Grey-headed Myna

The gray-headed myna is commonly found throughout the Mumbai suburban region in the last quarter of the year and is understood to be a winter visitor to South India. It is also known as the Chestnut-tailed Starling. It frequents lightly wooded regions close to human habitation, feeding on flowering and fruiting plants, moving about individually or in pairs.
One can recognize it from its size (it is slightly smaller than the common myna), a yellow beak,  grayish head and upper body, rusty-brown abdomen, and black wing quills. 

The birds are quite difficult to spot in foliage due to their overall dull appearance. See pictures 1 & 2.
 

A sub-species, the White-headed Myna, can also be occasionally spotted alongside the more common nominate species.  It has a whitish-gray head and neck parts, with slightly darker wings.
I was lucky to snap up these pictures of the white-headed myna, as it is quite uncommon in this region. See pictures 3 (with red-whiskered bulbul) & 4, 

Bee-eaters

Bee-eaters are very common and one can easily spot them on telephone and electricity cables in most parts of the country. They favor open grassland and lightly wooded regions, which have insects and bees in abundance.  They are extremely agile flyers and have a graceful and undulating flight, often gliding on their wings. Sitting on high branches or wires,  they fly out to snatch insects in mid-flight and return to their perches to consume them.

In the evenings, they can be observed in large flocks, with their noisy calls, a trilly treet, treeet…., before retiring for the night in groups comprising of eight-ten birds. Since they are noisy and in large flocks, most of us would be familiar with them.

There are 2 sub-species which are commonly observed in suburban region, the Small Green Bee-eater and the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. 
The small green bee-eater is a small bird about the size of the house sparrow, but slimmer, with grass-green body and wings, long slender beak and reddish-brown head and upper neck parts. Another distinct feature is a black band running across its throat. Its tail has an extended central pair of feathers, which gives it an appearance of being quite long in size.(See picture 2 & 3 top).

The blue-tailed bee-eater is larger in size and has a reddish-brown throat and blue rump and tail portions, which distinguishes it from the smaller green bee-eater. (See picture 1 & 3 bottom).

More photographs here: https://picasaweb.google.com/108221666944016063659/WonderfulWorldOfBirds

Migration

The onset of winter is good news for bird watchers. [In these parts of the country the winter is really mild - minimum temperatures hardly ever go below 15°C]. This is the time when birds migrate from the cold north to warmer regions (like India), in search of adequate supply of food.  Although changes in temperature do not affect the birds, they require a constant supply of food to keep themselves warm and food supply becomes scarce during the icy winters in the northern parts of the world.  

 

Large scale migration takes place in the animal and water kingdom also, when  mammals and fish seasonally migrate.  But  the annual event of migration is best known and easily witnessed in case of birds.

Migrations may be classified as annual or diurnal (daily). What is witnessed in birds is the annual (or seasonal) migration, when large populations of bird species enter newer areas in search of food supply and favorable conditions to reproduce. At the end of the season, the birds return to their original areas of inhabitation, where they are termed the permanent residents.  

 

For bird lovers and naturalists, this is the best period to spot various different species. Some of the common sightings are large gatherings of bee-eaters, common swifts and swallows on telephone or electricity cables.  Other birds include the drongo, shikra and several species of harriers.  Of course, all of us await the arrival of the flamingoes and other large birds.

White-throated Fantail

Slightly larger than the common sparrow, the fantail is quite easy to spot, but difficult to photograph due to its restless nature. It is often found in pairs, constantly moving in the foliage and branches in search of insects and flies. It can be identified from its brownish upper body, white eye-brows and throat, white-spotted breast and whitish abdomen. Other striking features are a fanned tail and slightly drooping wings.

Hope to get better pictures next time I spot the fantail.

 

Spotted or Scaly-breasted Munia

This sub-species is fairly common in the city. The birds inhabit lightly wooded areas and are often found near buildings. They are smaller than the common sparrow and have a reddish-brown colored head and upper body parts, with brownish-black speckled breast and abdomen.

Their thick bill helps in feeding on grains and grass seeds.  They move around in groups and during the breeding season can be spotted in pairs. Both sexes are alike. The pair in these photographs was in search of a nesting place and unsuccessfully attempted to build a nest in the covered balcony. After 2 or 3 days of collecting grass leaves for the nest, they abandoned the balcony for a better place in the tree nearby.  

Blackheaded or Brahminy Myna

Hindi: Bamani myna

It is slightly smaller than the common myna, with brownish abdomen and lower body parts and a black crown. Its upper body is dull greyish-brown color with black wing tips. It can be spotted throughout the western region in lightly wooded areas and on flowering plants.

Green Leaf Warbler

Also called Greenish Warbler, it is an arboreal bird found in thickly wooded areas. It actively moves through the thickets, singly or in pairs and is quite common.

It has a greenish-grey body with dull white abdomen. There is a distinct white strip running above its eyes.

Pune zoo

I had last visited Katraj Snake Park in 1997. In those days, the snakes were placed in several enclosures  and snake pits. There was nothing interesting for visitors to the park. The zoo was just an open grassy land where some animals from the Peshwe Park were shifted. However, the zoo (Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park, as it is now called) has changed for the better. Fourteen years later (in 2011), the trees have grown bigger and taller. There is dense undergrowth in the surroundings and in the tiger and leopard enclosures. The animals are not caged in dingy cells, but roam about freely in their enclosures. The zoo has been rated as sixth best in India by the Central Zoo Authority. There is also a small lake where boating is permitted. It is a good way of spending your holiday, especially if you have only visited the unimpressive Rani Bagh in Mumbai.

If you do visit the zoo, be prepared for a long and tiring walk if you wish to see all the animals. The reason is, the pathways, although well paved, have not been planned for visitors on foot. Towards the far end of the zoo are located the black buck and wolf enclosures, with the elephant about 200m beyond that. However, there is no direct way out of the zoo from there, except retracing your steps all the way back to the exit. No wonder, many of the visitors skip the elephant enclosure.

For those who wish to avoid walking, there is a battery operated van, which takes you around the zoo. One has to purchase separate tickets for the van; take it only if you are too tired to walk.

Indian Cormorant

Hindi: Pan Kawwa. 

It is of the size of a duck and is jet black in color, with a beak hooked at its tip. It moves along streams and creeks and dives in to catch fish under water. After its catch, it is often found drying itself with outstretched wings. Photograph location: Bhandup mangroves.

Destruction of mangroves

Two weeks ago, in my post on Mangroves, I had assumed that existing government regulations were adequate to protect the mangroves in suburban regions. Unfortunately, the assumption was based on my understanding of the land development laws (refer MMRDA Land Policy). It has now emerged that a large belt of salt-pan land and several acres of mangroves may be completely destroyed by the construction activity in progress for an SEZ (refer article in TOI, Nov 02, 2011, "SEZ will kill mangrove belt, warn experts").

Inspite of existing environment laws, forest land is being converted to residential and industrial use under the guise of development. No one is against development. However, this should not be at the cost of environment. Municipal officials should carry out a thorough investigation to ensure that no laws are circumvented for monetary benefit of a few at the cost of an entire region's ecology. Adverse effects of such destruction of mangroves are very well known and do not need any elaboration here. It is sincerely hoped that the MoEF investigates all cases where industrial permits have been granted and ensures that there are no violations land regulations.

Whitecheeked Bulbul

Most of us are familiar with the Redvented Bulbul, which is very common in Western India. However, the Whitecheeked Bulbul is not so commonly seen in the suburbs. These photographs of the bulbul are from my recent visit to the mangroves along the Thane creek. Although of the same size, it is easily distinguishable from the other races by its white cheeks and yellow vent (lower part of the body - see second picture). 

As today is Diwali, I wish you all a Happy & Prosperous Diwali.Will be back next Sunday, Nov 06.

Mangroves

Mangroves of Mumbai

Every day, we use the Eastern Express Highway to commute to our work places further south towards Mumbai or in the western suburbs. We get so used to the daily routine that most of us do not even a cast a glance to our left as we move along the highway. Each one of us is busy–some reading the newspapers, some completing last minute official work and some of us simply having a short nap. The two-wheeler riders -well, they are totally focused on avoiding  potholes and dumpers carrying material for land-fills near Vikhroli. On the way back, it is more of the same. But, if you look to your left, you are sure to notice the vast expanse of mangroves, extending from Thane almost up to Ghatkopar, which help regulate the tide and prevent flooding of the city. Deeper inside, adjoining the creek and the mangroves, are the mud flats where we have our colorful annual visitors–the flamingoes. The entire area is home to a variety of plants, birds and small mammals, like the fox and mongoose. Several species of snakes are also common here.

The mangroves have been here for centuries, long before humans shifted to these parts of the city. As we all know, the longer a species is dominant in a region, the greater its influence on the local environment. The mangroves therefore play an important role in influencing the local weather patterns and ecology.

On some part of these lands, several companies hold long leases for producing salt.  These lands are coveted by developers. Every one of them is lobbying for grant of exemption from CRZ restrictions in developing these lands. The dumping operations are already choking the mangroves leading to a slow but gradual destruction.

Although declared Protected Forests by the Maharashtra Forest Department, we can only hope that the land is not converted into a concrete jungle. By doing this, we would be exposing the city to flooding and possibly even be disturbing the local rainfall, temperature and weather patterns.  The mangroves of Mumbra-Diva have already been destroyed. Those left in Thane/Mumbai/Navi Mumbai must be protected all costs. 

More photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/pankaj.chandra12/Mangroves

Parakeets

These birds are common and tend to congregate on fruit or berry trees and in orchards. They are difficult to spot due to their leaf-green colored feathers, blending perfectly into the background. They are very active and noisy, often seen in pairs or in flocks consisting of four to six birds. They are commonly termed as “parrots” in India and are caged as pets, for their mimicking ability. There are several sub-species among the parakeets. Amongst them, the Rose-Ringed Parakeet and the Large Indian Parakeet, are most frequently seen.

The Large Indian or Alexandrine Parakeet is the larger of the two, with a long tail and hooked red bill. The male has a black stripe across its lower neck beginning from its throat and ending in a pink-colored band on its upper neck. It has a characteristic dark pink-colored patch on its wings, by which it can be differentiated from the more common Rose-Ringed Parakeet. Females of both sub-species lack the black stripe and pink neck band (both female and male Rose-Ringed Parakeets are seen in the first photograph; female in the second; male in the third).

Distinguishing features

The Alexandrine Parakeet is of the size of a pigeon (but much slimmer), with a distinct dark pink patch on its wings (see picture 4 - a male).

The Rose-Ringed Parakeet is slightly smaller, of the size of a myna.

Openbilled Stork

As the name suggests, the Openbilled Stork has a narrow gap between the upper and lower parts of the bill. It is a large bird, about 70 cm tall while standing and is found  all over India, at  riversides, marshes and backwaters of dams. These photographs were snapped at the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, near Mysore.

Conservation

Festivals in India, especially those in which there is community participation, like Ganesh Festival or Dassera, involve high electricity consumption for decorative lighting and loudspeakers constantly playing music at high volume. This, of course, is a great drain on our sparse energy resources. Correspondingly, there is an increase in the amount of garbage on the streets during this period. Part of the reason could be due to absenteeism of the civic workers, but it is largely attributable to the revelers who carelessly litter the streets with plastic water bottles, glasses, plates, food packets and all sorts of plastic wrappers. There is also enormous waste generated by the fire-works. All of this causes a strain on our civic services and no wonder the streets and neighborhoods are always dirty.

The common refrain amongst people is “What can be done?” At most times, we lack an awareness and understanding of conservation measures, and as a consequence, we do not realize we are using up or consuming nature’s resources. Our consumption patterns are formed by our habits. Understanding our habits and identifying areas where we can contribute is a step towards potential savings in electricity, water and energy. Productive and efficient use of resources and better energy management is, in the long run, good for the environment.

Effective conservation measures always start with the four ‘R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Refuse (plus Recover – for industries)
 
Reduce    

Reduction in consumption of materials is not an easy task in these days of consumerism. However, we can avoid wasteful consumption if we keep in mind that although the money is ours to spend, the resources belong to the society. Here's a list of actions which I found extremely useful in reducing my material and energy consumption pattern: 
Buy items (including clothes) only if you need them, not just because they are on sale. 

Almost all monitors have a switch to turn them off: please make use of this during your lunch and tea-breaks (even at home). Take time from your busy schedule to shut down the computer, before leaving for the day.

Do not just walk out of finished meetings and conferences; remember to turn off the lights, AC and projectors too.

Stop printing out each and every mail. Print it only if it is of utmost importance. Do not print  Harry Potter, Jeffrey Archer and other e-books. This is a classic example of paper wastage.

If you must take prints, make sure that you take double-side prints; print documents on econo-mode. This way you save both paper as well as cartridges.

Make full use of electronic billing services for your utilities like electricity, phone, credit cards, bank statements and stock statements.

Use rechargeable batteries; though they are expensive, it involves a one-time purchase. Recharge when required and switch off after fully charged. (Same applies to cell-phones, MP3 players, iPods and laptops.)

The best pens to use are ink-based. If you have to use a ball point pen, buy refills instead of buying new pens. Pencils are much better for rough use.

Remember to close water taps before preening in front of the mirror. Do not keep the tap running while shaving and brushing your teeth; water is a precious resource. Sixteen liters of water are wasted every minute if the tap is left open.

Stop using paper napkins. Make use of the hot-air driers and your cotton handkerchiefs.

Take few minutes to learn about topics like 'global warming', 'air/noise/land/water pollution', apart from continuously interacting on social websites and surfing for news, latest gadgets, cars, bikes, movies and music.

Reuse   

A simple act can make a large difference. If each one of us reuses plastic carry-bags just once, it can lead to 50% reduction in plastic waste. Reuse it more than once and you can imagine how much can be done for the environment.

Plastic bags these days come in bright and attractive colors and there is always a temptation to take them home. On your next shopping trip, go prepared with a cloth bag.

Recycle

Items beyond their useful life or utility may be recycled into newer products of different uses or utility. Items which can be recycled include paper, plastic, glass and metals. Unused portions of your kids notebooks may be donated for reuse. Try to segregate different kinds of waste into bio-degradable (fruit or vegetable waste), recyclable (waste paper and paper products) and electronics (floppy disks, CD-ROMs).

It has been estimated that if all the newspapers of the world are recycled, 250 million trees would be saved every year.

Refuse

All of us can refuse to use plastic bags offered by the retailers when we shop for our daily necessities. As mentioned above, always make it a practice to carry your own cotton bag.

Recover

Recovering material for reuse is applicable mainly to large industrial and manufacturing organizations and involves recovery of solvents for reuse in manufacturing processes and waste water recovery for gardening purposes. Environment friendly organizations are easily identifiable as they are normally ISO 14001 certified. Wherever possible, shop for goods produced by such companies to encourage conservation measures.

Much of the above information is easily available and known to all of us - as human population increases, the Earth is becoming a dangerous place to live for creatures of land and water. Soon, it could turn out to be the same for us. Let us pledge to save our beautiful planet for the future generations. May be our efforts can make it a better place for all of us.

Whitebreasted Kingfisher

 

About the size of a myna, this is the most common of the kingfishers seen in India. It has bright turquoise-blue wings and tail, with dark-brown colored head, neck and lower body parts. It has a long, pointed red beak; the throat and breast is conspicuously white, hence the name.

It has a loud call, keek, keek, keek…..and can be spotted near ponds, lakes and riversides  and also in lightly wooded areas, away from water. These photographs were taken near my residence and indicate that it is common in this part of the country, although it is slowly running out of nesting spaces in urban areas.
More photographs: https://picasaweb.google.com/home

Koel

The Koel (Marathi: Kokila) is very common throughout the country. The male is dark shiny black with red-colored eyes. Female is dark grey, with white spots. 

The male has a pleasant call and becomes active during the spring time (March-April). It does not build its own nests, but lays eggs in the nest of the common crow.

Eating habits and Natural Food Chains

From the 28^th of this month begins Navaratri, a nine-day period which is celebrated to mark nine days of battle between the Goddess, Durga Maa (mother) and demon, Mahishashur. Finally, on Dashami (tenth day), the Goddess vanquished the demon. This day is celebrated as Dassera or Vijayadashami (victorious tenth day), a day when good triumphs over evil. During these nine days, the devout observe a fast and abstain from non-vegetarian food and alcohol.

We all have choices when it comes to our eating habits. Some prefer vegetarian, while others cannot do without non-vegetarian food. The practice of non-vegetarianism is acceptable, as long as such a practice does not disturb the natural food chain. When humans disturb the food chain (a complicated network involving food transfer), we contribute to the destruction of the creatures dependent on it.

To understand how this is can happen, one needs to know what is a food chain and its influence on the working of an ecosystem. Consider the food chain in a terrestrial (land) ecosystem; the green plants form the basis of any food chain. They are the primary producers in any ecosystem. In presence of solar radiation, the chlororphyll in green plants converts atmospheric carbon dioxide and dissolved solids (nitrates and phosphates) from the soil, into energy in the form of organic compounds. This energy is used in the growth of the plants and a resultant increase in their biomass. Green plants are consumed by herbivorous animals, which in turn form the food for carnivores. This forms one of the various food chains in the natural environment. Another example is the chain of insects, frogs, snakes and birds of prey (hawks, eagles). Yet another food chain can comprise of insects/grasshoppers and birds.  In all these food chains, green plants form the base of the chain. Each level of the chain is termed the trophic level, from where energy is transferred to the next level. A basic characteristic of the chain is that at each trophic level, there is a rapid decrease in energy, ie., energy transferred progressively decreases from the primary producers to the top carnivores.

In a natural ecosystem, each trophic level is inter-related to one another. When one of the trophic levels is disturbed, it affects the entire chain. Humans can fit into the food chain at different levels and often are the top carnivores. But, we tend to disturb the food chain by interfering with it at different levels. As cited in the earlier post on Tourism, when constituents of one of the trophic levels is hunted for food, it leads to a shortage of food for the next level dependent on it and may ultimately lead to its extinction.  

Today, the effects of human interference on the natural food chain are seen in the gradual reduction in the number of top carnivores such as leopards and tigers. When we demand and consume exotic meat, like quail/partridge or rabbits/hare, deer or wild boar, we not only infringe on the natural environment and the balance which exits in the food chain, we also breach the wildlife laws. In conclusion, whatever our eating preferences, just remember that non-vegetarianism is not the best means of conversion of energy. Vegetarian food is entirely capable of meeting all our nutritional requirements. If you prefer to continue with non-veg food, kindly ensure that it is specifically bred for human consumption (poultry, mutton, beef) and has not been hunted down.  

Purple-rumped Sunbird

Sunbirds are much smaller than the house sparrow. The Purple-rumped Sunbird is quite common in these regions. The male is more colorful, the head and upper parts of the body are of a shiny purple color, with yellow colored abdomen. Female has greenish brown body with yellow abdomen. The birds are found in pairs and flit restlessly in search of flowering plants. These photographs of the male bird, were taken when it was perched on the window grill, near the jasmine plant. 

Rufousbacked Shrike

Rufousbacked Shrike
 
The Rufousbacked Shrike is grey headed, with a black band running across its eyes, slightly larger than a bulbul. Its has a brownish-yellow back with black wings. Its strong bill is well suited for feeding on grass hoppers, insects and small lizards. 

I assume that the white-headed bird in the last photo is a Hill Myna. Please correct me if I am wrong.

In this set of photographs, the shrike can be seen feeding on a praying mantis. 

More photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/home

Pollution
Today is “Anant Chaturdashi”, the day for visarjan (immersion) of the idols of Lord Ganesh, after ten days of prayers and festivity. It is a day when one symbolically discards ego and material possessions; prays for forgiveness of past sins and strives towards a new life free from false ego and love for all. We also look forward to the next year, for the return of Lord Ganesh.
The immersion of idols in water bodies seriously affects the aquatic life in the lakes and ponds and the efforts taken by government in building artificial ponds for immersion is appreciated. The devotees can also contribute in conservation efforts by insisting on idols made of clay rather than Plaster of Paris.
 
Humans have made tremendous progress in all fields of life, but this has been achieved at a cost. In attaining our goals and progressing towards a better life, we have disturbed the natural ecosystem which existed when there was zero pollution. 

What is ‘pollution’? It is defined as an undesirable or unwanted change in the physical or chemical characteristics of the environment, which can adversely affect health and survival of humans and other living creatures.
Activities of the modern world contribute towards increasing air pollution. Air pollution in urban areas is mainly a result of petrol and diesel driven vehicles and is the chief cause for the urban population being exposed to high levels of oxides of carbon (carbon monoxide and dioxide), oxides of nitrogen  (nitrogen monoxide and dioxide) and lead (as suspended particulate matter). These are constituents of automobile exhaust and there is no practical way of reducing  levels of these pollutants. In India, the emission norms for petrol and diesel vehicles are already quite stringent (Bharat Stage IV); however, the increase in the number of vehicles results in an overall increase in the pollutants no matter what measures are taken. 

One of the ways of mitigating the effects is by the use of trees, which are a natural barrier and assist in reducing high levels of pollutants (especially lead) and also are effective in decreasing noise levels.
Plantations along both sides of the roads and highways can contribute in controlling air and noise pollution caused due to vehicular traffic. The forest department terms such plantations “Avenue Plantation”. These were carried out on a very large scale by Karnataka Forest Department in Raichur district in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I recollect such plantations of eucalyptus trees, from my childhood, in the vicinity of Hutti Gold Mines. Trees with large simple leaves, such as banyan, peepul, mango are more effective than trees having compound leaves, for eg., gulmohar. Large scale avenue plantations can contribute in increasing the tree cover, apart from providing an aesthetic and pleasant experience on the road. Road side plants also support a variety of bird species like shrikes, drongos, babblers, orioles, mynas, etc.