he was male!) Was he looking for a mate, a nesting site? Hoopoes nest between February and May, in tree hollows. Nowadays though, gaps between roof tiles will do nicely thank you.
I hurried off to get my little Sony Cybershot, and my binoculars to capture the moment. So, while the picture is not great, I did get a long, uninterrupted look-see through my binos. What an interesting plumage. Fawn coloured, and then the feathers on the back and wings have this zebra-like stripes. It also has a crest, which stayed folded back, all the time I was watching it. But it opens up the crest, like a fan every now and then. If you want to see a hoopoe with its crest open, click here.
As I looked, the hoopoe turned around and fixed me with a hard, long stare, its eyes glinting in the sun, and its long curved bill reminding me of a narrow scimitar. It is supposed to use its bill like forceps, to pick up worms and grubs, from the soil. Rather elegant and sophisticated dont you think?!
It then let out a soft call, which was a lovely, musical one, travelling in the breeze to me. Salim Ali describes the call as a "hoo-po, hoo-po", which it really did!
After a while, the hoopoe left, in a flash of black and white, and I was just left with the memory.... and the picture.
More than the hoopoe, the Millingtonia Hortensis caught my eye, in this season when the leaves are shed on the top, I recall seeing many large seasonal ikebana with such a kind of view, I must remember maramalli tree. Malathi.
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