Common Crane

(Visit to LRK – continued from previous post)

The wild ass is without any doubt, a major attraction of LRK. But, the drive itself is quite long and tiring. The services of a trained guide are recommended if you are driving your own vehicle or a rented one with a driver who has no previous experience of driving on the mud-flats. This is because there are no clearly defined paths and often, due to your eagerness to catch a close-up of the wild herd, you may end up off the route and keep driving around the sanctuary trying to get back to the place where you started.

At the Forest Department’s interpretation center, you can hire the services of the locals, who are able to guide you around the mud-flats and ensure that you spend your time effectively, spotting the wild ass and other attractions.  On our way through the mud-flats, we passed a few water bodies with waders and water fowl. We spotted spoonbills, pied avocets, spotbills, stilts and a few river terns.

Wild Boar

We came across a herd of wild boar, with several young ones which quickly scooted away into the nearby scrub forest.

Common Crane

Nearby a family of Common Cranes, also known as Eurasian Cranes, foraged for food and we were able to approach them quite closely. These cranes are migratory birds and are commonly found all over Europe. In winter, they fly over long distances to reach the warmer climate of Western and Central India. The birds are large, with grey plumage, long, slender white and black necks, and red crown. Juveniles have brown plumage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These birds are decreasing in numbers mainly due to degradation of habitats in their migratory routes over Central Asia. 
More details about the cranes are available from INTERNATIONAL CRANE FOUNDATION.

Quick facts

Name: Common Crane

Alternate name: Eurasian Crane

Status: Migratory, winter visitor

Photograph location: Little Rann of Kutch (LRK)

Best time to visit: November to February

Nearest railway: Ahmedabad

PS: As human population continues to increase, its effects on environment degradation are being felt across the world. 

We need to to our best in conserving the environment.

Here is a native American saying with infinite wisdom: 

"When the blood in your veins returns to the sea, and the earth in your bones returns to the ground, perhaps you will then remember that this land does not belong to you, it is you who belong to this land."

Little Rann of Kutch

Rann, in Hindi, Gujarati or Marathi, means a desert. So, the little Rann of Kutch can be translated as Little Desert of Kutch. Located in the extreme NW of Gujarat, along with the Greater Rann of Kutch, it forms one of the largest salt water and mud plains in India. The weather here is extremely hot and humid. However, in winter months after the monsoons the vast plains with a number of water bodies, are full of life-giving fresh water.

There are several bird sanctuaries in the region surrounding the Rann of Kutch, teaming with migratory birds from the northern climes. All of this makes the plains an excellent place for bird-watchers. LRK is also designated as the Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary, the only refuge of the magnificent Wild Ass.

My visit to Kutch was came through only due the efforts and planning by childhood friends Dilip, Nikhil (his brother) and Manoj. Kutch can be reached from Mumbai via Ahmedabad. These cities are well connected by road, rail and air transport. On this trip, we covered LRK, Nal Sarvovar and Thol Bird Sanctuary, in two hectic days, travelling from the crack of dawn till late at night. Thanks to Dilip and Nikhil Shah.

From Ahmedabad, we started off at 0530 hours in a Tavera. SUVs/jeeps are the best means of transport in the plains of LRK , as a cars would be unable to handle the internal roads. Jeeps are also of great utility in traversing across the mud-flats, in search of the rare Indian Wild Ass.

The Wild Ass looks akin to a hybrid of a horse and an ass, but much better in appearance. It has a light reddish-brown upper body, with white under-parts and dark mane of hair over the head. It is extremely agile and moves around the plains in large groups, comprising of a dominant male, several females and juveniles. It has been clocked galloping at speeds in excess of 60kmph.  The grasslands and shrublands dotting the plains provide the ass with adequate food. Occasionally, large groups also raid the surrounding fields to forage on the crops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quick facts:
Name: Indian Wild Ass
Alternate names: Khur, Gadhedo (Gujarathi)
It is a protected species under the Indian Wildlife Act.
Found exclusively in the Kutch region

Reduce use of plastic bags;save our environment

Pygmy Woodpecker

A small black and white speckled, perfectly camouflaged woodpecker, resident of thickly wooded forests in South India. It is differentiated from the grey-capped pygmy woodpecker by its dark brown streak above the head. 

It is extremely difficult to spot as it sports a perfect camouflage helping it blend into the background woods. A distinct white streak alternating with a black streak runs across the sides of its head behind and below the eyes. It feeds on small insects and wild berries. Found singly or in pairs, flitting with great agility from branch to branch in search of food, stationary only for fleeting seconds. This makes it quite difficult to photograph. These photographs of the woodpecker were snapped in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, a thickly wooded haven for bird watchers and nature enthusiasts.  

Name	Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Alternate name(s)	Pygmy woodpecker
Size	House sparrow
Occurrence	Thickly wooded forest
Status	Uncommon
Distinct features	Black and white dappled body and tail parts, white abdomen with brown streaks
Sexes	Alike overall; male a narrow crimson band over its eyes

Save trees; help save our natural wealth

Resolutions for the Environment

Hi everyone. Its good to be back after a long break.
There were several reasons for it. Foremost amongst them, the sense of achievement (not something great actually), on reaching the 100-post mark. Then, there was the realization that it would soon be 22 years that I have spent in making a career in a city, away from the small town where I studied and spent my childhood and school days. Also, the fact that this year my son started junior college made me remember my college days. Time seems to have really flown by. Reminds me of the lyrics, Funny how it feels just like yesterday - (Bad Company).
 

In the lifetime of Earth, twenty years is a blip on the radar, a blink of the eye-lids - here today, gone tomorrow. But the sad fact remains; reckless human development has lead to environment degradation of such massive scale that the world as we know it today would no longer be the same in the next twenty years. 
 

Fewer bird sightings

There has been an overall decrease in the variety and number of bird sightings this winter.

Personally, I have noticed that there have been no sightings of the green bee-eater this year in Thane. Thirty years ago, I distinctly recollect hundreds of noisy birds roosting for the night on rain trees (in Hutti Gold Mines). One factor behind the reduced numbers of bee-eaters could be illegal sand mining by the sand mafia all over India. As the bee eaters nest by tunneling in sandy river banks, the destruction of nesting sites can seriously affect their population. Consider then, there could be innumerable such instances of habitat destruction, threatening the very existence of other birds and animals. This is a very grim scenario.

These photographs of the Green Bee-eater are from my archive:

Silver lining in the dark clouds: I spotted a Shikra:

Five minutes to midnight

 
Although not all claims made by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) lead by Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, the more recent one about being “five minutes from midnight”, can be taken at face value, we are witness to very rapid destruction of the natural environment. Large tracts of forest land is lost to construction of human habitats or agriculture (Maharashtra lost more than 2,100 sq km of forest area in past 2 decades – TOI, Dec 26, 2013). This means No more walks in the woods – (Eagles).
 

Long term consequences of such continued human activity on the Earth’s ecosystem would be very hard to predict. Some scientists point to the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide, melting of ice-caps and unpredictable world-wide weather [(Mass power cuts continue in US and Canada after storm- BBC, Dec 26, 2013), (Storms return to batter UK as thousands without power – BBC, Dec 27, 2013), (Super typhoon Haiyan in Philippines), and (Cyclone Phailin in Orissa)], as incontrovertible evidence that the climate is adversely affected. 

An increase in the frequency and ferocity of storms is predicted as we near the threshold of no return. The changes brought about by humans are difficult to reverse and development will of course, continue without pause – until the threshold is breached.
 

Resolutions for the New Year 

 

Each one of us, in our limited life-times, must play our part in mitigating the environmental destruction of Earth. Make it a better place, for you and me - (Michael Jackson).

So, here are some New Year resolutions that we can practice.
Avoid carbonated drinks: since many of the manufacturers utilize ground water for bottling
Reduce plastics: use cloth bags for shopping; prefer glass bottles over plastic ones, wherever available
Save water: reduce water consumption by using a low flush toilet tank
Stop treating the earth as an open air garbage bin: don’t throw waste onto the railway tracks / streets / highways
Stop polluting the water bodies: don’t dispose floral waste into our rivers and creeks
Save electricity: use solar power for house-hold lighting few hours every day, if you can afford it.
Use rechargeable batteries: stop using disposable batteries manufactured by those responsible for India’s worst human and environmental tragedy. Bhopal, 1984: Do you remember?
Shop for items manufactured by environment friendly companies (those with ISO 14000 certification), wherever such alternative exists
Plant a tree: you can do this in your society garden
Save electricity: switch off all appliances from the plug-points. If you use an AC, set the thermostat at 24°C
Save fuel: If you commute to office using a bike / car, use public transport once a month.

Readers who wish contribute their environment friendly resolutions are welcome to do so.

Help save the environment and make it a better place.