Remembering Mr. Zafar Futehally

(Photo: Sujesh)

On his 101st birth anniversary, we offer our tribute to Mr. Zafar Futehally (19 Mar 1920 - 11 Aug 2013). We were privileged to have him and Mrs. Laeeq Futehally visit our Puttakere in 2012. 

He had heard of our endeavour and had sent an email expressing his appreciation. We were thrilled to bits and had invited him to visit the lake. He did so with his graceful wife, an eminent writer and garden expert. She was quite frail and waited in the car while he accompanied OPR and me for a short distance asking so many questions about the depth of the lake in summer, source of water, how we were raising funds and more.

Zafar Futehally at Puttenahalli Lake Feb. 14, 2012 (Photo: Sujesh)

With PNLIT Trustee OPR (Photo: Sujesh)

When we told him about the migratory Garganey ducks arriving at the lake, he came to see them, cap on head and binoculars in hand. By then, together with Lesser whistling ducks, there was a flock of over a hundred of them. I relive that moment often – standing beside Zafar Sa’ab and seeing ducks, ducks everywhere in our little lake. Later that year, he brought his granddaughter along to see the Garganeys. That was his last visit. Our association with Zafar Sa'ab and Ma'am was very, very brief but we are so grateful that thanks to Puttenahalli Lake our paths crossed at all. 

Garganeys & Whistling Ducks, Dec 2011 (Photo: SK Srinivas)

Mr. and Mrs. Futehally shifted to Kihim in early 2013. He passed away that August and she followed within a year. We had kept him informed about the lake through emails and he would reply to each promptly and with great happiness. In his last email in July, he hoped that the Garganeys would return to our lake that year. They did. They may return yet again when the lake is back in shape, this winter, we hope. 

Female Garganeys, Dec 2013 (Photo: PNLIT)

Garganeys in flight, Feb 2014 (Photo: Sanjay Mysoremutt)

Usha Rajagopalan

Lake Update

The monsoon this year has receded and the top of the stakes we'd planted in the water are showing already. This means the level is falling  but hopefully come summer, there will still be enough water for the fish to survive unlike the summer of 2013. It is indeed gratifying to see more birds at the lake. The Spot-billed Ducks are five now. You can see their exquisite close up photo featured for the month of March in our calendar. 

Spot-billed Ducks

We managed to "rescue" a drift wood plant display stand from being burnt and bought it off a maid for Rs. 100. It is now placed on the lake bed awaiting the birds to perch on it. Several egrets feed around but we haven't seen one of them sit on the drift wood yet. The birds in the photograph are not too clear to be identified but we hope they are Lesser Whistling Ducks (featured for May in the PNLIT calendar). 

Drift-wood perch

Purple Heron in the centre

Our trees, shrubs and other plants have grown well in the past few months. See a pic of the garden near the Gazebo. 

Garden 

The water lilies we'd planted at various places are blooming and one such patch has become a nesting place for a Common Coot! It chases away other birds that come near the water with angry splashing of the water. As for the lily blooms themselves, strangely enough, the common comment we hear from regular visitors to the lake is that the sight is "calming"!!  

Water lilies

With greetings for Christmas from all of us at PNLIT. 

Usha