The last time I was in Mysore five years ago, the Sunbirds used to visit. These are tiny, sprightly, cheerful birds that flit energetically around. They make chirping sounds similar to a rubber squeeze toy. They are really adorable. One time Lakshmish, the Sanskrit teacher, visited our house and he and I were chanting the Bhagavad Gita on our porch. Two Sunbirds perched on the telephone wire right in front of us and merrily chirped along with the chant. When we switched to the Yoga Sutras, which doesn't have a rhythmic structure, they looked at each other and clearly chirped, "Okay, we're outta here", and they flew off.
I love the Sunbirds, and on Monday, June 30, I was hanging laundry on the rooftop clothesline and saw four of them flitting around a nearby treetop. I watched them for a few moments and then a male perched on a pipe just a few feet away from me and chirped and sang to me. I felt that he was welcoming me to Mysore, and it made me very happy to finally get close enough to one to get a really good look. They're so small and so fast it's hard to really see them.
Here's a link to a Wiki article about them, but it doesn't convey their personality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple-rumped_Sunbird
I love the Sunbirds, and on Monday, June 30, I was hanging laundry on the rooftop clothesline and saw four of them flitting around a nearby treetop. I watched them for a few moments and then a male perched on a pipe just a few feet away from me and chirped and sang to me. I felt that he was welcoming me to Mysore, and it made me very happy to finally get close enough to one to get a really good look. They're so small and so fast it's hard to really see them.
Here's a link to a Wiki article about them, but it doesn't convey their personality.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple-rumped_Sunbird
