Andaman endemics

Andaman Crested Serpent Eagle - pic courtesy Pritam Kukilaya

Andaman Woodpecker - pic courtesy Pritam Kukilaya

The havelis of Fatehpur

April 6th 2017
Fatehpur, Rajasthan

Travelling on work throws up all sorts of surprises.  So it was on a hot, sandy morning at Fatehpur, where a bunch of us had travelled to from Jaipur, in search of farmers.  I had not had the time (or inclination I have to admit) to look up Sikar or Fatehpur on a map.  On the road, the boards indicated that we were on the Bikaner highway.  The Bikaner boards reminded me of our Rajasthan trip from a couple of years ago - the carcass dump of Jorbeer,  beautiful cranes of Kichan, the havelis of Phalodi, the Thar desert, kher sangri and bustards.

It was a usual chaotic scene, with transport in all shapes and sizes, from slow moving camels to large lumbering trucks, all jostling for space on a road that was definitely several sizes too small for all of this.

We arrived and hurried or rather, scurried, across avoiding the sand that was being whipped up by the hot winds, when I saw this large, decrepit and desolate haveli on the opposite side of the road.

Turns out, we were in Shekhawati lands, the area in north Rajasthan, where wealthy Marwari merchants built their homes, in the eighteenth century or thereabouts, only to begin to move away to other parts of the country, including Madras, to escape from invasions as also to grow their fortunes.

Two havelis, next to each other, and I was both amazed, and saddened.

The board read, "Kedia Haveli".  But it was in total neglect, it seemed.  Political and movie posters were stuck across its pillars, and front facades.  

The Kedia haveli, according to Wikipedia,

The haveli has two chawnks or courtyards a garden with fountain at back and Naals on both sides; the wall paintings are traditional. It has a library and modern baths. It was first haveli in Fatehpur to have electricity (via generators) and called Bijliwali Haveli. In 1931 AD Sitaram Kedia was married to the daughter of Bajaj family of Bisau. On this occasion Rao Raja Maharaj Shri Kalyan Singh Ji Bahadur of Sikar Thikana came to bless the couple. Seth Shree Bohitram Kedia brought an aeroplane (popularly called 'Cheel Gadi' or eagle craft) to scatter invitations printed on handkerchiefs for all and flower petals on His Royal Highness. Pleased with the courtesy and respect His Royal Highness granted the family of Seth Shree Bohitram Kedia permission  to wear gold ornaments below their waist (a privilege that only royals enjoyed in that era).
Although most rooms are locked one can visit the haveli free of any charge, courtesy the Kedia family.

On my return I found this better picture of the entrance in Wikimedia, and looks like it was opened up for the photograph.  But the posters are still there.

Traces of the freehand wall murals can be seen.  Shekhawat wall murals are well known.

Fatehpur has other important havelis it appears.  Saraf, Fatehchand and the Nandlal Devra havelis.

The last mentioned has been restored, now serves as a homestay, cum artists revival project, spearheads the restoration of the havelis, and much more.

See the link http://www.cultural-centre.com/.  Sadly, since I knew none of this before hand, and we returned to Jaipur that evening, I could not visit any of the others.  Lack of any data connectivity at Fatehpur meant all my learning and discovery happened later.

Moral of this story for me is - always do your homework before you travel.

Greater Flamingos at Kutch

greater flamingos at kutch - YouTube:

Saving Ennore Creek

Poromboke is an old Tamil word meaning shared-use community resources like waterbodies, seashore and grazing lands that are not assessed for tax purposes. Today, it has become a bad word used to describe worthless people or places. Chennai Poromboke Paadal is part of a campaign to reclaim the word and restore its worth.

Video subtitle text:

Poromboke (n.)
/por-um-pokku/

1. places reserved for shared communal uses
(water bodies, grazing lands . . . )
2. a pejorative intended to demean and devalue a person or place

How did the meaning change from the first to the second?

Poromboke is not for you, nor for me
It is for the community, it is for the earth (* 4)

Poromboke is in your care, it is in mine (*2)
It is our common responsibility towards nature, towards the earth

Poromboke is in your care, it is in mine
It is our common responsibility towards nature, towards the earth


The flood has come and gone, what have we learnt from that? (*2)
To construct buildings inside waterbodies, what wisdom is that?
The flood has come and gone, what have we learnt from that?
To construct buildings inside waterbodies, what wisdom is that?

On the path that rainwater takes to the sea
What need have we of concrete buildings? (*2)

It was not the rivers that chose to flow through cities (*2)
Rather, it was around rivers that the cities chose to grow
It was not the rivers that chose to flow through cities
Rather, it was around rivers that the cities chose to grow

And lakes that rainwater awaited
Poromboke – they were reverently labeled (*2)

After Ennore got its power plant (*2)
Acres of ash, but river scant
After Ennore got its power plant,
Acres of ash, but river scant

The sea and the river, he has kept apart (*2)
The white sky, he blackened

The sea and the river, he has kept apart 
The white sky, he blacked (*2)

Once he gets done with Ennore, he will come for your place too (*3)
If you stop, challenge or dare to resist, ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ he will lie and insist (*3)

Growth, jobs, opportunities; these are just flimsy excuses (*2)
For one who sold the waterbodies, the lake is mere poromoboke 

Growth, jobs, opportunities; these are just flimsy excuses 
For one who sold the waterbodies, the lake is mere poromoboke (*2)

You and I, then; what are we to him? (*2)

We are poromboke too (*2)

I certainly am poromboke! (*2)

How about you? Are you poromboke too?
I certainly am poromboke!
How about you? Are you poromboke too?
I certainly am poromboke!



Credits:

Featuring TM Krishna

Concept: Nityanand Jayaraman
Director: Rathindran R Prasad

Lyrics: Kaber Vasuki
Music: RK Shriramkumar

COMB DUCK AT SHOLINGANALLUR

I love this duck, and I am so excited overtime I see it.  I didn't see it this time, but Mr Ramanan did, at Sholinganallur.

Sarkidiornis melanotos - the beautiful wing colours catch the sun. Photo by Mr Ramanan

It's a large duck and shows up in our waters every other year. migrating down for the winter, and they look quite distinctive with their speckled heads and the 'comb' on the head of the male.

Photo by Mr Ramanan - the distinctive comb for the male

Photo by Mr Ramanan

I need to go and pay a visit to Sholinganallur, soon.

Sentinels

As dusk descends, the sentinels of solitude arrive.
I do not fear them.

Where is the rain?

Clear skies and a nip in the air. 

A lovely winter morning in Chennai. 

But where is the rain?

The Allamanda

The vine draws my eye upwards

And my heart follows

Looking down at passers by

Allamanda blanchetii

Life

The Desert Rose clings on.
All is not lost to the storm.

Appreciating the Adyar

I love the Adyar river, and most days I cross it, closer to the mouth, where it joins the Bay of Bengal. Along with the Bay it is deeply a part of my Madras memories.

Lovely to see this piece in The Hindu.

A bend in the Adyar

It’s been a year since the floods and the city’s iconic river flows on. Arun Krishnamurthy of Environmentalist Foundation of India speaks toAKILA KANNADASAN about his photo series that tracks the river from its source

Last year this time, Chennai was reeling under a different kind of tragedy — the incessant rains and the resultant floods. Lives, livelihoods, and homes were lost. There are various theories about the cause of the floods. But one thing is clear — we had a major role to play in the catastrophe. Our callous attitude towards our water bodies has not changed since then, and it’s time we do something.

Arun Krishnamurthy, the founder of Environmentalist Foundation of India, who has involved hundreds of youngsters in protecting Tamil Nadu’s water bodies, has come up with an idea to shake us out of our smug mindsets.

He has created a photo documentary on the state of the Adyar River a year after the floods, and plans to exhibit it in schools and colleges. Arun says that it all began with a 20-minute documentary on the lakes of Chennai that he made to screen in educational institutions. “We found out that most of our lakes are feeders to our rivers. For instance, the Poondi lake is one of the feeders of the Kosasthalaiyar River, the Chembarambakkam lake for the Adyar River... lakes and rivers are interconnected,” he explains.

Arun, hence, set out to document the rivers. “We are making a documentary Rivers of Chennai and planning to bring out a booklet and digital photo blog on the same,” he says. The idea is to show people where our rivers start, flow and end. Arun says that people in Chennai aren’t even aware of the river that runs a few streets from where they live.

“A lot of negativity about our water bodies has developed over the last one year,” he observes. “The number of local volunteers has fallen. It’s shocking to listen to what the locals say. During a lake clean-up, a 21-year-old asked us what was the point in doing so. When we said that it was we who would suffer if it flooded, he laughed and said he plans to settle in Bangalore anyway.” Apart from negligence, it’s a lack of pride for Chennai’s rivers that’s saddening, says Arun.

Arun spent 48 hours tracing the Adyar from its origin in Adhanur and Malaipattu villages. He explains how multiple lakes merge to create the river that we call Adyar. “She is pristine at her origin. At Chembarambakkam, for instance, birds thrive in the clean water.”

The trouble begins at Tambaram. “It is here that she transforms from a rural fresh water stream into a polluted urban river. Urban sewage starts draining into the river. More urban waste mixes along the way. As she trickles into Thiruneermalai, she encounters a municipality-run landfill at the bund.” Industrial waste is introduced at Chrompet and the river is beyond recognition by the time it reaches Besant Nagar.

Along the Mambalam canal, Arun saw 800 urban poor families living along the river bund. “Their toilets drain into the canal,” he says. The rich are no exception. At a golf course next to the YMCA campus in Nandanam, hundreds of used paper cups were dumped into the river.

Continued on page 3

From page 1

There were even discarded golf clubs. At the point of culmination, awaited a rude surprise — “I saw sofa sets, poultry waste, religious idols, footwear...”

Arun hopes that his photos trigger some action amidst youngsters.

“They should take pride in the three rivers and the 300 lakes that make up Chennai’s ecosystem. Secondly, they should be ashamed at the condition of the water bodies.

Finally, a sense of responsibility should creep in,” he says. “A lot of schools have approached us to teach students about our lakes and rivers. The photo exhibition will be a part of our outreach programmes.”

What is the significance of the Adyar River to Chennai? “The Adyar,” explains Arun, “is Chennai’s identity. She is of hydrological, cultural, and historical importance. She is a carrier, and not a perennial river. She carries large amounts of water into the sea during the North-East monsoon.”

The 30-year-old knows the river well.

“She can be very vengeful,” warns Arun. “If we take care of her, she can prevent any amount of flooding. But, if we don’t, well, you know what happens.”

People in Chennai aren’t even aware of the river that runs a few streets from where they live

Identifying White egrets

I came across this essay from Birdcount.in, and began reading it with initial scepticism, I mean who can't tell a Little from a Large egret I thought.

And this yellow feet of the Little are a giveaway aren't they?  But as I read on I realised that most probably, in the field I am not recognising or identifying those Intermediates.

So it's with the Intermediates that this organised and well explained photo essay really helped, for me.  Maybe I will start "seeing" more Intermediates now.

What's that White Egret species?

Egrets are beautiful and elegant birds to watch. You'll often see them standing still over water and, in a flash, using their long, pointed bills to stab a fish or pick out an insect. No matter where you are in India, it is common to see one or many white birds looking for prey in wet fields and water bodies, or flying overhead to roost late in the evening.

A large flock of egrets © Sourav Maiti (view in checklist)

In spite of being quite common, they are one of the more confusing groups of birds for beginners and experienced birders alike. Although it is easy to identify a bird as an egret, the confusion arises when trying to identify the species itself. The names of egrets (eg Little, Intermediate and Great) tell us much about their size, but they can still be misidentified, especially if they are seen by themselves without a size reference. Luckily it's not just size alone that matters, and the different egrets have other features that can be used to identify them.

One such feature is their 'plumes', which they acquire in the breeding season. These are a a set of long, thin feathers on their back/dorsum, head or breast. Because different species grow plumes on different parts of the body, they can help in identification as well.

Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis

Cattle Egret in flight. Note the small neck, bill shape and size (short bill has a small dip at the tip), relatively smaller wings © Albin Jacob

The Cattle Egret is a ubiquitous and adaptable bird. This is a small and stocky egret, and gets its name from its habit of following cattle and other large animals (also tractors and JCBs!) to pick off any insects they might flush. Equally at home in light woodland, wetlands, farms and garbage dumps, it does not have any particular association with water. The Cattle Egret is worth familiarising oneself with as it is the egret species you are most likely to encounter no matter where you are birding.

Cattle Egret in breeding plumage (left, © Albin Jacob) and in non-breeding plumage (right, © Ramit Singal)

Habitat	Fields (especially if recently ploughed), farms, freshwater wetlands, forest clearings, garbage dumps in urban areas, etc.
Size	Smallest of our egrets.
Structure	Stocky in build. Large round head with relatively short thick bill, short legs and short, thick neck.
Breeding Plumage	Puffy looking head with orange head and neck, as well as orange dorsal plumes.
Bill	Blunt and thick, with upper mandible showing distinct dip at the tip. Mostly orange-yellow in all plumages.
In flight	Narrower, more pointed wings than other egrets, shorter legs. Relatively faster wing-flapping especially during and a little after take-off.

Additional information: The subspecies that occurs in our region is Eastern Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis coromandus. The Western Cattle Egret B. i. ibis is smaller with shorter neck and legs as well as a different breeding plumage.

Little Egret Egretta garzetta

Little Egret in flight, showing its yellow feet © Vivek Puliyeri (Checklist)

The Little Egret is a delicate looking egret which frequents freshwater bodies of all types, including fast-flowing streams, slow-moving rivers, well-vegetated marshes, etc. It is small in size and neat in proportions – making it look quite graceful. Its obvious yellow feet set it apart from the other regularly occurring white egrets (except Western Reef-egret, the white morph of which usually has more extensive yellow on legs, and yellow on bill).

Habitat	Associated with all water bodies. Typically stays away from coasts, but regular in estuaries.
Size	Small-sized, bigger than Cattle but visibly smaller than Intermediate and Great.
Structure	Very slender, looks almost delicate with graceful S-shaped neck, oval/triangular head, relatively longer bill.
Breeding Plumage	Two long plumes on head and down neck (the only white egret to have these), plumes on the back, on the breast.
Bill	Bill remains mostly dark/black in all plumages. In non-breeding plumage, base to lower mandible is visibly paler.
In flight	Yellow feet are visible. From similar Western Reef-egret by narrower, more pointed wings.

Little Egret in breeding plumage (with a Checkered Keelback in the background). Note the egret's head plumes, yellow feet, and slender structure but small size © Hemanth Byatroy (Checklist)

Additional information: Unlike several of our other egrets, the Little Egret is quite vocal and usually has a harsh call which it gives out in flight, alarm or for contact. You can listen to it here or here.

Intermediate Egret Mesophyx intermedia

Intermediate Egret in flight. Note the roundish neck fold, short bill, round forehead © Albin Jacob (Checklist)

The most variable looking of our egrets, the Intermediate Egret can appear quite small or quite large when seen in isolation. Though some of the larger individuals may appear as large as Great Egrets, structurally (especially when the neck is retracted), birds may even resemble Cattle Egrets! The Intermediate Egret is a fairly stocky egret, due to its thick neck and large body, which also makes the legs look quite short.

Habitat	Associated with all water bodies and wet fields, paddies.
Size	May look variable in size when viewed in isolation, but usually flocks with other egrets thus making comparison easier. Bigger than Cattle or Little Egret but smaller than Great Egret.
Structure	Stocky in build – note proportionally short bill and legs, round head, thick neck and large body (very rear-heavy due to the long tail).
Breeding Plumage	Bill becomes black and it attains plumes on the back/dorsum and the breast.
Bill	Proportionately shorter bill is yellow in non-breeding plumage and black in the breeding plumage. (Note: Lores are always yellow)
In flight	Broad wings and relatively shorter legs than Great Egret. Heavier rear usually apparent.

Intermediate Egret in breeding plumage (left) © Dinesh Singal and in non-breeding plumage (right) © Ramit Singal
The bird on the right is transitioning into breeding plumage and thus, has breast plumes.

Great Egret Ardea alba

Great Egret in flight. Note long legs and bill, neck is angular when retracted, large wings © David Irving (Checklist)

The Great Egret is the largest of our egrets, with an overall lean look but distinctly heavy legs and bill. It is perhaps more similar to a Purple Heron in structure and jizz than the other egrets.

Habitat	Associated with all water bodies, preferring slow-moving rivers, lakes and wetlands.
Size	Visibly large.
Structure	Structurally very lean with long neck showing prominent kink. Forehead is flat and in-line with long bill. Legs are long and body appears short – thus making it look very vertical.
Breeding Plumage	Attains plumes only on back/dorsum.
Bill	Long bill. Yellow in non-breeding plumage, and black in breeding plumage.
In flight	Broad wings and long neck and legs are apparent. Has the slowest, most relaxed flight of all the egrets.

Great Egret in non-breeding plumage (left) © Palani Andavan Balasubramanian and in breeding plumage (right) © Jayan Thomas

Great vs Intermediate Egret

Several birders often have trouble distinguishing the Intermediate Egret from the Great Egret. A few features that make identification much easier are:

Image A:

Great Egret (left) © Mittal Gala and Intermediate Egret (right) © Albin Jacob. Note length of gape line (1), shape of forehead (2) and length of bill (3).

Image B:

Great Egret (left) © Snehasis Sinha and Intermediate Egret (right) © Albin Jacob. Note shape and size of neck (4) and overall structure (5).

These differences are summarised below:

	Great Egret	Intermediate Egret
1	Gape extending beyond eye	Gape ending at/before eye
2	Angular head	Round head
3	Longer bill	Shorter bill
4	Long neck with pronounced kink	Thicker, shorter neck
5	Large, long and lean structure	Stockier, heavy built

Here is an image that illustrates these differences very well (can you tell which species is which?):

Great Egret and Intermediate Egret © Harshith JV (Checklist)

Intermediate vs Cattle Egret

In certain postures and when direct comparison is not possible, an Intermediate Egret can look quite similar to a Cattle Egret. Below are some pointers on how to distinguish between the two:

Intermediate Egret (Left) © Dubults | Cattle Egret (Right) © Albin Jacob

	Intermediate Egret	Cattle Egret
1	Straight beak	Obvious curved tip to beak
2	Neck retracts a bit deeper	Shorter neck
3	Breast plumes in breeding plumage	No plumes on the breast.
4	Proportionally longer legs	Shorter legs

---

Note: There will always be times when particular individuals may prove difficult to identify even with the best of views. Some times, one may just not get to see enough of the bird to be able to ID it. It is absolutely OK if that is the case and best to err on the side of caution. On eBird, you may use "White Egret sp." when conclusive identification is not possible.

Also: An article with Little Egret and the two Reef-Egrets will be coming soon.