Dance of the peacocks
| A trek in the Anaikatty forest is a great way to get up close and personal with Nature |
SPOT THAT BIRD The green bee-eater is one of the many birds that can be spotted at the Anaikatty forest
"Ssssshhh... ," says naturalist P. Pramod. "Silence is important while bird watching. Now, identify the spotted dove from the laughing dove just by their sounds," he tells members of the Salim Ali Naturalist Forum (SANF). And, it works.
An early morning trek in the Anaikatty forest is a great way to get up close and personal with Nature. And, watch birds. Dancing peacocks, hummingbirds and tunnel spiders add to the experience.
We first sight a pair of owlets. Indian robins, grey jungle fowls and grey partridges... .Pramod keeps spotting them effortlessly and Nature enthusiasts accompanying him, quickly leaf through Salim Ali's History of Indian Birds for details. A pair of binoculars provides a clearer picture. "That is a tailor bird," says Pramod, pointing to a small tailed brightly coloured bird with a bright green upper part and a whitish under part. "It collects large leaves, pierces them with its sharp beak and sews together a nest. That explains its name."
We spot a couple of good singers — the beautiful female Iora, a common bird with a yellow body and a black streak; and the magpie robin, another common bird in South India.
Suddenly, it's bliss. A flock of peacocks comes out of hiding, displaying their blue-green plumage and dancing merrily. A sight to behold!
Then, the tunnel spiders catch our attention. These spiders, found under logs and rocks, have built a silken tunnel with a wide entrance that alerts the spider to the presence of potential prey.
The Anaikatty forest is also home to elephants, gaur, leopard, spotted deer and the black-necked hare.
"The marks on the trees are an indication of the presence of elephants. They rub themselves on smooth trees to clean their skin," Pramod says.
The slender, rich-hued green bee-eater, colourful hoopoe birds, brilliantly plumaged sunbirds and green sandpipers (the migratory birds from the Himalayas) and Tickell's flower pecker (the smallest bird in India) make their appearances and disappear in a flash.
"The Western Ghats and the North-Eastern Himalayas find a place in the list of 28 global bio-diversity hotspots. This is based on the diversity of flora and fauna and the endemic species," Pramod says, guiding the team along a stream.
The birdcalls
Deep inside the forest, it's absolutely still. The chirping of birds is music to the ears. As you settle down on the boulders, Pramod has another request.
"Close your eyes for 10 minutes and identify the birds by their cries." Tree pies, bulbuls, babblers, peacocks... each sound is distinct.
The SANF, functioning since 2003, is a platform for those who love Nature and want to contribute towards its conservation.
It conducts camps for school and college students, and organises bird watching camps, trekking, discussions and afforestation drives.
The Nature Education Division of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON) in Anaikatty, Coimbatore, co-ordinates this programme. For details, call: 0422 2657103-5; e-mail neosacon@gmail.com or visit www.sacon.org.
You can write to them at SACON, Anaikatty P.O., Coimbatore - 641108.
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/04/28/stories/2007042800670200.htm
1 comment:
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