Witnesses of life-and-death dramas
Dear all
While we enjoy and appreciate all great shots the young 2nd-calendar-year male (according to my judgement) affording us (I was one and probably the only one-hundred-per-cent birdwatcher there)
such a near-view of such a marvelous creation of nature, we should constantly remind us the bird and
million of other migrants are carrying out a LIFE-AND-DEATH endeavour to return to their homeland.
The bird as I found by all chance be desperately hungry and resorted to hunt those small butterflies among the wild flower-bed below him. He ignored the twelve fully exposed giant creatures uttering gunshot-like
sounds around him because without food to partially compensate the vast amount of body-heat he has already lost
even such a raptor cannot fly high to brave the elements and possible gunshots encountered in the Mainland, they might not be able to survive and come back again for another year. He flew thrice to snatch a butterfly each time. It then stopped. Possible explanation is that it barely finished his first morsel his survival instinct then overcame him and pushed him to stop and stay away.
I personally left after I got an excellent view of its instinct malar stripe, hoping in this way
setting an example that enough is enough. If ten well-aimed shots would be enough, then aim well and
take ten and leave. Don't let greediness overcome us. He will come back again.
We are lucky beings that we don't have to leave our home and migrate thousands of kilos twice a year, betting nature would have mercy on us. Therefore please give the birds enough space so as to spare
them fooding space, thus enhancing them a better survival chance.
S L Tai
