PLOG - The PNLIT Blog: BNHS

Sunday, August 11, 2013

PNLIT loses an invaluable patron

It is with very deep sorrow that I bring the news of the demise of eminent bird watcher, long time Secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society, Padmashri Zafar Futehally today afternoon at Mumbai.

He supported PNLIT at every step and we turned to him constantly for advice which he gave so readily. He had visited the lake in early 2012, first with his wife Mrs. Laeeq, ardent nature lover and writer. When he heard about the presence of the migratory Garganey Ducks at our lake, he came to see them, binoculars slung from his neck. He later brought his granddaughter to show her around the lake.

Zafar Futehally at Puttenahalli Lake, Jan 2012 (Pics: Sujesh S.)

Mr. and Mrs. Futehally shifted residence to Mumbai on March 31 but continued to take keen interest in our work at Puttenahalli Lake as evident in one of his last messages to me sent on June 23.

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From: Zafar Futehally

Date: 23 June 2013 22:02
Subject: Puttenhalli
To: usha rajagopalan

At your convenience tell me about the progress of the lake. The rains must have made you happy. I hope the flock of Garganeys will show up in September.

We have a small lilly pond in our garden and a little Kingfisher sits watching the situation from a nearby guava tree, and at the right time swoops down over the pond and returns happily with a fish in its beak.

Hope to hear from you. Zafar and Laeeq

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We will miss you, Zafar Sa'ab. R.I.P.

Usha

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Flamingo Festival 2013

The enchanting sight of infinite pink spots on the marshy Sewri mudflats is enough justification for a ride into this dusty, smoky industrial part of south Mumbai. Located along the Arabian Sea, on the eastern coast of the island city, the Sewri (pronounced Shivdi) Jetty is where the Mumbai Port Trust, Tata Electricals, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and the refineries of ONGC, BPCL and HP are located. Dominated by mangroves, it is also the place where 15,000-17,000 migratory flamingos spend a few months every year (generally October-March).

Click the pics to enlarge

Infinite pinks spots with the backdrop of oil refineries

Of the five flamingo species of the world, two species, the Greater Flamingo and the Lesser Flamingo are found in India. Mainly resident in Gujarat (presumed Rann of Kutch region) during the breeding season, they are known to winter in warmer parts of India including Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Greater Flamingo is one of Bangalore's winter migratory birds, but sightings over the past few years have been occasional, and restricted to select locations like Madiwala Lake and Halagur Lake. The Lesser Flamingo does not come to Bangalore, probably because its diet comprises mainly of algae found in alkaline waters that are absent in the city.

The Flamingo Festival is a one-day event organized by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) at Sewri mudflats every year. During the event, the public gets an opportunity to see the white Greater Flamingo (about 1,500-2,000) and the pink Lesser Flamingo (about 15,000), apart from several other birds (darters, egrets, gulls, herons, ibises, kingfishers, pigeons, plovers, sandpipers, terns …) under the guidance of BNHS experts. An exhibition attempts to educate the public on flamingos and how we can help in protecting them. With its breeding habitat under threat, the Lesser Flamingo numbers have been on the decline and it is presently classified in the IUCN Near-Threatened List.

Flamingo Festival, Sewri, 9th March 2013

After repeated postponement of this must-see Mumbai sight, there was no better day than today (9^th March 2013), the day of the Flamingo Festival, for my family to make the trip to the mudflats. And we have absolutely no regrets!

Conserving the habitat of the Greater Flamingo in Bangalore will bring it back to the city. Bangaloreans need to go for it. Maybe one day they will stop over at Puttenahalli Lake!