A birdwatcher's diary

CEC

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:41:52 GMT

I was at CEC yesterday after a gap of almost a year. I have been doing a lot of catching up recently with people as well as places and the emotional reactions have ranged from nostalgia to complete irritation. It has made me wonder what all this re-connecting really means. Most of the time you're the one more cynical, intolerant or fat than the other person and then it becomes harder to accept the passing of time. Though I do think it's a bit different with places- it's easier to slip into the old ways without being thrown off balance completely.

So the walk through the gate, past the CEC building and the pond was completed with a measure of relief. The only new thing was the rather disturbing presence of House Crows everywhere. They really seem to have increased here in the last 10 years. Not many birds were around in the rain that poured almost continuously. And lots of mosquitoes (the black and white ones that made me nostalgic again). Snails were aplenty on the shrivelled Karvi bushes. Everything was green and muddy broken by the new red foliage of the beheda tree and the gulmohar which was flowering valiantly.

The Karvi also had a number of beetles and flies and an intriguing moth that looks like a bird dropping. No sign or call of the ODK this time although it is expected to nest here. Maybe the crows are responsible. A Shikra, two hornbills, a Black Drongo and Monarch flycatcher were seen along the Pongam valley trail and a Brahminy Kite patrolled overhead. A group of people passed by with sacks- probably collecting the crabs that are found in the rains here.

We reached the 13th culvert and turned back and it started raining heavily. Suddenly we saw a snake, a Bronze backed Tree snake:

It's head is lifted and is looking at the photographer if you look carefully. It was a long snake and after examining us, it shook off some raindrops and went into the undergrowth. A nice walk in the morning which ended with vada-pav near the station !

To the lighthouse

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:52:40 GMT

The Vengurla Point Lighthouse (Estd. 1968) is on a plateau right above the bunder. It opens to the public for an hour everyday and has a great view, besides a chatty light house keeper. The place has a staff of just 3 people at the moment as the lighthouse is controlled automatically. It has a range of almost 40 km out into the sea. From this lighthouse, we could see Vengurla Rocks which are a lonely rocky outcrop in the middle of the ocean. There is an old lighthouse there built during the British rule and its keepers remain there for all the monsoon months because of the rough weather.

Lighthouses seem to be in a universe of their own. The keepers must be having a strange relationship with the sea- they are a reminder to seamen that land is near and yet, their own remote outpost near the ocean cuts them off from other human beings. The lighthouse keepers at Vengurla Point too lead a fairly isolated existence on the plateau. In the evening, the village people come here for walks and you can spot a few tribal women cutting wood on the slopes, but nothing else. The keepers have a small medical unit and a satellite television there. A pipal tree has an idol of Ganesh and some coconut palms have been planted near the quarters.

The lighthouse also has a storm signalling system- incidentally countries use either flags or signalling systems- ours has a signalling system for storms and there's one in Mumbai too. The photo shows one, primarily meant for the fishermen I suppose.

21/6
This lighthouse had two huge bulbs in the lantern room- it was forbidden to photograph them and they also kept a gas lamp for backup. All the optical equipment was made by the French company called Barbier, Benard & Turenne (BBT) in Paris. The French were one of the first to make the lenses used for the lighthouses because a French scientist, Fresnel was the one who discovered the grouped arrangement of lenses that allow most of the light produced by the lamps to be transmitted over a long distance. His method was so efficient that lighthouses worldwide adopted it and it's widely known as the Fresnel lens.

Fish(ing)

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:46:42 GMT

At Vengurla Bunder, there were a few people line fishing. I was curious and went closer to find this pretty fish which was about to die and maybe become someone's lunch. I have ambivalent thoughts about eating fish- I love seafood and find it hard to give up. Over the years, I have read much about the terrible impact of overfishing and the fish species which are now under threat- not to mention the birds and other creatures that are affected by large scale fishing. It makes me feel uncomfortable when I eat fish, thinking about whether it would've been caught ethically or not- (please, no vegetarian vs non-vegetarian rants on this post).

These kind of choices are also important when you visit a place as a tourist. How many resources are you going to use up? How much respect do you have for the environment there & how much pressure are you putting on it? At a practical level, one person's choices may become irrelevant, but at an ethical level it does matter to me.

Orchids by the roadside

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 06:40:15 GMT

Aerides maculosum, Fox brush orchid. Many mango trees had these orchids growing on them.

Vengurla bay

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:57:24 GMT

It's been almost 9 years since I visited the Goa- Sindhudurg area. I felt I'd come home, especially when we were in Vengurla, which is in South Maharashtra in the Sindhudurg district. I think I noticed the lush greenery for the first time because I was so used to the dry and stony surroundings in Hyderabad (which have their own appeal). Many old houses were there, built with red laterite bricks and red tiles. Coconut palms, mango trees- magnificently old and dignified were around every corner. Ficus trees too- Banyan and the Gular (Umbar) were plentiful and fruiting. The rains had sent the first Pancratium lilies above the ground and pink sprays of orchids were common on the mango trees. Four (!) Pied Crested Cuckoos on the plateau near Vengurla town were a sure sign of the approaching rain. Drongo Cuckoos and Plaintive Cuckoos kept up their song as well. Orange Headed Ground Thrushes and Puff throated Babblers sang--it felt like I was greeting some old friends. A beautiful Crimson Sunbird fluttering near the coconut palms was one of the last birds I saw as I left. It wasn't a very long trip, but saw many interesting things.

A tree is a tree is a tree

Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:26:23 GMT

A tree is a tree is a tree
A scientific name, a category.
Careful as you count the leaves-

Is it a pale or dark green weave?
Softly hairy or sandpapery?
A tree is a tree is a tree.

A boy sits there, can't you see?
Sells coconuts, ignorant of botany
a scientific name, a category.

A squirrel has knitted a drey
in a fork and still you say
A tree is a tree is a tree.

The molecules that make up me
flowers, sap, this mellow breeze
bring us closer than capital C's.

Crowds of personas, so many me-s
Resilient, fierce, benevolent trees
grow inside and around categories.
A tree is me-s she-s he-s and thee-s

Ghostly tree

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:04:35 GMT

Probably the alba variety of Tabebuia rosea.. Taken on the
highway last evening.

M. Krishnan

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 06:02:32 GMT

Yesterday, the scorching heat of noon seemed better than my work in the lab, so I went off to Walden and bought a few books, including a collection of M.Krishnan's writings on nature. I had seen his photographs before but didn't know that he wrote. Well he does, and with a wonderfully keen eye and piquant humour. It's been a while since I've read something so wonderful that it makes you pause and smile and sigh every now and then. I haven't read all the essays yet and I am hoping they magically last for a while longer.

I don't know why I hadn't heard of his work earlier. He writes so well about the small stuff- babblers in his garden, bandicoots and watching pigeons in the rain. Going back and reading the rest of the book now, as I just received a mail about an extension of my deadline. Small joys :)

Warmth

Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:27:24 GMT

Flaming trumpet flower
Pyrostegia venusta

Don't talk, don't think

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 05:19:44 GMT

The Wikipedia entry for Serilingampally describes it as one of the "fastest growing suburbs in Hyderabad". Growth, as it turns out is a rather strange word to use. The areas of Gachibowli and Kothaguda that are part of Serilingampally or 'palle' were once partly forests, occupied by tribals who relied on the land to live. Kothaguda forest was supposed to belong to these tribals, but later it was brought under the Serilingampally municipality. Kothaguda village, where people have been living for several years is now being declared as a slum, old houses including an old stone building is to be razed to widen the roads. There are new apartments, so the people who will come to live there will need bigger roads! The old Kothaguda forest has now been taken over to construct a Night Safari. This means, exotic animals will be brought in from outside- after evacuating the local flora and fauna. .

The Botanical Gardens, covering an area of 128.07 acres is going to have some construction work carried out apparently, for 'Eco-tourism'. I don't understand what kind of eco-tourism indulges in the systematic removal of an existing wilderness to substitute it with a sanitized, exotic landscape. This area could become a birdwatcher's zone with some nature education programmes that would conserve some of the rock-scapes, birds, animals and trees. But there is this need to build and tame the land to earn revenue. Has this been done after any kind of surveys or any kind of thinking at all?

Serilingampally was brought under the GHMC last year to bring it into the urban sprawl of Hyderabad. Obviously this means, do what you want, grab as much land, trample on the rights of people and nature. It's YADP (yet another development plan). There must be a good alternative to this, something that can get FD it's revenue, the local people their rights and the residents their green space. But then...as long as we have an attitude of 'this is inevitable' I wonder if anything can happen. Yet, we must try and do our bit, else imagine, the photo I posted on this blog just a few days ago will become a museum piece!

Indian Roller

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 18:35:17 GMT

Was birding at the Botanical Gardens today after a long time. I was sorry to find that even this place seems to be undergoing some kind of pre-construction activity. The place was littered with bottles and wrappers, many trees near the 'tabla rock' had been cut. I want to find out what they have planned here.

Flamingo resource centre

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:43:46 GMT

Nice to know that all the information on flamingos is being collected in one place.

Peace comes dropping slow..

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 13:51:40 GMT

I promised myself that I'd do at least one big trip a year- that meant going to a national park or sanctuary that I hadn't visited before and look for some new and exciting species. This year, nothing of the sort has happened. Mostly because of the work and a dwindling bank balance. As a result I have been forced to do a lot of local birdwatching/wildlifing. And arguably it has been some of the best I have ever experienced. Not as many thrills, but so many insights. To be able to observe changes in seasons closely,- birdsong as summer approached, moths after heavy rains, trees flowering in the spring- such steady, gradual changes!

I feel grateful for this chance. Some birding friends like to poke fun at my rather meagre bird list here, but in a way it has helped me to notice a whole lot of other things. Plants and insects are now big on my list in a way they were never before. Perhaps more importantly, I have begun to appreciate the connections between all these living things in a better way. When you have a chance to live close to nature it closes some of the duality that you experience in city life- the fast-paced nature of work vs the slow workings of your inner self. Also, it isn't something that you realize immediately- a short trip to the jungle is not the same as living through an entire cycle of seasons in the wild.

In a way, this kind of existence helped me in gaining personal courage to face all the expectations and the agendas- some of which I had set for myself. Some part of the self has reconciled itself to the busy world because on the other hand, your time spent in natural surroundings has helped to ease the demands on the mind. Sometimes it is not possible to become a hermit, but it is possible to enjoy a quiet life.

An interesting experiment!

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:56:44 GMT

I have wanted to organize a nature walk on campus for a long time but kept putting it off for some reason or the other. Also, I used to wonder at the general attention span of most people when they were told the name of a bird or a plant. So this time I decided to try out something more participatory. Some labmates and friends were rounded up at 6 AM and we went to the forested area behind HCU. The idea was to spread out and look at as many living things as possible- birds, trees, insects - whatever could be found there. Also, the group had to describe it in the best way possible using drawing, description or a photo. I avoided telling names as much as possible and wanted to find out what all they could observe for themselves. I was hoping that it would result in a moment of discovery for those who came along.

I had a great time listening to everyone's observations. The area which we explored was a mix of open country, woodland and scrub forest, so there were many kinds of sightings. Calls of peacocks, bulbuls, doves and prinias could be heard in the morning. Inside the trail, I didn't do much looking around at all- instead the others did all the hard work, showing me the mushrooms, spiders, dragonflies and butterflies which were plentiful in the late monsoon season. There was an old banyan tree close to an abandoned nursery. We followed the path through this place to approach a clearing where weaver birds were building nests. Plenty of wildflowers-(Common Sopubias, Cat's ears, Glory lilies) were growing here and I was happy to find a pair of Common Picturewings there. Also, I think everyone saw the first birds of the day (Birds were not on most people's list during this walk, although we did hear some calls). I have to appreciate the way most people took their time to take a closer look everything, explored in different directions etc.

Just as we were ending the walk we found a low-lying herb covered in these blister beetles.

During a tea break, we discussed most of the sightings as well as many other topics related to others' travels and experiences with nature, trees, birds etc. I really had a great time listening to everyone. Thank you guys! Some pictures behind the cut:

I am looking forward to organizing something like this again. Will try to think of ways to make it more interesting & challenging as well.

A visitor to the hostel ..

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:58:57 GMT

Chameleon

Websites for bird calls

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 09:06:13 GMT

A quick post to record two links: Sharad Apte's site and xeno-canto for Asia.

Uran

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:01:26 GMT

The rain poured down in Mumbai yesterday but five of us went birding in Uran. It was lush green and very muddy as we walked along the edge of the wetlands. A couple of Common Sandpipers, a Redshank and a Greenshank were the few stray waders hanging around.The resident ducks-Spotbills & Cotton Teals were present in good numbers as well as c40 Greater Flamingoes. Pheasant tailed Jacanas were nesting and we saw one male on a nest with 4 small eggs. He kept tearing at the base of the lotus leaves around the nest. After a few moments of this he would return and sit on the eggs. Baya Weavers and Prinias-Plain and Ashy too were busy in nest construction.

I am so glad I got the chance to be in Mumbai and meet some of the birding gang. Even as we laughed and enjoyed ourselves my thoughts went back constantly to Hari, Roshni & Ashok. As much as one worries about one's own selfish concerns there is nothing more rewarding than companionship or being able to show love and concern for another. It can be better than personal success. I realized there was much to be valued in simply spending time with old friends. The transience of things is sometimes terrifying; one way to face it could be the small important things we believe in.

Peacock Pond

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:09:47 GMT

Such a long month. Not much time to take walks outdoors, much less take photographs. For the last couple of weeks a Hawk-cuckoo's been singing its insistent, unceasing song. I envy the way it keeps calling like that- with a clarity and sense of purpose that I really seem to lack these days.

Today afternoon though I decided to take a break and go to HCU. The Don came along for a while and then had to leave. We walked up to Peacock Pond in HCU campus which adjoins Buffalo Pond - the one I'd posted about earlier. The rains have filled up the pond and the banks were covered with tall grass and reeds. Saw a lot of Marsh Buckwheat growing among the grasses. The nearby rock had a couple of juvenile River Terns with an adult that was calling and flying around nearby. Here's a picture of cormorants and a ~~Night~~ Grey Heron that wanted to rest on one leg for some reason:

White-breasted Waterhens were calling from the reeds and as I was walking along I disturbed a Purple Heron that took off and sat on a dead tree some distance away. The path at the periphery of the pond disappeared after a while and soon I found myself squelching through mud in a manner that was pleasing but detrimental to my jeans. Digiscoping yielded mostly sorry results (as you can see above) but there were many birds around. Saw a pair of Hoopoes fly past, a solitary Bronzewinged Jacana, a preening Pond Heron and a Pied Crested Cuckoo. I'd posted about Silverbills reusing Weaver bird nests earlier and this time, I caught a couple of them red-handed.

I guess they hadn't really decided on which one of them to use as they hopped into this one and then another after a while.

Saw Bee-eaters, Ashy Prinias, a Spotbill Duck and heard many White browed Bulbuls and peafowl around the lake. I wanted to linger but thought it might rain. The walk back was pleasant too, many Ioras calling from the trees and Plum headed Parakeets on the lamp posts.

Madras Snake Park

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:45:13 GMT

I was in Chennai this weekend to attend a wedding but had some free time to visit the snake park at Guindy. It was an interesting place and this time I had the company of little Yasho and Nandini. One of the nicest things was to watch their reactions to the various displays.

Here is Nandini pointing to the longest snake in India.

In India, the reticulated python is only found in the Nicobar islands

Siamese crocodile

A Spectacled Cobra during the demonstration. Other common snakes that were demonstrated
were: Vine snake, Checkered Keelback, Rat Snake & Bronzebacked Tree snake. The demo was
also aimed at dispersing some of the common myths about these snakes.

The boards carrying information on the snakes, crocodilians and lizards were quite good. This place is worth a visit if you're in Chennai.

The neighbouring zoo was not as great with the neglected air that some of the zoos in India have. I was saddened at the spectacle of a White bellied Sea Eagle perched on the edge of a tub of water. I don't know whether it was reared in the zoo itself, but immediately memories of a morning watching this bird hunting on the open sea came to my mind. Felt depressed after that.

Later, it was a bit of a coincidence that I was reading Life of Pi in the train where there is a long passage about zoos. He writes that with the possible exception of captured wild animals, most zoo residents live in a kind of "compressed territory" akin to the way we live in houses. Maybe I should quote this:

"A good zoo is a place of carefully worked out coincidence:exactly where an animal* says to us "Stay out!" with its urine or other secretions, we say to it, "Stay in!", with our barriers. Under such conditions of diplomatic peace, all animals are content and we can relax and have a look at each other"

He goes on to point out how animals that could escape from the zoo did not and in fact returned to the security of their own cages. It was an interesting take on the 'cruelty' factor that most of us associate with zoos. However, he ends the discussion on this note:

"...I don't mean to defend zoos. Close them all down if you want (and let us hope that what wildlife remains can survive in what is left of the natural world). I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both"

* I suppose he means an animal in the wild

Rock Eagle Owl

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 12:13:06 GMT

This owl was the first thing I saw when I reached the gardens, much later than I'd planned. Slowly approached it with the scope and got this photo. Watching those fierce orange eyes looking at me with disdain was a humbling experience. What a great way to end two weeks of confinement in the campus..! It was so windy that the scope along with my tripod (quite heavy) fell down. I had a few bad moments but thankfully nothing was broken. One more pic under the cut:

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:07:49 GMT

Depressing

Botanical Gardens

Sun, 18 May 2008 07:14:18 GMT

This windy morning I didn't expect much from the Botanical Gardens, but as usual the place threw up some surprises. An Ashy Woodswallow was the first bird of the day- I think the pylon there is its regular perch. Kingfisher Rock had a Painted Stork, a Grey Heron and a Little Egret enjoying the breeze. I liked their pose :)

Further on, a Rock Agama was sunning itself. A real beauty, this one:

Agama

In the grasses, as many as 6-8 peahens and a couple of peacocks were walking about. Ashy Prinias, Black Drongoes, S.G Bee eaters and a Long tailed Shrike were noted. We went off to explore some of the areas behind one of the artificial ponds. This was a thorny, overgrown patch but a Painted Francolin made up for that. After some wandering here and there we finally reached the main path once more. Decided to do some birding near the Kingfisher Rock once more, where the water had dried up considerably since I saw it last, but the remaining patch of green was a refreshing sight.

A Large Egret, Woolly necked Stork and 6 Pond Herons had taken refuge here among the reeds and a pair of Red Rumped Swallows were flying about near the overhanging rock- perhaps nesting there. We watched as the heron warily eyed an Egyptian Vulture flying overhead. It was getting hot and we decided to turn back and at the last minute thought of looking for the Woolly necked stork near the far end of the pool. Luckily for us, we disturbed a huge orange and black bird- at first we thought it was a raptor but it turned out to be the Rock Eagle Owl. It sat for a few moments on a rock and I had a good look through the scope. As usual, my camera batteries ran out at the crucial moment so I couldn't digiscope it. It was a lovely bird, highlight of the day.

Fulvous Forest Skimmer

Fri, 09 May 2008 14:24:15 GMT

At a busy intersection in the forest

Thu, 08 May 2008 02:38:40 GMT

Agumbe: Eyes to the ground

Wed, 07 May 2008 04:47:19 GMT

I got back this morning after three days of roaming in the forests of Agumbe. I did a bit of birding, but the more interesting part was watching the amphibians and reptiles.

Frog eggs

Bicoloured Frog

Gecko

Minervarya sahyadris

(the id is thanks to the brilliant guys at ARRS.)