Nature’s Signature On The Sky

– By Zaid Khan Neelgiri, with Images by Sushmitha I N, both being WildCAT-C Members

As the blooming Jacarandas and Rain trees announced the arrival of the spring, the vivid Holi colours filled the atmosphere. The calls of the songbirds rejuvenated our spirits and the WildCAT-C team was ready for a new season of birding.

The March birding session commenced on the first weekend. We recorded nearly eighty species of birds while trailing around the water bodies of Kadur. The highlight among the lacustrine ecosystems was a large lake, with sightings of rare species of birds. We were fortunate enough to sight an elusive Striated Heron, a Green Shank and a pair of Green Sand-Pipers. Further, we also spotted an Oriental Darter taking a dip and basking under the sun to unmoist its feathers. Thereupon we visited a grassland habitat and sighted many dryland birds, including a few Collared Doves and Bay-backed Shrikes. We also had a fortuity to catch sight of an elegant Blackbuck, an Indian Fox and a Black Naped Hare.

The consecutive week, we visited a verdant hilly terrain forest. Starting from the foothills, we continued through the higher elevations. Moving ahead, we also went around a few ranges of Bhadra Tiger reserve. We recorded close to fifty species of forest birds, and the most captivating sightings of the day were the beguiling Indian Paradise Flycatchers. Also, the gleaming Orange Minivets and the enchanting White Rumped Shama, etched in us a special memory.

In the concluding week of March, we visited all the lakes around Chikmagalur. Commencing the journey from a nearby lake in the outskirts of the town, we sighted two species of Crakes, a Baillon’s Crake and a Ruddy Breasted Crake, an infrequent and a special start to the expedition. Another significant mention would be the behavioural record of breeding display, by a pair of Purple Heron. In addition, we witnessed a Black Winged Stilt’s flawless hunt theatrics.

Some of the revealing observations were that of a Greater Coucal with partial leucism, where bird develops few white feathers due to reduced pigmentation, as well as an uncommon phenomenon of heterochromia, where one eye was coloured red and the other black. The day culminated with a visit to the grasslands, recording a good number of arid habitat birds, and notably, the total species count of the day was a whooping hundred and ten.

In summary, the month of March was excellent in terms of numbers and diversity of the species. And, as we contemplated over our feathered friends, the spring faded and the summer seeped in.