“Give me at sunrise a garden of beautiful flowers where I can walk undisturb'd”

These lines on a piece of rock at an immaculate demonstration garden in Bellevue pulsates magic from within, elevate even the prosaic person into moments of ineffable tranquility.  With roots in a tropical climatic zone, I cannot stop admiring the kaleidoscopic changes of this verdant landscape day after day, while, as fly on the wall, I hear residents talk about the unequivocal climate changes, the increasingly hot, sweltering summer, et al.

On clear days, watching the picturesque ‘beautiful views’ of Bellevue (as its name means in French) from strategically positioned landmarks is sheer bliss.  Notwithstanding the burgeoning populace and increasing urbanization of this global city that is home to innovative corporate giants, it exhibits a fairy-tale charm with its renowned lakes, creeks, waterbodies, and queer trails in the pristine forests that are dwelling places of several bird species; locating them amidst shrubs, perches and on the tall evergreens is an engaging activity, more rewarding is capturing them with a high-quality lens.

A walk on the trails offers the best sensorial-visual delights; not just this, it instills love and appreciation for all life forms, decreases isolation, and negative thoughts, and visibly enhances the quality of life.  Relaxing on the benches along the trail as the tangerine sun casts its spell on the waters of the lake and the vegetation is soul-elevating. One encounters the sharp-shinned hawk, the large heron, the Mallard ducks and the elusive sun-bathing turtle.  While the robins and the humming birds are domesticated enough to enter human habitat with much boldness, the wrens, towhees, and stellar jays are still elusive.  Blueberry farms attract the dark-eyed Juncos, Cedar waxwings and chickadees in large numbers, the chickadees are distinctly popular with their amusing ‘dee dee’ calls.  Watching them fly in like a dart of arrows into the dense undergrowth around sunset is intriguing; it happens in the wink of an eye.

With autumn around the corner, the hummingbirds are all over, on the wooded shrubs, in the garden feeders trying to gather as much nectar as possible before they head southwards.  So are the bees, busy collecting nectar from the magenta-colored wildflowers, roses, and other colorful flora, while the hawk relaxes on the perch beside the lake, occasionally 'hawking'  a snack of dragonflies and tiny birds hovering over the water bodies.  The green heron is a frequent visitor; it is enthralling to watch the statue-like posture camouflaged on woody trunks. Amazingly, my husband, who is never parted from his camera could get a great picture of an osprey perched atop a tall tree at Larsen Lake, which has plenty of winged visitors including the goldfinch.  

Tryst with birds is unbelievably therapeutic!

(Photos Courtesy: N. Ravi)