For Your Eyes Only

You’ll know the Indian white-eye by its eyes — or rather, by the bold white ring of tiny feathers around each one, worn like a pair of spectacles it was born with. The rest is just as bright: olive-green above, a throat of pure lemon yellow, a clean white belly. In Marathi it’s simply called the Chashmewala, or the bespectacled one.

This bird is rarely alone. White-eyes work the canopy in restless little flocks, keeping in touch with soft, tinkling calls as they go — sipping nectar with a brush-tipped tongue, gleaning small insects, taking the odd berry. Wherever there’s blossom, they turn up.

This one paused on a branch strung with wild fungi at Ganeshgudi, glowing in the evening light — bright as a drop of sun against the deep forest green.