Mr Ramanan's unusual finds in our city

The Hindu : Photo op:

Orange-breasted green pigeon. Photo: Ramanan Padmanabhan

Photo op PRINCE FREDERICK Ramanan Padmanabhan studies and photographs the great horned owl at the Nanmangalam Reserve Forest. While trekking through the scrub jungle on the morning of August 31 and searching for his favourite bird, he was greeted with a rare sight. It was an orange-breasted green pigeon.

A senior member of the Madras Naturalists Society and a wildlife photographer, Ramanan identified the frugivorous bird straightaway. “The lone bird was feeding on scrub fruits and when I drew near for a clearer view through the lens, it glided into thicker greenery to avoid detection. This is a camouflage technique typical of this pigeon,” recalls Ramanan. This is the first time anyone has reported sighting an orange-breasted green pigeon at any reserve forest in and around Chennai. “This bird is found in the evergreen forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats,” says Ramanan.

It's interesting to note that two months later, the birdwatcher had another rare sighting — this time, it was a dark-sided flycatcher perched on a rain tree in his backyard. “The dark-sided flycatcher was sighted at 3.30 p.m. on November 3 on a raintree at Shastri Nagar. Despite an unrelenting downpour, the bird was busy pecking at insects and it took up different perches on the same tree. From beak to tail, the flycatcher was around 13 cm long,” says Ramanan. For two more days, he sighted the bird on the same tree and, when the skies cleared up, he snapped a few pictures of it. “The dark-sided flycatcher is a long-distance migrant: it breeds in Siberia, Mongolia and travels to the western and eastern Himalayas during winter,” says Ramanan. Commenting on both sightings — confirmed as first-of-their-kind in Chennai by the Madras Naturalists Society — naturalist V. Guruswami says: “Through sustained observation and research, we arrive at the geographical limits of birds. They may exceed these known limits, but this fact often goes unnoticed. It takes bird enthusiasts to spot these birds, when they ‘stray' off their known haunts. The dark-sided flycatcher is an arboreal bird. But for birdwatchers, who are in the habit of looking deeper into canopies, this bird is often not easily sighted. The orange-breasted green pigeon is essentially a hill bird and found in the Eastern and Western Ghats. Habitat destruction can scatter such birds and can be one of the reasons why they are seen in places other than their known homes."

The dark-sided flycatcher. Photo by Mr Ramanan

Mr Ramanan is no stranger to readers of this blog!  And so I am doubly delighted!!

More winged visitors flock to Adyar Poonga

The Hindu : NATIONAL / TAMIL NADU : More winged visitors flock to Adyar Poonga

By Aloysius Xavier Lopez

  A painted stork in the Adyar Poonga on Friday. — Photo: K.V.Srinivasan With more species of migratory birds arriving at the Adyar Poonga (Tholkaapiya Poonga) this monsoon, the documentation of such species in the 58 acres is likely to commence shortly. Painted storks have come for the first time after eco-restoration of the first phase of the park. Grey heron, large egret, and black winged stilt are some of the other species spotted amid the vast lush green area after the northeast monsoon began last month. “Painted stork has not been seen in the Adyar Estuary for many years. Getting to see painted stork this year is very good news,” said K.V.Sudhakar, president of Madras Naturalists' Society. Around 200 species of birds have been reported in the Adyar area in the past, he added. Many of such species had vanished from the vicinity because of rapid urbanisation. According to officials, increased availability of fish in the waterbodies of the 58 acre area and improvement in habitat on account of the eco-restoration are some of the reasons for the migration of birds to the park. “We are not going to introduce any species. Every new species attracted to the park should be because of natural process,” said an official. The tidal inflow to the Adyar Poonga plays a crucial role in complete restoration of the ecosystem and attraction of new species of fish to the estuary, said officials. After the second phase of the project, the normal tidal inflow would be completely restored. Saplings planted The State government spent over Rs.23 crore in the first phase of eco-restoration. About 1.37 lakh saplings of around 172 endemic species of trees, herbs, shrubs, reeds and tuberous plants were planted to serve as habitat for aquatic, terrestrial and arboreal species.

An unusual visitor

Dark-sided flycatcher

Mr Ramanan spots the dark-sided flycatcher(Muscicapa sibirica) near his home in Shastri nagar, Adyar. November 3rd.  Not the brown-breasted flycatcher, usually seen every winter.

Skandan says that, "The streaks in the throat and flanks/the white line running through the belly are the identification tips," differentiating from the other more common winter visitor, the Asian Brown Flycatcher.

As V Santharam says, "This is usually seen in the Himalayan region and northern India and so is an unusual sighting for Chennai, where it was seen in the backyard in the heart of the city."

Along with the monsoons, November has brought this unusual flycatcher! I need to be extra vigilant now. Who knows what I may find on the Millingtonia, badam or teak tree in my neighbourhood.

By the way, young Vikas had an Indian Pitta wander into his balcony, which was set free in the gardens.

Other migrants spotted include Orange Headed Ground Thrush sighted at TS and IIT. (Geetha and Kumaran). Ashy Drongo at IIT. (Kumaran).  And Lallitha spotted a vagrant Western Reef Egret close to the Sholavaram lake. 

The Big B and Gir.

Gir sanctury gets 60 per cent bonus tourists this Diwali vacation - Express India

So the Gujarat govt uses the Big B to promote the Gir sanctuary, and the tourists are flowing in! Not only that, seems there's a new Gateway hotel as well.

Gir sanctury gets 60 per cent bonus tourists this Diwali vacation

ADAM HALLIDAY,hitarthpandya,Hitarth Pandya Posted: Oct 15, 2011 at 0443 hrs
VADODARA/AHMEDABAD The Big-B charm continued to work for the forest department at Gir Wildlife Sanctuary (GWS), the only abode to Asiatic lions in the world. At least 60 per cent more tourists are booked at this sanctuary for Diwali vacations, compared to last year. The sanctuary will open on Sunday after a three-month break for monsoon, which also coincides with the mating season for the beasts.
According to officials at GWS, the tourist flow has increased drastically as compared to the last year. The conducive environment and the facilities provided by the department has turned out to be a major aspect attracting the tourist, officials said. Even the Gateway hotel at Sasan Gir is completely booked, weeks after it opened.

“After the poaching incidents, which surfaced in 2007, we have taken several measures to change the entire perspective about Gir. The staff has been changed totally and about 400 of them are new recruits and that makes a lot of difference. The old staff had been working as typical forest department staff whereas it needed something more than that because it was all about attracting more tourists,” Chief Conservator of Forests, Junagadh, R L Meena told The Indian Express.

“Not only that, the local tourist guides have gained a lot of confidence in explaining about wildlife to the tourists,” he added.

Roping in Amitabh Bachchan as tourism ambassador has done wonders for the department. “There is no doubt that his presence has made direct impact on the tourist flow. After all, he is a superstar and people do acknowledge him,” said Meena.

During 2009-10, a total of 2,06,563 persons visited the sanctuary and Devaliya Safari Park. During 2010-11, 2,71,745 persons visited GWS and Devaliya Safari Park, he said. “There is an increase of 65,182 tourists in the financial year 2010-11 in comparison to 2009-10, which shows 31.55% increase in the tourist flow. During the current financial year, 1,08,996 persons have visited the sanctuary and Devaliya Safari Park. The sanctuary remained closed for tourists from June 16 to October 1,” said Meena. The tourism campaign has also benefitted the private hospitality sector, with the first large foray into the area booked full for the Diwali season.

The newly opened Gateway hotel at Sasan Gir — a part of the Taj hospitality chain with 28 rooms and a regular jeep safaris — has already been booked to capacity for the Diwali holiday season. “We are completely sold out. It’s a mix (of foreign and domestic tourists), but a lot of domestic,” said Chaula Mazmudar, hotel’s general manager.

And, they are thinking of opening new safari routes too.

http://www.travelbizmonitor.com/gujarat-govt-to-introduce-new-lion-safari-14855

13 nations come together to save tigers - The Times of India

13 nations come together to save tigers - The Times of India

Since when did the CBI have the responsibility of saving tigers?! Or is it for poaching crimes across borders? Not very clear.

A black drongo stops by

A drongo came visiting, and it was black
Not ashy, I knew for red iris it lacked.

It wheezed, whistled and swooped

as, for flying insects it looked.

Swift forays from the teak branch

I tell you, he had plenty to munch.

Maybe he will visit again, for lunch

a beakful of insects do make a good crunch.

A background of white teak flowers
followed by October showers
and then the power fails for hours
making us into pretender troubadours!

Kunta, the grey wagtail

Kunta, means lame, and a 15gm lame wagtail was christened thus. What was amazing about this wagtail was its migration from Central Asia to the Biligirangan hills on three consecutive years.

Where are the Birds Going? | OPEN Magazine

The ‘epic willfulness’ baffles scientists and amateur birdwatchers alike. It is what makes palm-sized Kunta a nationwide celebrity. Kunta, a Grey Wagtail, weighs just above 15 gm, and despite being handicapped has made a migratory journey of 1,500–2,000 km from the highlands of Central Asia to Billigirirangan Hills in Karnataka for three years consecutively. It arrived at TS Ganesh’s coffee estate, south of Bangalore, with one leg missing. Ganesh had noticed it for the first time in 2007, when it spent the winter in his garden with another Grey Wagtail. Its missing leg made each of Kunta’s visits an epic one, and brought it fame by being featured in national newspapers and magazines, including Open.

Kunta was last seen in the winter of 2009-10; perhaps the perils of migration finally caught up with our courageous Wagtail.

Kunta features in the article on migration and changing patterns, over summering and the lack of sufficient data in India.

"No flamingos in sight, but a rocket"

Rags is a neighbourhood friend, long-time MNS member and another of the Society's band of excellent photographers.

Here is his account of the happenings of Oc 12th.

Photo by Raghavan aka Rags

When Venky and Prabhu asked me to join them today for a drive up to Sriharikota to watch flamingos ( the word was out that the birds were seen in hundreds) and a rocket launch from the SHAR center, I went along without knowing what to expect.

We reached SHAR road by about 7.30 am and drove along trying to spot birds one either side. When we reached the Wildlife Warden's office, we were stopped at a heavily armed Police and Army barricade. As the rocket launch was scheduled for 1100 hrs, we were not permitted to drive further but were advised by the men in uniform to turn South and drive along the brush jungle to spot birds. We could only see Egrets, Painted storks, some ground roosting Pelicans and some bush birds like pipits, finch larks, black winged kites and so on.

There was little water in the lagoons and the mud flats were turning into a mirage with all the heat shimmer in the distance. Disappointed by the complete lack of flamingos, we turned back North and drove up to the derelict watch tower to hang around and watch the rocket launch at the least. We were probably 10 kms away from the launch pad, which was obscured by the distant tree line to the East and we waited with baited breath for the launch to take place, a first time experience for me.

At 1058 hrs, there seemed to be an eerie silence - as though the wind had stopped blowing - and at 1100 hrs on the dot, we heard a distant siren wailing and then blast off! It was a flaming streak that took off from the distance - sounding perhaps as loud as a jet engine initially - and barely a few seconds into lift off, I experienced a ear shattering BRRRRRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMPP and the ground around my feet shook - I was hearing the sonic boom as the rocket broke the sound barrier! Another few seconds and there was only a rapidly dissipating vapour trail left behind by the rocket.

The attached picture is already magnified about 100%, even though I used my 300mm/f4 on a Nikon D90 body. If you enlarge the picture more, you can see a distinct 'ring' of condensation just below the nose. Prabhu, being the tech savvy man, explained the 'ring' phenomenon. As the rocket slices through the air, the velocity at the nose is so great that a low pressure or vacuum forms just below the nose. The water vapour 'ring' settles within this low pressure zone and travels with the rocket till it gets out of Earth's atmosphere. Quite an experience from someone who only went looking for flamingos!

Rags

Check out Rags' pictures at  Camerags

The rocket was ISRO's PSLV series, and it put a weather satellite up in orbit.

Can we now hope for better weather forecasting?

TREASURES OF NELLIYAMPATHY

Mr Ramanan's photo album

The link has some great landscape photos too.

Nelliyampathy - a mammalian photo essay

All photos by Mr Ramanan during the MNS trip to Nelliyampathy - Oct 6th to 9th.

Malabar giant squirrel- Ratufa indica - keeps an eye on Mr Ramanan!

Gaur - Bos gaurus - largest cattle species.  (Photo by Mr Ramanan)

Would you like to share the fruit with me, Mr Ramanan?

No?  Oh well, I cant wait anymore!

 "The MNS lot are here!"

Lion tailed macaque - Macaca silenus - endemic to the Western Ghats

Trees sheltering thousands of birds cut at Vaagaikulam

The Hindu : NATIONAL / TAMIL NADU : Trees sheltering thousands of birds cut at Vaagaikulam

Nearly one-third of ‘karuvelam' trees ( Acacia nilotica ) grown inside the Vaagaikulam tank near Alwarkurichi in the district were cut on Saturday. These trees were home to thousands of domestic and migratory birds for the past several years during and after the monsoon, thus leaving the winged visitors' beautiful abode nurtured by nature in a pathetic shape.

The acacia trees at Vaagaikulam were planted by the Forest Department under their social forestry scheme. As per their policy, these trees are scheduled for felling in 10 years. The contract for cutting them is given by the panchayat and the income shared with the contractor on a 1:3 basis.

As the trees inside Vaagaikulam became an excellent roosting site, where researchers could identify 38 species of birds in and around the lake, steps were taken to convert it into a bird sanctuary on the lines of Koonthankulam in the district.

Birds that come

Among the various species of birds that flock to this place are white ibis, glossy ibis, black ibis, chestnut-tailed starling, brahminy myna, cotton pygmy goose, spot-billed duck, spot-billed pelican, Indian moor hen, pheasant- tailed jacana, white-breasted water hen, sandpiper, gull-billed tern, common kingfisher, white-throated kingfisher, pied kingfisher, pied crested cuckoo, western marsh harrier, night heron, rosy pastor, red-vented bulbul, open-billed stork, osprey, pond heron, purple heron, cormorant, darter, egret, little grebe, yellow-wattled lapwing, yellow wagtail, barn swallow, palm swift, black headed munia, brahminy kite, brown shrike and house crow.

When the trees on which the birds are roosting were earmarked for cutting in January 2009, 70 per cent of the trees were removed and the rest were spared because of the rains and subsequent increase of water level in the lake. Moreover, the move was stopped by the villagers then.

After the birds' new abode was brought to light by The Hindu , Bangalore-based Ashoka Trust for Environment and Education, which first located the tank brimming with water and trees weighed down by thousands of birds, some steps were taken by the Department of Forest to convert it into a bird sanctuary. The then District Revenue Officer P. Ramanasaraswathi even visited the tank to explore the possibilities of ensuring flow of water to the tank throughout the year so that the birds can roost and nest round the year.

Renewing his efforts on removing the trees, a contractor, who has successfully won the ‘cutting order' in his favour, has been asked by the revenue officials to wait till the end of the forthcoming civic polls. “We'll take an appropriate decision after the end of the elections,” he was told by the revenue officials it is learnt even as the Alwarkurichi villagers were vehemently resisting the cutting of trees.

Enquiries with the Department of Social Forestry revealed that the ‘cutting order' that was given by the then Conservator of Forest Rampathi about eight months ago was cancelled after the report on trees inside Vaagaikulam sheltering thousands of birds appeared in this newspaper.

Villagers' efforts

When the information of cutting of trees inside Vaagaikulam spread, the villagers, mostly farmers, rushed to the water body and stopped further felling of the trees after heated argument with labourers hired for the purpose. Even as the situation was volatile as the arguments continued, the police and revenue officials came to the spot after much delay.

Though the birds' shelter has been saved as of now, the threat being posed by the contractor with the renewed ‘cutting order' continues, environmentalists here feel. Officials with the Department of Social Forest refused to comment on this incident.

If you would like to raise a voice against this, please do sign the online petition.