Bulbul Sharma has spent a lifetime exploring the gardens, parks and forest areas in and around Delhi. This delightful book is the result of her wanderings. From Grey Hornbills and Rose-ringed Parakeets in Lodi Gardens to the handsome resident Indian Eagle-owl at Tughlakabad Fort, she recounts her observations of all manner of birds and animals with the zeal of a true nature lover. She describes how the different seasons bring about changes to Delhi’s flora and fauna. During fog-shrouded winter days, she makes her way to Sultanpur Lake to watch the migratory birds; in Delhi’s brief spring, when every roundabout and garden is a riot of colour, she watches the birds busily building their nests. In the cruel summer months when everyone escapes indoors to escape the heat, the calls of the Coppersmith and the Green Barbet resound from every leafy tree. And then the monsoon arrives heralded by the Pied-crested Cuckoo which never fails to predict the rain.
Sharma observes how the enforced solitude of the lockdowns in Covid days turned many of us into nature lovers, who suddenly discovered the pleasures of watching the birds on the trees. Now that things are back to normal, she hopes that these newborn nature lovers will continue to savour one of life’s simplest joys—birdwatching.