"And above, in the light
Of the star-lit night,
Swift birds of passage wing their flight
Through the dewy atmosphere.
I hear the beat
Of their pinions fleet,
As from the land of snow and sleet
They seek a southern lea."
-- Birds of Passage by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
During last year’s lockdown, my friend and I, while attempting to photograph a Cinereous tit, spoke about how we would visit Vedanthangal bird sanctuary in 2021 to observe migratory water birds on World Migratory Bird Day.
"I'm sure things will be back to normal by then," my friend had said.
Who could have imagined then that the second wave of Covid-19 would hit India like a tsunami?
While the coronavirus pandemic has indirectly disrupted the lives of some birders and bird-watchers, many of them have been directly affected, with their near and dear ones being diagnosed with Covid-19.
A well-known wildlife film-maker, during a casual conversation, said the situation was so grim that not many people would be interested in birding or bird-watching at present.
During the last week of April, a close friend of mine had contracted the virus, which left me worrying constantly. As I sat by myself in the backyard, thinking about the uncertainty as to what the future may hold, a little red-whiskered bulbul flew across making a loud chatter. Although it did sound a bit harsh, it made me feel better.
Following the incident, I did a little reading on how bird sounds can transform our mental health. That’s when I came across an article that stated that listening to tweeting and singing of birds can help alleviate stress.
Today is World Migratory Bird Day and this year’s theme is ‘Sing, Fly, Soar – Like A Bird’. The theme anchors the phenomena of ‘bird song’ and ‘bird flight’ encouraging people to listen to these avians sing and observe them fly.
WMBD helps to inspire people around the globe to protect and celebrate migratory birds. It also prompts people to take action against the decline in migratory bird numbers by safeguarding them.
Wildlife filmmaker and conservation photographer Sandesh Kadur says people are nervously tracking the spread of the virus as it seeps through communities and they need some kind of distraction from reading about gloom and doom on a daily basis.
"People need a distraction right now. It doesn't necessarily have to be World Migratory Bird Day, it can be anything that brings about a sense of hope and happiness," he says.
Beautiful imagery is what provides a kind of escapism to people as they can take their minds off the current scenario and look past it towards more hopeful times.
“The showers of April-May bring along with them the pied crested cuckoo which flies from Africa. That’s the migratory bird that we need to look out for and welcome now,” he adds.
Bird photography and bird-watching are good ways to overcome anxiety as well and people should pursue it.
Wildlife photographer and bird-watcher Rathika Ramasamy says not all people are disheartened because of the pandemic.
"In fact, there are many people who are waiting to go bird-watching soon and are anticipating the best. I know enthusiasts who have been spreading positivity by posting photographs that had been shot previously and sending messages related to nature and wildlife," she says.
She adds that bird songs tend to soothe the mind and encourages people to listen to them. She mentions that there are around 35 species of commonly-sighted urban birds.
“People can sit in their backyards and observe them even if they are not able to go out and observe migratory birds since it is said that people living in neighbourhoods with more birds, trees, and shrubs are less likely to suffer from anxiety, stress, and depression.”
“Human beings can also take inspiration from migratory birds which face all odds and fly across continents even with the rapidly changing climate and global warming. Just like these migratory birds, we can also embrace uncertainty and hope for the best amidst this unprecedented challenge that we are facing,” Rathika adds.
This year, let’s not only celebrate and spread awareness about migratory birds, but also listen to birds sing and watch them fly to find solace.