Mistnet July-Sept 2011 Gopi final - IBCNibcn.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2011-Mistnet-July-Sept.pdf · Raju Kasambe, Project Manager, IBA-IBCN n ... Officers of Banas Dairy , Amul

CMYK

CMYK

Edited by

Asad R. Rahmani, Director, BNHS

Compilation, Layout and Design by

Gopi Naidu, Abhijit Malekar

Noor Khan

Contributions should be sent to

Editors, MISTNET, IBA-IBCN

Bombay Natural History Society

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Email: [email protected]

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in over 100 countries, working for the

diversity of all life through the conservation

of birds and their habitats.

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Cambridge CB3 0NA, UK


Web: www.birdlife.org

This Newsletter is supported by the

RSPB

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Bombay Natural History Society

(For private circulation only)

Cover: Lesser Flamingo

Phoeniconaias minor

By: Devesh Gadhvi

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Mission Statement

‘Conservation of nature, primarily biological

diversity through action, based on research,

education and public awareness.’

BNHS is BirdLife International partner designate

Views expressed by the contributors in MISTNET are not

necessarily those of the IBCN/BNHS.

www.rspb.org.uk

CONTENTS

Assistant Editor

Raju Kasambe, Project Manager, IBA-IBCN

n

Gujarat Tour for Vulture

Conservation

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SARUS CRANE:

Mascot of

Sitapur wetlands

off-shore trip from Chettuva,

West Coast, Thrissur District, Kerala

Bird Watching on the

open sea:

Insecticides Killing the

Sarus Crane in

Eastern Maharashtra

Death toll of flamingos

in Bhavnagar

— Viral Prajapati

— Sanjay Kumar

— S. Prasanth, P.O. Nameer and

J. Praveen

— Indra Gadhvi

Others...

LAMENT OF A BIRDER’S WIFE.................16

NEW STATE COORDINATORS ................17

OBITUARY .................................................18

4

6

9

12

14

— Mukund Dhurve and Raju Kasambe

CMYK

E D I T O R I A L

Two great losses to BNHS“Mistnet”, Mr. Daniel suggested softly. We were discussing the name of the organization that

we are planning to establish. The year was 1998. The place: newly established Conservation

Education Centre, Goregaon. The workshop was organized by BNHS and RSPB to establish a

network to strengthen bird conservation and start Important Bird Areas Programme in India.

The name was unanimously agreed upon by the workshop participants.

Mr. Daniel was associated with BNHS since 1950. I came to know him about 42 year ago when

as a B.Sc. student I wrote to him a letter about something which I have forgotten now. Within

ten days his reply came. Even in the age of postcards and inland letters, he was a fast

correspondent. I saw this myself when I joined BNHS in 1980 as a scientist. He was the first to

arrive and last to leave the office. Despite his always busy schedules, he had time for staff and

BNHS members. He was in his best form when in the field with members. I experienced this in

early 1980s in the famous Borivali National Park, later named Sanjay Gandhi NP. Almost each

Sunday morning, Mr. Daniel would reach the Park gate by 6.30 am from his Sion residence,

driving his Fiat car which he was very fond of, and wait for BNHS members to trickle in. He

used to be quite upset with those who came late. A reprimanding glance, and we would hit the

road for an energizing walk in the forest.

After rejoining BNHS as Director in May 1997, I used to go to office with Mr. Daniel as his

residence was on the way. Thanks to Mumbai traffic, this gave us ample time to discuss various

issues of BNHS and also of the world. He was a very well read person. We had many things in

common. Like me, he was also totally rationalist so on numerous occasions we discussed the

superstition, ignorance and lack of scientific temper that our countrymen suffer from.

He was very close to his family and was totally devoted to his four granddaughters (two each

from his daughter and son). I could see the affection in his eyes when he used to describe them.

Mr. Daniel was my boss and mentor for about 12 years, and when I rejoined BNHS in 1997, he

was my staunchest supporter in the Executive Committee of the BNHS. His death is a personal

loss to me.

I met Mr. B.G. Deshmukh the first time in 1996 during the BNHS Sálim Ali Centenary Seminar

held at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Developmental Research, Mumbai. He had the aura of a

dignified senior government bureaucrat. Since my Directorship from 1997 onwards, I had the

privilege to work under him as he was the President of BNHS. He conducted the meetings of

the BNHS Executive Committee (now changed to Governing Council) in an unbiased manner

and took decisions after listening to every view point. He was very mild-mannered and

softspoken. In my 15 years association with him, I have never seen him getting angry (despite

being provoked a few times during meetings). He was very concerned about the financial

situation of BNHS and thanks to his decisions, BNHS is even now sailing through.

Mr. Deshmukh had a very successful career as you can see from the Obituary on page 18. He

was also involved in numerous charity works till the last date. He regularly contributed his

personal money to charities. He also contributed to the Staff Welfare Fund of BNHS. He was

always appropriately dressed in coat and tie for official meetings and functions, T-shirts when

in the field. He was extremely meticulous, with an extraordinary sharp memory. Even at the

advanced age of 82 he was extremely busy in social work and his diary used to be filled up

three months in advance.

Losing two doyens in one month was a big blow to BNHS and to me personally. I think the

best way we can show our respect to them is to devote more time and energy to the conservation

movement of India. Making our country green and ecologically healthy will be the best respect

that we can give to these two great personalities.

Asad Rahmani

CMYK

A D V O C A C Y F O R C O N S E R V A T I O N

MISTNET Vol. 12 No. 3 July-September 20114

Nature Club Surat and Bird

Conservation Society of Gujarat

(BCSG), Surat Chapter is running a

Vulture Conservation Project since 2003. Under

this project we carry out various activities

which include maintaining Vulture Feeding

Site, distribution of Meloxicam medicine at a

subsidized rate, treatment of injured/sick

vultures, taking care of them at the shelter

house and their release in the wild when they

are fit enough to fly, awareness programme for

school students, for local people and

veterinary doctors, keeping an eye on vulture

nesting and roosting sites, and vulture census.

We also keep a check on veterinary drug

stores, regarding the sale of Diclofenac and

Meloxicam. In our recent survey of veterinary

drug stores, we were shocked to find human-

use Diclofenac (banned by Central

Government for veterinary treatment since

2006) being sold by four veterinary drug stores

without doctor’s prescriptions to treat animals.

We straight away decided to spread awareness

in this regard and try to prevent such sales.

In order to stop the use of Diclofenac for

veterinary treatment and to create awareness

regarding the current status of vultures, as

well as to take necessary steps towards their

conservation, Nature Club Surat and Bird

Conservation Society of Gujarat (BCSG),

Surat Chapter, in cooperation with Hajira LNG

Pvt. Ltd. (HLPL) and Kantha Vistar

Satatyapurn Vikas Samiti (KVSVS) undertook

a campaign called “Gujarat Tour for Vulture

Conservation” during May- June 2011.

On May 25, 2011, three volunteers of

Nature Club Surat – Viral Prajapati, Divyesh

Kadam and Nisarg Choudhary began the tour

from Surat. Later on Ruchi Dave, a BNHS

volunteer, joined them.

This tour included almost 20 districts of

Gujarat. The Team met the Deputy Conservator

Gujarat Tour for Vulture

Conservation

-

Flag off from Hazira LNG Terminal, Hazira, Surat

Viral Prajapati

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A D V O C A C Y F O R C O N S E R V A T I O N

5MISTNET Vol. 12 No. 3 July-September 2011

of Forests, Assistant Commissioner of Food

and Drugs Control Department (who keeps

control over the drug stores) and Deputy

Commissioner of Animal Husbandry (regarding

Veterinary Doctors) of each district. The team

provided them with information on the current

status of different species of vultures. They

were informed about the illegal use of human-

use Diclofenac in the treatment of animals, and

an appeal was made to them to take necessary

steps against its use. Material kits related to

vultures were also provided.

There is an urgent need for co-ordination

between the Forest Department, Animal

Husbandry, Food & Drugs Control

Department and local volunteers, to

successfully conserve vultures and stop the

use of Diclofenac for cattle. These three

departments are interconnected with respect

to vulture conservation, and various

notifications in the past have been issued by

the concerned government department. We

wanted them to implement these notifications

more strictly and consistently, and we have

received very good response from them.

In an effort to create a bridge between

various stakeholders, we contacted local

volunteers who are working in this field in

their respective districts. Constant

monitoring, effective implementation of

government notifications, and ensuring

diclofenac-free food supply for vultures will

help in their survival.

The team also met Chief Animal Husbandry

Officers of Banas Dairy, Amul Dairy and Sabar

Dairy and veterinary doctors of ten different

cattle shelters (panjarapol) and checked the

stock of medicine. The team visited Shree Idar

Panjarapol Sanstha on May 30, 2011. Here

the dead animals are taken away by the

Harijans who dispose of the carcass. On May

31, 2011, the team visited Shree Juna Disa

Mahajan Panjarapol, Shree Tharad Panjarapol

Trust and Vav Panjarapol. In these places

Diclofenac was not found. At Tharad

Panjarapol a proper disposal method for the

dead animals was being used. This included

the construction of 60x60 ft brick fence where

the skin and the fat of the dead animal were

removed.

The team visited Kutch Gadhsisa, Poladia

and Jakhau Panjarapol on June 3 and 4, 2011.

They also visited the Vulture Feeding Site at

Poladia Panjarapol, where a scarcity of dead

animals was observed.

On May 28, 2011, 20 White-rumped

Vultures were seen between Ahmedabad and

Thol. Early morning on May 29, 2011, the team

climbed Aghariyo Dungar along with

Harjibhai, where they observed 18 Long-billed

Vultures and also vulture juveniles on the cliff.

The tour was made effective with the

support of eminent nature lovers like Mr. Snehal

Patel, as well as the volunteers of Nature Club

Surat, Mr. Dhaval Patel (Vidhyanagar Nature

Club), Mr. Kartik Shastri, Mr. Aditya Roy,

Mr. Lalsinh Raol, Dr. Bakul Trivedi

(Ahmedabad), Mr. Anilbhai (Mahesana, Kadi),

Mr. Dharmendra-bhai Trivedi, Mr. Kishorsinh

Padhiar (Gandhi-nagar), Mr. Harjibhai (Polo

Camp Site), Mr. Bipinbhai Nagarchi (Vijaynagar),

Mr. Kamleshbhai Joshi (Palanpur), Dr. Nishit

Dharaiya, Mr. Darshan Sukhadiya, Mr. Rohit

Prajapati (Patan), Mr. Ashwinbhai Pomal,

Ms. Jagrutiben (Kutch), Mr. Maulik Varu,

Mr. Ashokbhai Masharu, Mr. Kamalbhai Bhatt

(Rajkot), Mr. Hitesh Dave (Gondal),

Mr. Bhavesh Trivedi, Mr. Akshay Kanakiya,

and Mr. Mukeshbhai Makvana (Mahuva,

Bhavnagar)

Contact:

Viral Prajapati

81, Sarjan Society, Athwa Lines

Surat 395 007, Gujarat

email: [email protected]

[email protected]

Team members looking for

Indian Vulture (Gyps

Indicus) from the top of

Aghario Dungar at Polo

Forest, Sabarkantha,

Gujarat

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CMYK

M O N I T O R I N G F O R C O N S E R V A T I O N

Sanjay Kumar

Sarus Crane Grus antigone is the tallest flying bird and also the largest among the crane

family. The name Sarus is derived from the Sanskrit word Sarasa that is related to lake

birds. This crane is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia.

It is almost extinct in Pakistan and very rarely seen in Bangladesh. In Southeast Asia it is found

in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and South Vietnam. Once found in Thailand and further east in the

Philippines, it is thought to be extinct in these areas. The total population of Sarus Crane in the

world is estimated to be between 15,000-20,000 individuals. Out of these, around 8,000-10,000

individuals are found in India, mainly in the northern states and central India – Uttar Pradesh,

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana down to Maharashtra. There have been occasional

reports of its presence in the states of West Bengal and Assam. The species has historically been

widely distributed in the lowlands of the Indogangetic plains, but it has also been reported from

a high altitude area like Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh. Sarus Crane is commonly seen in

marshlands, wetlands, paddy and wheat fields, where it forages on roots, tubers, insects,

crustaceans and other small prey. It is commonly believed that the male and female pair for life and

are symbolic of marital fidelity.

SARUS CRANE:Mascot of Sitapur wetlands

San

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CMYK


In Sitapur I observed a pair of Sarus

Crane in Tendua wetland (one of the 22

wetlands chosen for restoration). They

had built the nest in early monsoon, but

lost it during a flash flood due to

inadequate height of the platform. They

tried again and built a new platform,

incubated and successfully hatched the

eggs, despite fluctuation in water level. I

was told by local villagers that the pair

had been breeding successfully for the

last three years in the same wetland. The

clutch size is usually one or two eggs,

rarely three or more. The male and female

take turns to incubate the eggs, whose

incubation period is between 30-35 days.

Eggs are chalky white and weigh around

240 gm. The chicks are fast growing, and

begin to feed independently following

their parents in a few weeks. On signs of

danger, the Sarus gives a low ‘korr-rr’

call that signals the chicks to freeze and

lie still. Generally one of the parents

always stays near the chicks and raises

an alarm, calling for the other partner if

any danger presents itself. During a visit

to Bajehra Nasirpur, another wetland, I

approached a female with a six weeks

old chick: it raised an alarm and soon the

other partner swooped in. They came

towards us together and put the chick at

a safe distance. Young chicks stays with

their parents for more than 3-4 months,

before they become independent.

Wetlands – Potential Home for Sarus

Crane – in Peril

Sarus was not reported earlier in large

numbers in Sitapur district, though it is

reported in the districts of Etawah,

Mainpuri and Etah. Even the small

population reported in 2008 in Sitapur

was rarely seen near wetlands. The main

reason was that most of the wetlands

were choked with weeds and had

become a dumping ground for solid and

liquid wastes from nearby villages. This,

coupled with illegal fishing and siltation,

had shrunk the wetlands into small

ponds. Some of the wetlands had

become totally silted and villagers were

using them for agricultural activities.

Innovations in Wetland Management

using MNREGA Scheme

It all started with a chance visit to

Ajjaipur Lake in Reusa block of Biswan

tehsil. I was impressed by its size (95

hectares) as well as rich biodiversity,

but at the same time disheartened by

the sight of filth, weeds and ‘free for all’

mindset of the local villagers. Once a

pristine oxbow lake, whose fishes would

sell for a premium in Lucknow, it was

surely dying a slow death. Ajjaipur and

Sitarasoi wetlands were taken up under


Sanja

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Sarus Crane sighting at Sihanipara Wetland in Sitapur tehsil

CMYK


MNREGA scheme as pilot projects. The

success of these schemes prompted us

to take up other wetlands in phases.

The district wetland committee where

Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs)

were special invitees was the nodal

agency in selection and planning of

wetland conservation.

Broadly, the following activities were

undertaken by the forest department,

with special focus on the fact that the

habitat was not altered and aquatic

diversity of vegetation eliminated.

1. Removal of silt and its use for

construction of levees, bunds and

islands.

2. Demarcation and construction of

permanent boundary pillars to

check future encroachment on the

wetland.

3. Tree plantation on wetland

boundary and islands to provide

nesting and perching habitat for

birds and to lessen the impact of

flooding. The tree species were

chosen according to habitat needs

and survivability.

4. Eradication of weeds and diversion

of domestic and other solid wastes.

A total of 22 wetlands spread over

10 blocks of Sitapur district, covering a

total area of 612.06 hectares was taken

up during 2009-10 and 2010-11 at a cost

of Rs. 198.89 lakhs.

Impact on Sarus Population

Sarus is the state bird of Uttar

Pradesh. The impact of wetland

conservation and management on

Sarus population in Sitapur district has

been very encouraging. Not only has

its reported population increased from

165 in 2008 to 209 in 2009, and to 323 in

2010, but visibility around lesser

wetlands and agricultural fields has

also improved. Sarus breeding in these

wetlands saw an upturn and 15 out of

22 wetlands reported successful

single/multiple breeding. This is also

reflected in the number of juveniles

reported during surveys. It has

consistently seen an upward trend from

15 in 2008 to 19 in 2009, to 31 in 2010, a

sure sign of successful breeding and

conservation. Wetlands like Nauner,

Shinghora Jhabbar, Bajehara, Tendua,

Sarvahanpur, Jyotishahalampur saw

increased sightings of juvenile Sarus

between 2009 and 2010. Some wetlands

even saw successful breeding for the

first time. I had the privilege to see

through the binoculars the entire cycle

from laying of eggs to hatching and

raising young ones before they fly

away in the wetlands of Bajehara

Nasirpur (Biswan), Tendua (Biswan)

and Sihanipara (Hargaon).

I observed successful hatching and

raising of two young ones in the

wetlands of Nauner, Sihanipara and

Sakran Jhabbar. During one of the

village-level workshops in February

2010, a flock of 55 Sarus was sighted in

Arseni Jhabbar wetland in Mishrikh

tehsil. At the end of January 2011, I

observed a group of 65 Sarus in mustard

fields in Hargaon area near the Sitapur

Lakhimpur-Kheri border, half a kilometre

from the main road. The increase in

sightings of Sarus, as well as report of

annual congregation from different

areas of the district around wetlands, is

surely a sign of success.

Future Challenges for Protection of

Sarus Habitat

1. Habitat shrinking due to conversion

of lowlands/wetlands into

agricultural fields.

2. Erection of electric lines on or near

wetland area adversely affects bird

movement. Once I saw a single

Sarus hanging electrocuted on a

high tension electric line on the

Hargaon Lakhimpur-Kheri road, a

clear indicator that these lines can

be hazardous to the Sarus and other

birds.

3. Singhara Trapa bicornis cultivation

in wetlands is a serious cause of

concern, as the pesticides to protect

the crop used also affect the Sarus

and the water quality. Many smaller

community ponds and lowlands in

Sitapur and nearby districts given

for fishing activity are being used

for singhara cultivation.

4. Local fishermen and farmers use

poison to catch fish and discourage

birds like Sarus to feed on crops.

Even though Sarus is not poached

in Uttar Pradesh, farmers may

sometimes use poisoned seeds to

get rid of them. Though this conflict

is inevitable, the official protection

of the wetlands can save the Sarus

from these hazardous practices.

The Sarus population in Uttar

Pradesh is precariously placed and

requires concerted efforts to preserve

its habitat. The Sitapur model of wetland

development and its remarkable success

has shown that such a model of

development of community assets

involving the local community and

strengthening of livelihood security

can go a long way in reviving Sarus

population in UP and elsewhere.

Contact:

Sanjay Kumar, IAS

Office of District Magistrate

Civil Lines Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh



Mr. Sanjay Kumar, IAS

CMYK

R E S E A R C H A N D M O N I T O R I N G

There is a new concept evolving among

the birdwatchers of Kerala –

birdwatching on the open sea: to

observe pelagic birds which usually do not come

to our shores. Almost all the reports on the

pelagic birds in Kerala and elsewhere are from

wind-blown individuals that are carried ashore

during the monsoon season. Apart from having

a better look at the pelagic birds, another

objective of the trip was to make an

environmental assessment of the marine

ecosystem. In Kerala, this is one of the most

neglected ecosystems, in terms of biodiversity

off-shore trip from Chettuva, West Coast, Thrissur District, Kerala

Bird Watching on the open sea:

S. Prasanth1, P.O. Nameer2 and J. Praveen3

conservation. This is evidenced by the fact that

there are no marine protected areas in Kerala.

Marine ecosystems are also considered as dump

for all kinds of waste material from the terrestrial

region. But the fact is that they are extremely

important ecosystems, immensely rich in

biodiversity and from the socio-economic point

of view perform crucial functions as they support

the livelihood of thousands of fishermen.

Thus the Cochin Natural History Society

(CNHS), an NGO based at Cochin that is keen on

environmental conservation, KeralaBirder (KB),

an internet discussion group on birds, Nature

Bridled Tern on the sea off the Thrissur coast


CMYK


Education Society Trichur

(NEST), an NGO based at

Thrissur, and Indian Bird

Conservation Network (IBCN),

jointly organized a pelagic

birdwatching trip on the Sunday,

July 31, 2011, from Chettuva

harbour near Chavakkad,

Thrissur district. A group of 20

birdwatchers participated in this

exciting trip. The participants

included P.P. Sreenivasan, who

originally mooted the idea of

going out to sea, and was

responsible for most of the

logistics. Other participants

included Praveen J., moderator

of KeralaBirder; Dilip K.G.,

Vishnupriyan Kartha, Prasanth

S., Ginu George, Manoj, Jai

Jacob and Basil Peter, all

members of CNHS; Kochupaul

P.M., Shijin, Manojkumar C.V., Vivek Chandran, Praveen P.

Mohandas, Praveen E.S., and P.O. Nameer, all members of

NEST. We were also accompanied by Ms Asha V.C. and

Ayyappan, the crew from the Malayalam television channel

Amruta TV. And interestingly all are members of IBCN and

have been excellent examples of networking and teamwork.

We started the expedition from Chettuva at 08.00 hrs.

Our trip was flagged off by Mr. T. N. Prathapan, MLA,

Government of Kerala. Mr. Prathapan is a keen nature/wildlife

enthusiast, a frequent visitor to

the sea, who occasionally

accompanies the fishermen, and

is an ardent conservationist. In

his brief inaugural address, he

stressed the significance of

studying the ecology of the

sea, not only for conserving this

important ecosystem but also

for the sustainable availability

of marine resources to the

fishermen community. He

would have joined us on our

pelagic trip, but for some

pressing official programme at

his constituency.

The vessel that we used for

the sail was named “Emel Roy”,

and navigated by Mr. Rafeek.

We must confess that Mr.

Rafeek is quite knowledgeable about marine fauna

(obviously so) and was kind enough to contact his fishermen

colleagues out in the sea with his mobile phone, enquiring

about the presence of birds. He is adept at cruising the

vessel towards the high bird activity areas in the sea.

The weather was cloudy at the beginning with occasional

light showers but later on became sunny. Everyone was

enthusiastic at the beginning, so there was a crowd on the

deck, but as the boat began to pitch and roll with the waves,

Flag off of the pelagic trip by Mr. T. N. Prathapan MLA, with Dr. P.O. Nameer,

IBCN State Coordinator, Kerala (left)

A flock of Flesh-footed Shearwaters around a fishing boat off the Thrissur coast


CMYK

some people started feeling sea-sick, an

unavoidable hazard in this kind of trip.

We saw Flesh-footed Shearwater Puffinus

carneipes, Wilson’s Storm-petrel Oceanites

oceanicus, Swinhoe’s Storm-petrel

Oceanodroma monorhis, Bridled Tern

Sterna anaethetus, Sooty Tern Sterna

fuscata, Crested Terns Sterna spp. and a

solitary unidentified Skua (Stercorariidae). At

the beginning, shearwaters were infrequent

and an occasional sighting was followed with

cheers. Later on we saw a group of more than

500 of them near one fishing vessel, whose

crew were busy catching fish. The fishermen

call these birds “oolikaka” which means

“diving crow” in Malayalam.

Wilson’s Storm-Petrel was another sea bird

that we sighted during the trip. Its flight is

very much like that of swallows. After about

20 km or so offshore, these birds were

regularly sighted either singly or as in pairs. Altogether, we

must have seen about one hundred Wilson’s Storm-Petrel

during this trip. The boatmen call them “karivandu” meaning

“black bug”, in Malayalam.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the trip was the

discovery of the Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel. While we were

watching Wilson’s Storm-Petrel, which is characterised by

the white rump, we saw a similar looking bird, which was

completely dark in colour. It was later confirmed from

photographs that it was Swinhoe’s Storm-Petrel and this is

perhaps the first confirmed sighting of the species from

India.

The trip also gave us an opportunity to learn from the

teamwork of the fishermen. There were around 40 to 50 boats

in the sea on that day. The fishing boats would go in different

directions and as soon as any of the boats located a shoal

of fish, they would inform all the other boatmen. They all

gathered at the point where the shoal was located and would

fish together. Here again we could see a perfect system of

networking and teamwork, ultimately a win-win situation

for all, except for the fish!

The catch of the day was of a shoal of sardines. Mr.

Rafeek taught us how to identify a shoal of fish from a

distance by looking at the discoloration of sea water.

The first pelagic trip from central Kerala

was thus a grand success and also proved to

be an excellent example of teamwork. It added

a new species to the list of Indian birds and

found the largest congregation of Flesh-

footed Shearwaters in Kerala. We had been

about 45 km out into the sea, and returned at

15.30 hrs at Chettuva harbour.

Contact:1 Cochin Natural History Society

Premasadanam, Karippai Annex Road

Rajagiri P.O., Ernakulam, Kerala


2IBCN Kerala State coordinator, College of

Forestry, Kerala Agricultural University

Thrissur. Kerala. [email protected]

3B303, Shriram Spurthi, ITPL Main Road

Brookefields, Bangalore, Karnataka


Flesh-footed Shearwater off the Thrissur coast

The pelagic survey team in a joyous mood



CMYK


Here we present instances of death of

the threatened Sarus Crane Grus

antigone in eastern Maharashtra, most of

which were due to poisoning with

insecticides.

2006 and 2007: Sarus deaths

In October 2006, two immature Sarus

Cranes were found dead on the edge of a

Insecticides Killing the Threatened

Sarus Crane (Grus antigone) in

Eastern Maharashtra

small pond at Ghat Temhni village in Gondia

district. A dozen other waterbirds were found

dead near the carcasses of the cranes. It was

later found that some fishermen had put

insecticide into the small tank (locally called

a bodi) to kill the fish, which resulted in killing

of the Sarus Cranes also.

In January 2007, two more immature

Sarus Cranes died of electrocution by

crashing into power lines near Bazar Tola

village, Gondia district. Notably, the adults

did not get electrocuted as they were able

to manoeuvre safely.

2010: Three Sarus dead

Two immature Sarus Cranes were found

dead near a small tank between Kamtha and

Panjra villages in Gondia district on

November 16, 2010. The villagers informed

the forest officers about the death of the

birds. As nothing suspicious was found

near the birds, a search was undertaken by

birdwatchers in the area around smaller

tanks where the birds forage. It was found

that rice poisoned with an insecticide

(Thimet) was kept at many places around a

small tank called Zilmili Talao which is

adjacent to Gondia Airport. But the purpose

of keeping poisoned rice seemed to be to

kill waterbirds such as ducks, and not Sarus

Crane, otherwise the poachers would have

taken away the dead birds. Post-mortem

examination revealed that the Sarus had

died of insecticide poisoning.

It should be noted that another

immature Sarus had died at this Zilmili tank

earlier (July 2010) in similar circumstances

and the carcass was recovered. Zilmili once

was home to six Sarus Cranes, of which

only three are alive now.

Mukund Dhurve1 and Raju Kasambe2


Saw

an B

aheka

r

Corpses of Sarus Crane killed by consuming poisoned grains

CMYK


2011: The last pair of Sarus near

Navegaon National Park dead

The last pair of resident Sarus Cranes

of the Shrungarbandh bodi near

Gothangaon in Arjuni Morgaon tehsil,

Gondia district, 20 km from Navegaon

National Park died on July 29, 2011. This

was a very famous pair as many tourists

visited the Navegaon National Park only

to see these beautiful birds. The pair was

successfully breeding there, well protected

by the villagers for the last 15 years

(Dhurve et al. 2010). A farm owner at Kadoli

village 3 km from Shrungarbandh bodi

noticed the unconscious birds in the

afternoon and informed the forest

department. A forest guard took custody

of the birds, which died in the evening.

It was suspected that the birds might

have died after consuming insects, fish or

frog which had residues of Thimet. Farmers

excessively use Thimet to control sucking

pests, mites and other major insect pests

on a wide variety of crops (see http://

articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-

07-30/nagpur/29832721_1_saras-bird-

species-forest-guard).

Latest Sarus Count in Eastern

Maharashtra

A Sarus count was done on June 12, 2011

by birdwatchers and members of Gondia

Nisarg Mitra, Gondia. A total of 45 Sarus were

actually sighted, and including the secondary

information the count was put at 63 birds.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to members of Gondia Nisarg

Mandal for help in the conservation of the

Sarus Crane in Maharashtra. Thanks to Mr.

Bhimsen Patil Dongarwar for information,

and to Mr. Sawan Bahekar and Prof. Gopal

Paliwal for the photographs.

Reference

Dhurve, M., Gautam, I., Akare, S. and

Kasambe, R. (2010): Status of Sarus (Grus

antigone) in Maharashtra. Newsletter for

Birdwatchers. 50(6): 81-82.

Contact:

1. Balaji Nagar Layout, Gouri Nagar Road,

Ganesh Nagar, Gondia 441601, Maharashtra

2. A-205, Trimurti Apartments, Near Tilak

Nagar Vidyalaya, Dombivli (East) 421201,

Dist. Thane, Maharashtra


Raje

sh R

am

purk

ar

Treatment being given to the ailing Sarus Crane

CMYK

On the outskirts of Bhavnagar city, an area known as

Kumbharwada – Nari Road has a wonderful

permanent marshland formed by sewage water and seepage

from surrounding saltpans. The approximate area of this

wetland is about 400 hectares.

The volunteers of Dharmakumarsinhji Nature

Conservation Society have been regularly monitoring this

wetland for the last 10 years. The report of the bird census

(Asian Waterbirds Census) has been submitted to Wetlands

International and BNHS. The analysis report of bird

population is available on the website of Wetlands

International in the AWC report. The reports clearly reveal

that this wetland regularly harbours more than 20,000 birds

during winter, which is one of the criteria for declaring the

wetland of international importance based on the Ramsar

criteria. We recorded about 50 species of waterbirds and

water-dependent birds at this site.

This wetland is a part of the saltpans of Bhavnagar and is

identified as an IBA (Important Bird Area IN-GJ-12) of Gujarat.1


Death toll of flamingos in

BhavnagarIndra Gadhvi

The area is rich in marshy vegetation and micro-

organisms, which attract thousands of birds.

Pre-monsoon season is the time for congregation of

breeding flamingos. Every year 25,000 to 50,000 flamingos

congregate in this area. Among the flamingos the number of

Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor is dominant. Almost

90% population is that of Lesser Flamingo and the Greater

Phoenicopterus roseus are only 10% or sometimes less. This

year (2011) the Lesser Flamingo population was about 30,000.

Flamingos use both the marshland as well as saltpans for

foraging. The population disperses immediately after

commencement of monsoon and they probably migrate

towards the Rann of Kutch for breeding.

I visited the site on June 9, 2011 and saw about 30 dead

flamingos below an electric power line! When I enquired

with the local people about this, they said the toll is more

than hundred. When a flock of several thousand flamingos

flies past this electric line, some collide with the line and

get electrocuted.

Flocks at Bhavnagar, with eleven carcasses of flamingos in frame just below the electric line (inset)


Indra

Gadhvi

CMYK


The eastern boundary of this wetland

is very close to human habitation, a slum

area of Kumbharwada. A 66 kv industrial

electric power line passes over this part.

Due to continuous movement of people,

the bird population near the eastern end

usually remains low, but unfortunately

this year the western part of this

marshland became absolutely dry. So the

birds were forced to move towards the

eastern end. This resulted in the death of

a large number of flamingos. Stray dogs

chase the flocks of flamingos, and when

several thousand birds immediately take

off together, a few of them invariably get

hit with the power line and die.

The Flamingo is the state bird of Gujarat.

It is recorded as a Near Threatened species

according to the list published by BirdLife

International.2 Hence, it is an alarming

situation for wildlife managers, and the

state Forest Department, and needs

immediate attention.

To solve the similar problem near

Nalsarovar, the Forest Department and the

power supply company covered the

power lines with plastic sleeves, which

has successfully protected Sarus Crane

Grus antigone from electrocution!

This solution is necessary at Bhavnagar

also. All power lines passing over this

wetland should be covered with plastic

sleeves. The area can be developed as an

eco-tourism site, as the large number of

flamingos and other birds will attract many

tourists. This will in turn help the economy

of the state as well as the district.

References

1 Islam, M. Z. and Rahmani, A. R. (2004)

Important Bird Areas in India: Priority

sites for conservation. Indian Bird

Conservation Network: Bombay Natural

History Society and BirdLife

International (UK), Pp. xviii + 1133.

2 BirdLife International (2011) Data Zone,

Species http://www.birdlife.org/

datazone/species

Juveniles of Lesser Flamingo seen in large number at Kumbharwada


Indra

Gadhvi

Indra

Gadhvi

Indra

Gadhvi

Different species of waterbirds are seen at Kumbharwada during winter

More than 1,000 Ruddy Shelduck at Kumbharwada

Contact:

Indra Gadhvi, Ph.D.

Plot no. 2200, Ankur Society

Hill Drive, Bhavnagar 364 002

Gujarat


CMYK

LAMENT OF A BIRDER’S WIFE


On the way to a marriage reception, SP (Dr. Surya Prakash)

rang his friend “Mr. Mishra, our car is parked on the left, near

the Indian roller”. “Road roller”, I corrected and burst out

laughing. For a second he looked shocked then joined in the fun.

All through the dinner he blushed like a Lal Munia. SP’s mother

lovingly called him ‘munia’, little knowing that her son was

destined to become a birder one day.

Back home that night I went to bed but not to sleep. I

pondered upon the question – when did SP’s hobby become his

passion? Scores of incidents from the past came back, I sat to

put them on paper to clear the chaos they caused in my

head.

When we met for the first time SP appeared to be normal (he

talked about my interests) and I like every silly girl, started to

dream of a blissful life with him. In the beginning everything

seemed rosy. But soon the blinkers were removed from my

eyes, when he shifted our honeymoon trip from Manali to Gajner

(this place didn’t exist in my map of India). We returned with

more pictures of birds than of the newly wedded couple. Normal?

no he certainly wasn’t, for sooner or later he would land up on

his favourite subject BIRDS and like a stupid schoolgirl I would

listen to his endless bird stories which interested me not at

all.

For a small town girl like me and on top of that a literature

student, birds were ‘chirya’. Whatever name he called them by

they all were ‘chirya’ to me. Our outings were mainly to the

zoos, Lodi garden or Humayun’s tomb, not for their historical

importance but because they housed a great variety of birds.

Still, he was far better than what he has become after he joined

the Delhi bird group. Now SP’s day starts at 4:30 am fresh and

ready with a large cup of ginger tea (he calls it his veterinary

dose). Come winter or rain he sits, enjoying the company of his

friends, ‘The Birds’. They too wait for their avid admirer, they

wish him in chorus as he feeds them and fill their waterpots.

SP is very particular about his meals and morning puja. He

even switches off his mobile phone. Yet he once got up midway

from his puja to rescue a yelping chick from a crow’s claws. He

returned victorious. My kids were more into nursing the chicks

than their studies. It showed in their grades.

As if this wasn’t enough, he got to know people from a

wildlife SOS, and now the injured birds have found their way

into my house. An owlet, a white pigeon and even a hornbill!

For the hornbill he made me drive 5 km at odd hours to get

papaya (I haven’t done this even for my own chicks!). His fever

shoots up when a big bird day approaches. Weeks in advance,

weekends are only for dry runs. He who has Pankuj, Thejus,

Vineeta and Abhishek for company, birdwatching any day any

time, is party time.

Earlier when he went on and on about birds it would irk me,

but now I have learnt to take it in my stride. Here I must confess

that however hard I tried to emulate him, I failed. So I gave up,

for now I know he is an altruist when it comes to birds. I am no

longer baffled by his knowledge of birds, neither I am awed.

Instead I am proud of the fact that I am his wife. After a lot of

introspection (after my efforts to make him understand turned

out to be an exercise of futility) I decided to iron out my

differences with him on this matter (no choice). I couldn’t fight

so I joined him.

Contact:

Alka S. Prakash

w/o Dr. Surya Prakash

Jawaharlal Nehru University

New Delhi 110 067



Mrs. Alka Surya Prakash

Dr. Surya Prakash

CMYK

Dr. Jayant Wadatkar, IBCN State Coordinator, Maharashtra

Dr. Wadatkar is a young naturalist from Amravati, Maharashtra. He did his doctorate on the

butterflies of the Satpuda hills. He is the one of the founders of Wildlife and Environment

Conservation Society, Amravati. He has authored many research papers on birds and butterflies

of Vidarbha, and authored a book on the forts in the Satpudas. He presided over the 10th

Vidarbha Pakshimitra Sammelan. He has been conferred with many awards for his work.

Mr. Satya Prakash, IBCN State Coordinator, Jharkhand

Mr. Satya Prakash hold a Masters’ degree in Zoology. He is President of Neo Human Foundation,

Hazaribagh, Jharkhand and a T.S.G. Member, GOI-UNDP Biodiversity Project, Jharkhand. He

has written many research papers on wildlife and his work has been recognized in the many

awards he has received. He is a very active member of both IBCN and BNHS.

Mr. Koka Mrutyumjaya Rao, IBCN State Coordinator, Andhra Pradesh

Mr. K. Mrutyumjaya Rao holds a diploma in Mechanical Engineering and is a keen

birdwatcher. He is an advisor and founder member of Care for Nature’s Creatures. He is the

President of Wild Andhra Pradesh, and is responsible for the conservation of Uppalapadu, an

IBA site in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, with the help of village leaders and MLA. He

regularly writes in magazines and newsletter on birds and environmental issues and has

been a contributor to Hornbill.


On September 22, 2011, the Bihar Chief Minister

Shri Nitish Kumar fulfilled his long-cherished dream

of watching large flocks of birds at Danapur Military

Cantonment, an IBA Site. Danapur Military Cantonment

is the largest breeding area of Asian Openbill

Anastomus oscitans in Bihar. Shri Nitish Kumar reached

the cantonment area at 8 am. With forests and

environment department officials, the Chief Minister

was thrilled to watch thousands of Asian Openbill,

popularly known as jhangils. He spotted a pair of

Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala as well. He was

lucky to sight Painted Stork at this time of the year.

Usually they come to Danapur Military Cantonment

during January.

“I wanted to see large flocks of birds at Danapur for

long. So, I am delighted that today I got the opportunity

to fulfill that wish. I will urge the army to construct a watch tower for better viewing of birds,” said the Hon. Chief Minister.

At present, there are around 3,000-4,000 Asian Openbill at Danapur Military Cantonment. These local migrant birds

fly in here from nearly 100-300 km range. They have been breeding here for the past 25 years. On an average 4,000-

5,000 birds breed successfully here between June and December every year.

Explaining the behaviour of the birds during their stay at Danapur Military Cantomnent, well-known birdwatcher,

IBCN member and deputy general manager of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation, Mr. Naveen Kumar said:

“In the first phase, a few Asian Openbill arrive and inspect the area. By the middle of July, thousands of them arrive

and start building nests on trees in and around the DMC. Being an army cantonment area, the birds feel protected here

and also find plenty of fish in the nearby Ganga”. – Telegraph, Bihar

Bird Watching at Danapur Military Cantonment

Hon. Chief Minister of Bihar, Shri Nitish Kumar watching the

Asian Openbill

N E W S A N D V I E W S

CMYK

O B I T U A R Y

Mr. B.G. Deshmukh, IAS (Retd.)

March 26, 1929 – August 7, 2011

Mr. Bhalchandra G. Deshmukh, President, BNHS, was associated with the BNHS for more

than 15 years and was its guiding light in multiple ways; he was a great supporter of conservation.

A true-blue Puneite, Mr. B.G. Deshmukh was born in his ancestral wada off Laxmi Road. He

was an alumnus of Fergusson College and a student of Economics and Political Science.

Mr. B.G. Deshmukh joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1951. During his illustrious

career, he held various important posts, including Chief Secretary, Maharashtra, Chairman of

the Governing Board of the International Labour Organisation, Secretary of the Union Labour

and Rehabilitation Department, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Municipal

Commissioner of Bombay, Secretary to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Cabinet Secretary.

He was also the Principal Secretary to three former Prime Ministers, Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh

and Chandra Shekhar.

Mr. B.G. Deshmukh had penned several books, including A CABINET SECRETARY THINKS ALOUD,

A CABINET SECRETARY LOOKS BACK AND POONA TO PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE. He has also painted

fascinating portraits of political leaders like Giani Zail Singh, Rajiv Gandhi, V.P. Singh and

Chandra Shekhar.

He was associated with several other NGOs and cultural organisations, besides the BNHS,

since retirement that benefited phenomenally from his ability to sense problems far in advance

of their arrival and suggesting measures to tackle them. His steadfast vision to see a project

through thick and thin, leave no stone unturned to realize the change that was conceived, was

remarkable. His goodwill with the top officers from Delhi and in Mumbai helped projects move

through difficult times.

The demise of Mr. Deshmukh draws to a close an era. His stalwart figure had become iconic

for the various NGOs and social service organisations that he was associated with.

Conservation and BNHS have lost one of their greatest supporters with his demise. n

Mr. J.C. Daniel

July 9, 1927 – August 23, 2011

Mr. Jivanayakam Cyril Daniel, Vice President, BNHS, was a veteran conservationist. He

became associated with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) as a researcher in the

1950s. Subsequently, he held several posts in BNHS, including Curator, Director, Honorary

Secretary, Executive Editor of JBNHS, Research Guide to M.Sc. and Ph.D. students and as

head of various Subcommittees. He was the Founder Editor of Hornbill. He was a mentor at

BNHS in many ways and a pioneering figure in various conservation initiatives in the country.

Mr. J.C. Daniel received several awards during his lifetime, including the Peter Scott Award

for Conservation Merit (1988). He also held several positions in various institutions across

India, including Member Steering Committee and Regional Representative (Western Region)

of the Indian Board for Wildlife, Member of the Governing Council of Wildlife Institute of

India, Vice-Chairman of Species Survival Commission, Chairman, Asian Elephant Specialist

Group, Member of the Executive Committee, World Congress of Herpetology and Member,

Punjab Ecology.

He had worked on various projects involving oriental vertebrates, species and habitat

conservation, and natural history publications. He had authored and edited several books for

BNHS such as THE BOOK OF INDIAN REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS, CASSANDRA OF CONSERVATION,

PETRONIA, A CENTURY OF NATURAL HISTORY, THE LEOPARD IN INDIA and A WEEK WITH ELEPHANTS. His

latest book BIRDS OF THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT – A FIELD GUIDE was recently released in BNHS.

With his passing away, BNHS has lost a mentor, a true naturalist, conservationist and a

great writer. n

CMYK

IBCN ORGANISATIONAL PARTNERS

Institute of Bird Studies

& Natural History,

Andhra Pradesh BIOMIX

Assam

Green Guard,

Assam Assam

Mandar Nature Club,

Bihar

Chhattisgarh Wildlife Society,

Chhattisgarh

GujaratBird Conservation Society

of Surat, Gujarat

DelhiDelhi

Delhi, M.P.

Chhattisgarh and

Assam

Ashoka Trust for Research

in Ecology & the Environment,

KarnatakaNature Conservation Society

Jharkhand

People for Animals,

Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Karnataka

Madhya Pradesh

Wild Haven

Madhya Pradesh

AssamEarly Birds,

Assam

Lakshadweep Marine Research &

Conservation Centre

Jharkhand

Green Hearts Nature Club,

Assam

Wildlife Protection Society

of India, New Delhi

Janlakshya

Bihar

AVES

Arunachal Pradesh

GEER Foundation,

Gujarat

Gujarat

Bird Conservation Society,

Gujarat Gujarat

Jharkhand

Karnataka

Karnataka

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Kerala

Karnataka

Vattakanal Conservation

Trust, Kerala

Gujarat

Maharashtra

Green Guards, Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Assam

Madhya Pradesh

Assam

Nature Science (Club’s)

Society, Maharashtra

Creative Nature Friends

Maharashtra

Gujarat Institute of Desert

Ecology, Gujarat

JBF India Trust, Assam

CMYK

Wildlife Society of

Orissa

Alipurduar

Nature Club,

West Bengal

RajasthanNature Club,

Bishop Heber College,

Tamil Nadu

Arulagam,

Tamil NaduTamil Nadu

Dhan Foundation

Tamil Nadu

Uttar Pradesh

Amrapali Institute,

Uttarakhand

West Bengal

Himalayan Nature &

Adventure Foundation,

West Bengal West BengalWest Bengal

Nuclear Power

Corporation of India

Limited

Rajasthan

Orissa

IBCN ORGANISATIONAL PARTNERS

www.ibcn.in

Orissa

Krishak Samaj Inter College

Uttar Pradesh

Barn Owl Nature Club

Tamil Nadu

Orissa

Uttar Pradesh

Uttarakhand

West Bengal

Punjab

Gondia Nisrag Mandal,

MaharashtraMaharashtra

MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra

Sahyadri Nisrag Mitra,

Ratnagiri, Maharashtra

MaharashtraNature Science (Club’s)


MaharashtraSrushtidnyan,

Maharashtra

Nature

Conservation Society,

Maharashtra.

Uttar Pradesh

Care Earth Trust,

Tamil Nadu

Maharashtra

Plant & Animals Welfare


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