Grosbeaks – they do look a bit ungainly at times, the large beak dominating a petite, albeit strikingly colourful, body… one of those instances where evolution tilted too heavily towards utility… the French called it out directly, ‘gros bec’ translating to ‘fat beak’, and the English just garnished it with an alphabet or two… maybe ‘tis the ignominy of being called fat that makes some grosbeaks reticent, plying their trade in the confines of dark, brooding canopies… the black-and-yellow grosbeak is one of those, in contrast to its bright plumage sifting rather unostentatiously through soft, moist floors of conifer forests… quintessentially restive like most finches, and an annoyed look that seems comical as once juxtaposes it against the large conical beak… these grosbeaks call the Western Himalayan arc home, the range extending a little bit further into Pakistan and Afghanistan…

We were driving with no specific objective in mind on narrow, forested roads around Narkanda, I had to taper for an ultra the next day so was looking for easy pickings when it came to birding… a couple of hundred metres before the road to Hatu Peak flew by these yellow specks, and we duly came to a halt… turned out to be a group of three male black-and-yellow grosbeaks hastily foraging through the roadside, picking out what were likely pine nuts, as expected irked by the traffic but more so by the stalker with his intrusive bins… the warmth of spring was visible in their chirpiness as they prepped up for the breeding season looming ahead… ‘tis remarkable how well these birds camouflage despite their bright plumage, the forest conjuring patterns of sun and shade to complement their movements… the birds obliged for about five-odd minutes, flitting about the hillside, picking out nuts beneath dried pine needles, before disappearing into the thicket, pulling the curtains down on a brief but pleasant rendezvous…

Black-and-yellow grosbeak, Narkanda, Himachal Pradesh