Another Owl story

An anecdote that won't be in the book...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Ashoka University, India!

When I started writing the book, I had to resign myself to the fact that not all of my material could make it into the final version. It was simply too vast to be included. I felt physically hurt as I removed several stories from the book.

This is one such anecdote about me and an owl. Right now, I simply can’t find a place to keep it. It is just resting in my “cutting room floor” document. So I thought I’d share it, and give everyone a taste of the book.

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“What is that ruddy noise?”

I flickered in and out of the conversation. Whenever I tried to focus, the persistent “Caw caw caw” crept into my ears. Incessant. Irritating.

There were six of us—me, my parents, my sister and our two hosts around the living room and the raucous crows outside that were caught in a massive outcry.

We were visiting some friends in Bangalore. We all sat in their spacious living room, listening to the crows, still caught in the awkward pretence that precedes such gatherings.

“Crows these days. Bloody nuisance, I tell you.” 

“They’re not usually so riled up. I wonder what’s happening”.

“Ignore them, yaar. They’ve been at it since sunrise. Probably waiting for someone to feed them.”

I couldn’t ignore the crows. No matter how hard I tried. It’s the curse of being a birdwatcher; once your ears catch a bird call, you can’t tune it out. Not even crows. 

Jaw clenched, I strutted up to the window. It was larger than me, overlooking a tiny garden. The lawn was no larger than a bathtub, stopping where the road started. A lemon tree grew along one edge with potted plants scattered around it. 

Five crows perched atop the telephone line, cackling like there’s no tomorrow. They seemed to look accusingly at the lemon tree as if something was wrong with it.

It appeared perfectly ordinary to me. Why were they so flustered?

A flap of white flashed from within the tiny tree. Something was bundled in its depths. 

I exited the house and entered the garden. This agitated the black birds above, sending them off in a flurry of wings. I stepped towards the tree with caution.

At first, all I saw was white. But soon, it was eclipsed with brown feathers, faintly patterned over. Two scaly legs with obsidian claws came into view. And two glinting black eyes that were too large for the bird. 

A barn owl stared back at me.

This is a jungle owlet—not a barn owl. But I haven’t photographed a barn owl yet, so this will have to do for this post.

Any discontent I had at the moment instantly evaporated. Owls are arguably my favourite birds. No other bird is as deceptively cute–its bulbous eyes hide a killer that strikes in the dead of night. Sleeping during the day, they prowl the night skies for insects and other creatures of the dark. If you’re a mouse or lizard, you’d better hide before the sun sets. An owl might just whisk you away before the next morning. 

This owl wasn’t asleep. Its slumber had been interrupted by those notorious crows who just couldn’t leave a raptor alone. Out of reverence for this formidable bird, I backed away. 

It was a startling reminder that wild creatures persist in cities—the concrete jungles we live in. Books and documentaries might showcase wildlife that live only in distant lands. But our metropolises also harbour a dazzling array of creatures. They persevere in a sea of humanity. You just need to know where to look.

Flipping through my memories, I realised this had been a recurrent theme in my formative years. In the barbets and squirrels I observed from my balcony as a child, the snakes I’d spot in garbage dumps, and the snared pigeons I unhooked from clotheslines. Each encounter brought a bit of the wild into my home.

And then animals actually began visiting…

Postcard

The first drawing might look like a normal, domestic goat, but it isn’t. It is actually a wild animal called a nilgiri tahr, and it is only found in the Western Ghats of India. No where else on earth. Think about it! There are creatures that exist only in small corners of our planet!

The second image is a drawing I copied from Pinterest. It is a take on a character from one of my favourite shows - Attack on Titan. I haven’t drawn people enough, and so it was interesting to try this new subject. Let’s see if I draw more humans!

Favourite Quote

“It seems counterintuitive, but it's true: in order to achieve "flow," magic, "the zone," we start by being common and ordinary and workmanlike. We set our palms against the stones in the garden wall and search, search, search until at last, in the instant when we're ready to give up, our fingers fasten upon the secret door. Like a child entering a meadow, we step over the threshold, forgetting everything except the butterfly that flits across our vision.” - Steven Pressfield

Have a creative, wild and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)

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