6 bulbuls, 4 years: A musical thread

These #birds have been a part of my life for nearly a decade. Ancient myths credit their songs for soothing the minds of lovesick princesses & wounded soldiers. In my world, they've made my heart sing many times.

Here are our greatest hits.

The first was this red-whiskered bulbul. I saw it in 2012 while sitting on the doorstep of a cottage in Munnar. Excited, I banged on the bathroom door to tell my friend, who was taking a crap, that I'd seen a rare bird. I had no idea it was widespread in #Chennai - where I lived.

The 2nd was this red-vented bulbul, another common bird. I had photographed this one from my friend's terrace in 2013. I thought it was the juvenile of a red-whiskered bulbul until a Facebook birdwatching group member shamed me into realizing it wasn't.

The 3rd was this white-browed bulbul I saw during a road trip to Puducherry in 2014. It came out of nowhere and stared at me. Since it was a cloudy day, the lighting was poor. And I could only manage to click this photo. It wasn't until years later that I saw this bird again.

The 4th was this flame-throated bulbul (pic 1) that blew my mind in Valparai. The gorgeous red patch on its throat left me a lump in mine. That year (2015), I had also seen the fifth, a square-tailed bulbul, while trekking in Kodaikanal.

The 6th was the yellow-browed bulbul I sighted during an evening walk in 2016. Coincidentally, I was in the same location (Megamalai), where I saw my first bulbul. It felt just as good to see another species of a bird.

After all, a bulbul by any other name would sing as sweet.