The Bar-headed Geese

I’ve been over Sagarmāthā,
winked at wall of death.
Aerial fights with Golden Eagle,
anon the Indian breath.

I’ve raised six Tibetan goslings,
in their mountain lakes.
Our Gander honked to meadows South,
along with other drakes.

Bird watchers count the bars on head,
divide the total by two.
Some are wedded by the rings,
to audit our deadly flu.

I return to higher land for summer,
with just two goslings ringed.
One was shot, another for Hawk,
two were plastic winged.

Vineith Mahadev

Vineith has been trekking the ranges of the Western Ghat since he was 9 years old. His passion for the Western Ghats, its richness and biodiversity, earned Vineith his nickname: Malabaricus which means "belonging to the Western Ghats". Working as a naturalist in Nagarhole and Kabini he honed his skills of tracking Indian mammals, birding, etc. His scientific approach towards storytelling always brings a new angle and depth to every sighting.