Feeding the Birds
A Red- tailed Bulbul feeding in the garden P utting out some bird food for the birds in one’s garden or terrace is a wonderful way to give something back to nature and also to fill surroundings with sweet song of birds all day. Occasionally they do make a racket but then which sweet creature including little children do not. Premixed bird seed is not available in Indian market to my knowledge but a variety of other foods that humans too use are available and one can prepare one’s own mix easily. millets are the most popular grain people use here to feed birds and there is also a special grass seed just for birds called kangani that is much tinier than millets and a favorite of bird lovers. My own practice is to prepare a five kg mix of millets, kangani, white and black sesame seeds, yellow and brown mustard, crushed peanuts, crushed wheat and some washed split lentils. I have added sun flower seeds to the mix too but usually avoid it because it is expensive here. This is