Winter is setting in over Hyderabad. Not that the rest of the country would dignify these temperatures with that name, but we're happy with the light chilliness, such as it is, and nearly all of our populace is indulging in sniffles, coughs and associated maladies.
I'm beginning to associate winter evenings with little green bee eaters. I haven't been interested in birds for very long and so, hadn't noticed these swarms till last year. Last October, however, Shweta and I were bemused by their sudden appearance and sheer numbers. They are particularly fond of one tree in the colony and from 4.30 in the afternoon, at least 300 - 400 of them darken the skies as they make their way home. They take rather a while to settle down, swooping and darting about without any consideration whatsoever for the trapezius muscles of interested birders. The accompanying orchestra dies down only after 6.00 pm when the sun has gone down.
