Thursday, February 11, 2010

White cheeked barbet

A common arboreal bird seen in well wooded localities, it feeds fruits on fig trees such as banyan and peepul. Bright green above pale below they have broad lines across ear coverts and distinguishing white patch on the cheek. They blend well in the foliage and so when face with danger will go still. A loud kotur-kotur call is quite known to most people although they may not have seen the bird. Barbet have thick swollen bill that is stronger than woodpecker and used to chisel nest on tree, they have bristles on the root of bill that is typical features of these birds (this snap was taken at Cubbon park Bangalore, must say these lush gardens are great places to be in but unfortunately frequented by scums of society from drug peddlers to god knows who all...it is quite unsafe if you go further into dense part, bad experience).

Tanaga the short Filipino poems

Tanagas are four line poems with 7 syllables having same rhyme at the end of each line. They are handed down from oral history and are used to share proverbs and moral/ethics. Tanaga was originally done in Tagalog language; it is now a dying art. Unfortunately not much could be found on the net (the library nearby was no help at all), except these…

"Katitibay ka Tulos
Sakaling datnang agos!
Ako'y mumunting lumot
sa iyo'y pupulupot."

Translation:
"Oh be resilient you Stake
Should the waters be coming!
I shall cower as the moss
To you I shall be clinging."

I read that Philippines government has taken initiatives to preserve and encourage this art form. I hope they also upload some info on the net about this form of poem, history and contemporary poets if any.