Big Bird Day 2012

" Kya aap birthday party ke liye aye hain?", asked a young guard posted at the campus gates, as we asked for directions. Another car joined the queue, with similar query, and the guard was puzzled by the  group gathering for some crazy early morning birthday party. The time was 7 am, on Sunday 5th February morning and a group of 10-15 people had collected at JNU gates for the event.

White Wagtails

"Arre birthday nahin, Big Bird day ke liye aye hain saab", quipped another senior and experienced guard. The occasion was Big Bird Day, an annual event of active bird watching community in the country. At least 10 or more teams start birding at different places around Delhi. Jointly, by the end of the day, the teams try to watch as many species as possible, tabulate the list of each team and arrive at the total number of bird species collectively seen during the day. My sister and me were part of JNU team headed by Dr. SP, a veteran birder.

Indian Silverbill / Munia

Soon a security jeep escorted all visitors to the location where Dr. SP was waiting. After quick introductions interspersed with occasional spotting of a bird species, we headed of to explore the campus and ridge area around JNU. Within few minutes common birds like parakeets, mynas and pigeons were sighted  and ticked away in the official bird count list. A spotted owlet took keen interest in our group, puzzled by early morning human activity in its surroundings.

Yellow wattled lapwing

 To locate more birds, we moved away from human civilization towards ridge forests around JNU campus. By 10 am, the bird count had reached fifty five however many common ridge area birds like larks and pipits had not been seen. I had learned to differentiate between warblers, bushchats and stone chats and learned that all small brown birds are not sparrows.

Black winged Stilt

Breakfast in the campus guest house created opportunity for casual chats and we got to know a bit more about our fellow team-mates. It was a mixed group of amateur and seasoned birders from different professional backgrounds. Few had taken up this as hobby after retirement, the senior most being a 77 year old gentleman. The youngest in the group, aged 7 -12 years were also enthusiastic birders who had memorized the Grimmett guide to Birds of Indian Subcontinent.

Long Billed pipit

Shankar Vihar, was the second location to be visited by our team. It is a huge stretch of wasteland between Mahipalpur and Vasant Kunj, where sewage water from a nearby treatment plant has accumulated. Delhi birders discovered that the spot has been functioning as a wetland for the last few years. Black winged stilts, gadwalls, northern shoveler and lapwings were spotted there in huge numbers. The urban wasteland has been embraced by migratory birds as a winter home.

Brown headed Barbet

Bhatti mines was the third and last birding location for the Big Bird Day. We hoped to find ridge area birds like vultures and eagles. The afternoon half however did not yield expected results, as only a long billed pipit, a long tailed shrike and 4-5 more birds were added to the bird count list. It was sunset by the time we headed home. In Delhi NCR, 155 species of birds had participated in the day long bird birthday celebration. Hoping the next year will see increase in the number of participants.

Common Kestrel hovering midair

Let each day be a "Bird Day" celebration.

Birding in Himachal hills

Oriental White-eye

A wedding invitation brought me to a small village near Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh.  Hamirpur gets it's name from Raja Hamir Chand of Katoch dynasty, who ruled over this region from 1700 to 1740 AD.

Lesser Flameback Woodepecker

Away from the dust and grime of the cities, the birds were brighter, easier to spot and photograph. Many were attracted by the wedding feast and food scraps thrown out from the community kitchen. Among these were varieties of woodpeckers, magpies, bulbuls and mynas. The lesser flameback and brown fronted woodpecker were bold enough to pose for the camera.

Brown-fronted Woodpecker

Great Titmouse

Red Billed Blue Magpie

Birds as well as humans enjoyed the wedding feast; everyone sharing the joy of auspicious occasion, showering their blessings and good wishes on the married couple and their families.

#birdwatching #indianbirds #woodpeckers #birdingwindow #birding #himachalbirds #naturelovers #nature

Birding Around Mukteshwar - II

Redbilled Blue magpie

A well known idiom says that,"Early bird catches the worm". Most members of the Avian world follow this advice religiously. Early morning is the time when birds are most active. This also the time for birders and especially bird photographers to observe and capture the avian life at its best. 

Hectic schedule, during recent visit to Mukteshwar, pushed birding to backseat. However, my visit to the place would be incomplete without documenting some feathered friends. Hence, one day, just after sunrise, I embarked on walk around our hotel  to greet these local residents.

A Furry Friend practices Yoga

The most eagerly awaited day of a working week is Friday. This holds true for our office too. This is also the day, when we take a break from the computer and desk job routine, for an hour of yoga. Deviating from the Avian theme, by featuring a health conscious mammal, who visits balcony at home.

This furry friend, a squirrel,  is seen practicing yoga asanas here. Revealed here, is the secret behind strength and agility, that enables our furry friend to scale vertical walls and catwalk on tightropes.  Watch closely.

Ready - Steady- Go

Stretching to warm up those muscles

Can you touch your nose......with your toes

Try this... Paschimottanasana

Exercising with instruments

Relaxing after strenuous workout session

Whew ... those asanas were something... Hope you enjoyed this break.. Will return to our Feathered friends now.. watch out for future breaks.. keep fit

Birding in National Parks - Part 1 Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

 

Lake at Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

The year 2011 started on a good birding note. The second Sunday of the year, saw us heading towards Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary in Harayana. Our family planned to visit the bird sanctuary to see the migratory bird that nested there during winter season. While researching the routes to reach Sultanpur, we were surprised to find out that it was about 35 kilometers from our home by road. Traveling through Najafgarh and other villages on Delhi Rawta border was estimated to take us around an hour to reach the place.

Black Winged Stilt

Sunday, 9th January dawned as a cold, foggy and rainy day. Chances of viewing birds, migratory or resident, seemed too bleak. However, our heart was set on visiting the place and we drove off towards Harayana, after breakfast. Weather gods were benevolent after the early morning drizzle; soon the sky cleared up and the rain had stopped.

 

Cattle egrets

The outing looked promising in spite of the late start. The modern day traffic gods played truant as usual. Delhi traffic showed its colours after drive of 5-6 kilometers from our home. Our car had to crawl  for an hour, through dense traffic, which started from main Najafgarh road up to Khaira village crossing. Thankfully, traffic and noisy human habitats ended beyond this point. We enjoyed rest of the drive through fields and fruit orchards along the Delhi- Harayana border.

 

Teals, Lapwings, Moorhens



Common coot

On the way we found vendors selling fresh guavas and bought 4 to 5 kilos of the delicious green fruit. We reached Sultanpur around lunch time. After quick snacking on guavas and sandwiches, we entered the bird sanctuary to explore.

Grey heron

 Storks, herons, moorhens, teals and ducks were enjoying the warm afternoon sun. Painted stork families were nesting and were noisiest of all. Peacock, kingfishers, parrots were some of the more common birds that we saw.

The Sultanpur lake had been replenished by the abundant monsoon rains, hence many species of  birds were visible this year.  We stayed for short while, pledging to return later for lengthier exploratory visit.



Painted Stork in Flight



Quotes displayed near Sultanpur national Park Gates

Everyone wants to understand painting. Why is there no attempt to understand the song of the birds? (Quote by - Pablo Picasso)

A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. (Chinese proverb)


Birding around Mukteshwar

Mukteshwar is a quite hill township in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. The small town is perhaps better known for the man-eating tigress that terrorized people in the neighboring villages in late 1920s and was killed by Jim Corbett in 1929.

    No tiger, spotted near Mukteshwar in recent years, however leopards are seen occasionally  around IVRI forest reserve near the town. Jackals, mountain goats and various species of birds can be spotted around fruit orchards and forests of the area.

Black and Orange flycatcher

The area is now a popular tourist destination in summer, known for the panoramic views of the Nandadevi and Trishul mountain range of the Himalayas. This part of Uttarakhand is also famous for fruit orchards of plums, apricots, apples, peaches and sweet lime. Known as the "fruit basket", Mukteshwar orchards send supplies all over India. Frequent visits to Mukteshwar for work in the last 1-2 years, have given me a chance  to photograph the beautiful species of birds of the Himalayan ecosystem. Sharing pictures of a few of them that I could capture this spring season.

Barn Swallow - It makes a new mud nest in the project site office every year.

Black Throated Tit - A tiny bird, hunts for insects in bark of apple and plum trees on site.

My camera card always ended up having more pictures of the scenic views, village life and birds than the project site. Once, while going through site photographs in an office meeting, the images of a local home with cattle pen popped into the slideshow. Our structural engineer asked bemusedly, "What is this?" My boss immediately quipped,"Contractor and his site team", and everyone burst out laughing.

This bird is part of Quality Check Team. Can be seen checking steel reinforcements here :)

Grey headed Canary Flycatcher

Black Lored Tit looks more like a stylish bulbul but can be easily distinguished by black streak across lores

Hoping to capture images of other birds when I visit Mukteshwar next. More feathered friends coming soon.   :D

#birding #indianbirds #himalayas #birdwatching #birdwatchingphotography

The pigeon story: A first hand account

This is the story of a pair pigeons who made home a corner of the balcony at my place. I never thought the eggs will ever hatch if they escaped the evil eyes of crows around, but they were meant to survive. All was well till an unfortunate incident united us with the pigeon family in their agony...

I had thought the eggs will fall prey to one of the crows around. Pleasantly, one fine morning, I discovered the poor helpless chicks out in open. I really felt bad for them. Dunno why the mother pigeon could not find a safer place....

Things in a larger perspective. That pot in the upper rack in the corner is the home to the chicks. Thats where the eggs were laid. I know you are amazed too. The mother pigeon would fly to neighborhood every time we went to balcony. She trusted us completely or was just helpless...

Chicks are growing....

Still growing, day by day....

Could finally catch them with mom.

My bai had already started complaining about the mess they were creating everyday :)

Soon they will outgrow the pot. Probably they have already. Look at the mess around...

Closer. That makes them attentive...

Here they are in their teens. When we are not looking the whole balcony is their playground and now they have their personal pots to sit. Huddled together for the click...

The youth, cant tell them from parents in one glance.

Venturing unknown territories..

They are no more afraid of us. Well, cant say that, they can hardly fly.

Tragedy struck!!! The chicks were attacked by an eagle ;( One fell victim to it, the other literally knocked on the door to let it in the house.

Here we see the mother pigeon. She could not find the chicks at the usual place. She sensed something wrong happened in the balcony, wont dare coming there. Just waiting somewhere near by.

Waiting for the chicks to appear...

The remains of the fight put up...

The refugee. He spent the whole night there.

We tried to feed it, but it wont budge.

Morning came, so came the parents looking for the kids. At least they found one. We were so relieved. They kept returning next two days, still hopeful, but ALAS!!

The story ends with this reunion. Hope they have a short memory and remain happy ever after, but not so short a memory to make a similar nest. They learnt it the bitter way, if they have.