Ducks and birds and a snake (oh my)
The first day on the backwater, as we were slowly cruising down a canal (and the stone walls are a relatively new addition), we suddenly heard a lot of quacking and then saw many, many ducklings sliding down a slide and into the water.
These ducks come from a number of different "duck farms" along the water, usually with a house nearby.
These farms keep ducks for their eggs ... not the meat. Or at least that's what our tour leader told us. (While he is a Jain, he is as much a Jain as I am a Jew, or even less so. So he has no objections to eating duck from a religious standpoint.) The water forms a natural extension of the ducks enviornment on land. And apparently they are let out a specific times during the day which is when a veritable flood of them hit the water, all loudly quacking. And we're told that when they want to eat, they return to the farm. So it seems like an ideal situation ... until you factor in the snake.
I'll admit that I'm not a herpetologist nor have I ever even played one on television. And apparently no one else on the boat was either. (Few of us saw the snake and I apparently got the only picture of it -- but unfortunately the Hindu Times was not interested in purchasing it.) The snake's mouth is open -- and I imagine that, like an iceberg, most of the snake is underwater. However, unless this is a snake that can unhook its jaw and swallow large prey, it seems that only little duckings and not the adult ducks would fit. My sister-in-law, who used to live in Nepal and is very familiar with India, tells me this is a python. I see no reason to dispute that. We didn't see any ducks eaten.
I also acknowledge I'm no ornithologist. In fact, I'm not really a bird watcher. Still, with the beautiful birds presetting themselves, I have to take a few pictures.
We start with a Kingfisher, who presumably is out looking for a bottle of beer.
Next is what I've been told is a Great Egret.
And finally is a mystery bird.
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