BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 4

BRAHMINY KITE

One of the most beautiful birds of prey to be found in the Indian peninsular region, the Brahminy Kite is associated with the mythical creature Garuda, the king of the birds and the mount of Lord Vishnu in several cultures around the world. I shot this wonderful avian while it was perched on a coconut palm near my Bhabi's place at Goa Velha.

Click on the below click to enlarge them.

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More from the series: THE BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15

(1) Sparrow (Link)

(2) Jungle Babbler (Link)

(3) Purple Sunbird (Link)

(4) Brahminy Kite (Link)

(5) Black Headed Oriole (Link)

(6) Indian Koel (Link)

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For more posts on Brahminy Kites, click here (Link)

AGARA DIARIES - PART 1

THE AGARA LAKE

Sandwiched between two uptown localities of the city, namely HSR and Kormangala, the Agara lake is like an oasis in the urban jungle that Bengaluru has become today. While it may have significantly shrunk in size, this medium sized water body still attracts a large number of avian species all throughout the year. In fact, it a thriving eco-system right in the heart of the city. Situated about 2.5 km from the busy Silk Board junction, you will find it on the left side while travelling towards Marathalli along the Outer Ring Road (ORR). Luckily for me, I pass by it twice each day since it lies en route my work place. As my shuttle moves along the boundary of the lake in the mornings, I stick my head out of the window to catch a glimpse of birds that have made Agara their home. And boy, I am elated to see that in the last two years that I have spent in the IT city, the number of winged visitors coming here has been steady, inspite of the many problems plaguing this lake.

At the official entrance to the lake is a large stone slab, on which you will find a strange piece of art, a pyramid of sorts. It consists of a girl balancing the Earth over her head. On the globe, is a boy in upside down position. Finally, placed over the right feet of the boy is a rooster. The words inscribed on the slab are something that we need to imbibe to preserve the ecological balance: "We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children". Once inside, you will find a watch tower that offers a vantage point for birding. Along the edge of the water body is a path for jogging, which is shabbily maintained.  Right at the centre is an island, a 'natural fortress' which is covered by vegetation and is a heaven for aquatic birds. On the eastern side is a small patch of greenery, dotted with few trees. A wall which is breached at various places marks the boundary in all directions. 

Like all other lakes in the IT city, Agara is facing several threats, some of which may undermine its existence in the near future. Although this part of the country received more than average rainfall this season, some parts of the lake are still devoid of water, probably due to the fact that water is being drawn from here at a faster rate. Untreated sewage water continues to be discharged into it, making it an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, besides the foul smell. In fact, a nullah flows parallel to the western border of the lake. The unchecked proliferation of weeds inside the waters poses a grave danger since these plants prevent the flow of water. The growth of water hyacinth will tamper the oxygen levels thereby devastating aquatic life as well as the species that feed on them. Another cause of concern is the high level of air and noise pollution due to the traffic along the Ring Road in the vicinity. Finally, since the area is not manned properly, it has become a hub for several anti-social elements too in recent times. It is important that measures are put into place as fast as possible to prevent this lake from extinction. If this is not done, Agara like the Iblur lake located about 5 km from here, will be gone forever.

The good thing for the lake and its admirers like me is that the local community here is pretty aware of its responsibility towards the environment. In 2004, under pressure the Forest Department erected the fence around the lake and spent funds in cleaning the premises. The boundary wall here has prevented encroachment which is perhaps the biggest reason for the disappearance of several lakes in the city. Three years later, when the government had planned to lease out the Agara lake to a private company for the development of a theme based water park, it was met with stiff opposition and the proposal never materialized. On September 8 this year, the Chief Minister made a surprise visit to the lake after a newspaper reported that it had become a hot bed for mosquitoes. He is said to have blasted the authorities in charge of the maintenance and has asked them to take steps to clean up the lake. Though the lake is still in danger, there is a important lesson here for all of us. Local support is extremely crucial for the conservation of our city's lakes. 

The efforts put in by the locals is paying off. On my several visits to the lake in the last three months, I have spotted as many as 25 different species of birds. I guess an experienced photographer or a birding enthusiast will do a much better job. The incredibly high number of aquatic birds found here seems to suggest that the water here is quite clean and home to several kinds of fish. In fact, this water body is a breeding spot for birds like Pelicans, Coots and Moorhens. The pleasure of watching these avians with their young ones is very satisfying. However, there is more to Agara, actually much more. Birds of prey like Black Kites and Brahminy Kites are very common. The nullah is a magnet for smaller birds like Kingfishers and Drongos. One can spot a plethora of insect species including butterflies, beetles and bees. Several kinds of snakes too have been seen here. On my first visit, I also spotted a Mongoose in the bushes. The presence of so many faunal species  is evidence that Agara lake is doing well and I hope it stays this way forever.

For more post on Agara Lake, click here (Link)

THE CHANCE ENCOUNTER

GOA DIARIES: MEETING THE BRAHMINY KITES

As I had mentioned in my last post (Link), we reached Bhabi's place at Goa Velha by 11:00 am in the morning on 27^th April. The locality in which they stay - Soji Kade lies on the busy road connecting two of Goa's most prominent cities - the administrative capital Panjim and the commercial hub of Margao. It is a residential area with simple bungalows located amidst lush green Bhaatts (Goan Konkani word for 'Plantation'). Each house has either a tulsi altar or a holy cross in the centre of the courtyard, signifying the faith of its occupants. The narrow, serpentine road carpeted by dried leaves falling from the trees growing along it seems to be catering more to pedestrians than vehicles. Once in their home, Bhabi's parents were kind enough to keep the entire top section of their sprawling two storeyed house just for mummy and me. 

This part of the house which was built just a couple of years ago is huge and extremely well maintained. The neatly painted walls, spacious rooms, big windows, well laid out bathrooms, minimal furniture and most importantly, the 'first class' treatment that we received there, made us feel as if we were staying in a holiday home. The balcony adjoining one of the bedrooms provides a spectacular view of the vegetation around which is soothing to the eyes. The first time I went there, I spotted several species of avians - Common Mynas, Red Whiskered Bulbuls, Magpie Robins, Black Kites and Flameback Woodpeckers to name a few, in just about 10 minutes. Not so surprisingly, this was to become my favourite place for early morning bird watching in the days to come. The surrounding greenery, the chirping birds, the feeling of breathing clean air and the house itself reminded me of our Porvorim home, making me quite nostalgic.

A pair of Brahminy Kites

While mom decided to be at home for the rest of the day since she was tired after the 15 hour long arduous journey, my plan was to meet my friends from GEC in Panjim. Two of them - Niks and DD were travelling in the latter's car from Margao and I decided to hop into it at the Goa Velha bypass road. This served two purposes. For one, I got to spend more time with these guy who had come down from Pune to meet me. The other and the more sinister motive was to avoid commuting by the crowded Kadamba buses in the scorching heat. With Bhabi's dad dropping me there, I arrived at the designated place well before time... for a change. There was very little shade here; the high humidity levels - something that I am not used to in Bengaluru, took its toll on me and I started sweating profusely. I called the guys just as to check where they had reached and was thoroughly disappointed when they told me that they were still about 20 minutes away.

After cursing them for about five minutes and watching cars and buses go by at break neck speeds, screeching sounds (keeyeee) from the sky, suddenly caught my attention. As I looked towards the heavens, I saw a pair of Brahminy Kites hovering above, sailing across the light blue sky like fighter jets. One amongst them was executing some breath taking mid-air stunts including sharp turns and nose dives, before flying higher and repeating the whole thing again. This continued for some time before the duo - probably a male and a female engaged in pre-mating ritual, finally perched on a nearby tree which offered an excellent view of the entire area. Since the guys were still about 15 km away, I decided to make the best of this opportunity, crossed over to the other side of the road (so as to utilize the 50X optical zoom of the Canon SX50HS to the fullest) and took pictures of these majestic birds of prey - some of which are posted here.

The Brahminy Kite - Haliastur indus

The Brahminy Kites and their cousins - the Black Kites are the most common members of the Accipitridae family (eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures) that are found in the country. In the peninsular region, the latter is predominant in the interiors; however, the tables are turned along the coast where the former is comparatively more widespread. Mother Nature seems to have been extremely kind on these avians and their unique colour combination - rusty brown plumage, white underside, yellow beak and round bronze eyes make them very adorable and easy to identify. Scientists have discovered four different sub-species of Brahminy Kites and the one seen in the country is called Haliastur indus. In India, they are found in most areas, from the Himalayan foothills to down south. In general, their range extends from the Indian Sub-continent to Australia covering most parts of South-east Asia and islands in the Australasian region.

Primarily scavengers, their diet consists of dead fish and crabs, explaining their abundance in coastal areas. Nonetheless, they are decent hunters and are known to prey upon bats and rodents. The mating season of the Indian sub-species is said to last from April to June, just before the onset of monsoon. Generally, the two eggs laid will hatch after an incubation period lasting for about 25 days. Presently, the species is classified as Least Concerned by the IUCN, though their numbers are on the decline in some areas. For the people of southern and south-eastern Asia, these birds have tremendous cultural significance. In Indian mythology, it is generally associated with Garuda - the King of the Birds and the mount or Vahana of Lord Vishnu. They are also the official mascots of the Indonesian capital of Jakarta where they are known as Elang Bondol

Coming back to the Goa trip after all the gyaan, after clicking several snaps, I kept my camera aside and stood there just looking and admiring these winged creatures. Though, I was fully drenched in sweat, I wasn't complaining. Who gets to see these amazing animals everyday, especially if you are an IT professional employed in Bengaluru. After waiting for half an hour, at about 12:30 in the afternoon, I spotted a grey Wagon R coming my way. As the car approached closer, I could see clearly see DD behind the steering wheel with a devlish grin on his face as Niks frantically waved at me through the window. I got into the back seat and as the car headed towards Panjim, I looked at the pair of the Brahminy Kites still perched on the trees through the back window, being grateful for the company that they had given me for the last 30 minutes.

The two impromptu photo shoots on the same day - the Cormorant at Ankola (Link) and the Brahminy Kites at Goa Velha was a fantastic beginning to the Goa trip. Though the snaps are just ordinary, as any ace photographer will point out, the whole experience will be etched in my memory for a long time. It re-affirmed my faith that the Western coast, which is undergoing modernization at a rapid pace still continues to be one of the most beautiful places in the country, especially for a nature lover like me. From the mesmerizing salt pans of Kutch to the pristine beaches of Kerala, it is full of surprises, some known, others yet to be explored. The mighty Western ghats and the vast Arabian have colluded to make it one of the most ecological diverse regions of the world and it is in our interest not to tamper with it. 

SOURCES

(1) Wikipedia: Brahminy Kite (Link)

For more on the Goa Trip:
(1) A Trip To Goa... Finally (Link)
(2) Dil Dosti Etc (Link)
(3) An Evening in Vagator - Part 1 (Link)
(4) An Evening in Vagator - Part 2 (Link)
(5) Life is a Beach (Link)