Different Moods of A Bee Eater Pair at the Basai Wetland

I thought it was only human couples who have differences, but then, even birds have their differences. Strangely enough, when I visited the Basai Wetland today, I was in for a treat, especially since I was party to what I believed was a Bee Eater Bird Couple having differences. The mail of the two seemed to fly off only to return to his mate. Amazed at this display of affection and disagreement, I stood fast and waited to see the story unfold. It seemed amazing, no doubt. The photographs tell a story of a couple of Bee Eaters having a fight no doubt!

They seem to be having an argument and sure the Bee Eaters seem to have turned away from each other!

It seems they have reached an agreement! Their love for each other seems to be evident. They are together in everything, no doubt.

The distance seems to appear, one of the two birds seems to be in disagreement and is ready to fly away because of some argument. The message for us is that Bee Eaters too have their disagreements, to it is OK for us human beings to have disagreements!

Sometimes, things work out after an argument, but then I wonder if it is f

or appearance. We often want to show the world that all is well even when the cracks have appeared!

But then, this is what happens when you don't see eye to eye! You look away in disagreement, to tell the world that you have an issue.

It is when things go out of control that one of the two flies away. But then in most cases, this is just a scare, a threat.

After the flight, we come together to see if things can be mended. In many cases, it is about having one last try.

The loner is left all alone, waiting perhaps for her mate to return. In most cases, it is the one with the patients who wins the innings! Ultimately, these birds did get together, affirming that love does win in the end!

Blown Away by a cyclone in Gurgaon

It is only when you are hit by a storm that you realise how harmful it can be! The storms that have been hitting Gurgaon in the recent days have wreaked havoc in various places. Yesterday's storm hit a neighbouring building with a catastrophic effect blowing away the entire tin roof of tenements hired to different families. I did hear a loud bang in the middle of the night but then dismissed it as some kind of harmless noise and went off to sleep. Morning, however,  a horrifying sight devastation, scattered bricks on the road, debris, the tin roof partly supported by high tension electricity cables passing close to the building, clothes scattered on the ground, a lone shoe amidst the debris, and  the strangest of all, the image of a ceiling fan hanging from a pole that had been blown on to the roof of the first floor house of my uncle's house.

A lot of damage can be avoided only if one sticks to accepted building norms. Flimsy construction, the use of tin roofs poorly anchored hoardings, and the existence of high tension cables close to the homes can all be a great danger in times of storms and other natural calamities. Government agencies often turn a blind eye at substandard building construction with the result that incidents such as these can happen. 

The impact of natural disasters can be mitigated through a little more thoughtfulness both in the common citizens as well as civic agencies. Town planning should take into consideration natural disasters and evacuation and rescue operations. Dilapidated buildings need to be either renovated or else demolished, and the same should be done for poorly constructed buildings.

Tarry Awhile!

Can Mere Novelty justify the use of Ed.Tech. in Education?

OK, so you have just got a new gadget and you want to try it in class, would that really help in improving student learning? Is the novelty factor so important that you want to flaunt your use of educational technology simply to impress your students and fellow teachers, or even, perhaps teachers from other schools? The use of technology can be effective only if we have planned how to use it and have worked on the method for using it effectively. Many a time, the use of Educational Technology can be distracting and daunting for both the learners and their teachers.

Unplanned use of technology can only lead to further chaos in an educational system that is trying to deal with the disruption that has resulted from the use of the internet and internet-enabled devices. The greatest challenge for teachers and students is to be able to weed out or filter out the relevant from the irrelevant information that can only lead to frustration and confusion in the classroom! Some of us might be so excited about showing students a movie on a novel being taught in class much before the novel has been read and analysed in class with the result that what they have seen in the movie stays in their heads even if the producer has made changes in the script to suit his cast or perhaps even budget. In such a case, showing a film before the actual reading would be a recipe for disaster. Moreover, one needs to plan and decide whether to show the movie after the completion of the actual reading in one go, or perhaps in parts. Besides, one needs to ask one's self if students should do a discussion after viewing the movie and whether there might not be a need to give them a note-catcher.

Before we use educational technology, it is important to integrate the same into the lesson plan at least so that everyone is on the "same page". Well made lesson plans mention whether or not Education Technology will be used and if at all it is used, how will it be used. If students are going to use their laptops for a presentation, then even they need to plan before they actually use it. This would include distributing roles and duties. The correct method would be to identify one person who will do the research, another to compile the information into a powerpoint presentation, the remaining persons could make the actual presentation.

Before we use Educational Technology we need to ask ourselves "How" we intend to use it and what impact it would have on actual learning. With times when screen-time has become an issue, would it be advisable to expose students to more screen time in class? Would it be worth the expense to bring technology into the classroom? Would the introduction of technology result in the need to train teachers specifically to use technology and if so would it be worth it for the organisation to train teachers to use technology? Would it somehow shift the focus away from the actual Education Methods? Might not the use of Educational Technology become an end, not a means towards a greater understanding of the topic or unit? These are questions that we need to ask ourselves before deciding to use Technology in class.
The idea behind using Educational Technology should not be a recourse to shortcuts in the educational process, rather it should be about providing students with an interesting perspective on a difficult problem. Ideally, Educational Technology should bring about a "Eureka" moment for the student, and the teacher. I am talking about promoting inspired learning in an age that has become lazy; lacking in creative energy (because everything is available on the internet). Technology is not about promoting the "Copy-Paste" culture, rather it is a means to bring about a transforming learning experience, something that is to be treasured.
"Digital tools can transform, not just replicate, the teaching and learning experience"- is the title of an interesting article appearing on the edscoop website. So how would you bring about an experience that is transforming and inspiring to students? We should use technology to collaborate, research, inspire, stimulate, simulate, model, record, analyse, project, predict, diagnose, suggest alternatives, construct, deconstruct, engineer, reverse engineer, rather than just entertain, mollify, frighten, stupefy or shorten the learning experience!
For there to be an effective use of Educational Technology in the Learning Process, there needs to be a justification for its use. So if you could use technology to make the teaching of Statistical Theory or tenses and clauses more effective then surely its use is justified. If the use of technology can help students to observe and follow the dissection of a frog or a guinea pig without actually having blood on their hands, then its use is justified. The documentary film on global warming titled, "An Inconvenient Truth" is a good example of the use of technology to simulate and predict weather patterns leading to climate change and their impact on the future of the planet itself!









https://edscoop.com/digital-tools-can-transform-not-just-replicate-the-teaching-and-learning-experience

Egrets and Weavers at the Basai Wetland

The Basai Wetland never ceases to surprise you each time you visit it! What if no one cares about it, nature has a way of gracing what will one day become yet another address in the real estate boom! While the authorities turn a blind eye to what might be one of the last treasure troves of Gurgaon, naturalists and birders keep visiting the wetland even as the water drains out and people continue to denude the Waterland of its fish. I have seen dead birds entangled in strings stretched between poles and yet our wildlife officials ignore this. However, a more pleasant image is provided by the Moorhen, Cattle Egrets and Streaked Weavers that throng the place long after the migratory birds have flown away.

Streaked Weavers abound in the Basai Wetland. The birds can be found flitting from tree to tree, often looking for food in the underbrush. In the above snap, the one with food in its beak was doing a flypast even as the one on the stalk of grass was looking on! I thought they were Munia birds, but then I guess I was wrong!

The Little Green Bee-eater is commonly found flying around, perched on tree branches and in this case one of the poles from which strings were attached. Bee-eaters are active little birds and they don't let you approach them from close. Thankfully, the zoom lens helped me get a snap of one. Bee-eaters eat insects when Bees are not around.

Egrets are graceful birds and they are equally graceful in flight! I was able to get a snap of one while it was wading in the water with a reflection thrown in! As long as there is water, these birds will keep visiting the wetland.

The Moorhen might be a common sight close to wetlands, lakes and ponds. The muted yet contrasting colours of this one made it a compelling subject. Moorhens are waders and they feed on insects, worms, grain and paddy. Generally found in pairs or flocks, this one decided to do a solo walk.

The Indian Pond Heron is a common sight at the Basai Wetland. It can be founding standing rather still on the ground in the bushes.

Cicada-2018

Having been assigned to sit at the venue of the Cicada branch of the MUN, I could see a number of students, all indicative of how grown-ups would be more likely to behave at the United Nations Organization. The sleepy-eyed logistics reps, the loudest of them shooting technical jargon, smartly dressed executives, (one of the reps tells me that the Cicada organisation is the most 'boring' of all organisations) it all spoke volumes about how effective MUN programmes can be in exposing school students to actual organisational scenarios.

It felt great to silently look at the ones who would carry over their arguments, thanks to loud voices, others who would like to blend in, literally changing perceptions and attitudes to fit into the popular, accepted trends. One of the girls coming in and asking who was the girlfriend of one of the reps was, (not knowing that I was sitting quietly in the corner) and then suddenly the other girl telling her to keep quiet, gesturing towards me. There is a method to the madness, especially when young minds are pitched into real life situations and they are expected to make decisions that would impact the whole world. The entry of one of the student leaders of a debating club I once overlooked gave me hope that there would be some semblance of order. I waited for some order to set in but noticed that even fifteen minutes after I had arrived they were yet to settle down.

Finally, the vice-chairperson settles down,  the Chairperson hasn't yet arrived, the Rapporteur Whatsapp to the rescue, call them up, wonder if they are delayed by the traffic at the United Nations. Statements and observations are shared, the Vice-Chairperson takes the stage, a feedback takes place, one of the delegates suggests that the committee doesn't really seem to know what to do. Ah, finally the Chairperson has arrived!

Wondered if they were really aware or had any clue about what is really was being discussed! The Vice-Chairperson steps in with some advice that it would be better not to go into troubled waters if the matter is too "intellectual". One of the logistics members appears to ask if anyone might have lost an Id Card. One of the members just stepped in thirty-five minutes! We really need to teach our future leaders a lesson in punctuality. 

All of a sudden the routine breaks down with members asking about lost ID Cards, lack of Wifi access, charging points, members suddenly getting up, moving around, the sudden silence in the room, finally somebody comes up with a point of argument even as he lisps, two more members arrive, ah somebody talks about "round Robins" a vote takes place, you can't abstain, passes, the snacks arrive, a thank you to the person bringing in the samosa, the Vice-Chairperson opens the floor for a discussion on the "crisis" enquiry, proposals fly in the air, there are timorous queries, a point is hardly made before there is a clapping, voting takes place members lift up placards rather mechanically,....more snacks arrive, I am wondering if Nagar has brought tea, my faculty is on the upper floor!

Somebody arrives to know which member has lost his/her placard.  Some more drinks arrive, some kind of a green shake, all of a sudden they remember "crisis update 5" and then they remember "crisis update 6". One of the girls advises the others to finally move to the solutions. Gosh, they are talking about an "artificial intelligence" that is threatening to take over the world. This "Hostile intelligence" according to one of the young energetic members might be harmful to Cicada! A young energetic boy gets up to make his point. Young members exchange thoughts and observations. They need to decode the cypher, he talks about a journey into the realm of shadows, they need to locate Pandora, he is talking about hidden locations. Name of Pinocchio pops up all of a sudden and I am jerked out of my sleepiness, all of a sudden another lisping member talks about Raven as a writing desk! Member 20 doesn't wish to speak, member 18, finally member 5 talks about an "anomaly", a member of the Press arrives, a zoom lens attached to a Nikon. Member 20 asks if she might speak later, but is told she cannot. Member 16 finally talks about Deucalion, the son of Prometheus, my Gosh! Is it about Greek Mythology or is it that Percy Jackson rules their minds. Programme Deucalion appears to be a dangerous programme indeed. Finally, member 20 stands up and enquires whether Deucalion was related to Prometheus. My goodness Project Deucalion is likened to a programme for cleansing Humanity! Another one talks about Noah! Was Pandora the daughter of Deucalion? She was a Robot?

Umm, I guess I need to get myself a quick cuppa tea, Nagar must have left the tea, will be right back!

I'm back. After asking the members to talk about the dangers of human extinction, for which quite a few members refuse to speak, one member turns up with a spirited member talking about whether there is a need to preserve Project Deucalion. Point of clarification, shadows and intelligence are related? The member argues that project Deucalion cannot save humanity! So now they are talking about time travel, Alice in Wonderland, are we allowed to make personal statements? Surprisingly yes!Feels really great to know that literature matters, especially books by Percy Jackson and Lewis Carrol!

Whew, the original Chairperson finally arrived! one of the members asked if he was feeling well! I am a jolly good fellow!.... wonder if.... well the headache might be indicative of a late night! How much can one cram! The flow goes on, with a lot of holding of the head.

Have Kingfishers in Gurgaon Turned Vegan?

During the mornings while going for a jog, I would be startled to hear Kingfisher birds calling to each other from tree-tops. At first, I thought I was hearing things, but then I was able to spot them at different spots on top of trees. The first thought that occurred to me was what they were doing so far away from the nearest water body. There is no water body in sector 12, nor is there one on New Railway Road! Finally today, I decided to carry a small camera to take a snap of one of the Kingfishers that I have been seeing regularly.The first I spotted in Sector 12 was a green pigeon, and then there was nothing. It was later when I was bringing back Candy, our pet pug that I heard the unmistakable call of the Kingfisher that I realised that it was perched on top of a pole on a neighbour's house!

Surprisingly but true, I have been observing Kingfisher Birds close to my home, far away from any wetland or even a pond. What surprises me the most is to find kingfisher birds living on dry land, apparently suggesting that they have adapted to the changes in the ecology of the place they live in. Most probably, these are native species that have been feeding on aquatic creatures from ponds and water-holes that have long since dried up or been filled up. So then what are they living on, if not fish and tadpoles? The answer was provided by Mr Bhatia a colleague of mine who mentioned that even he had spotted a number of Kingfishers in his locality and that he had noticed them feeding on insects. Clearly, the Kingfishers in Gurgaon have switched their diets and they have taken to eating insects!

I did a check on Google Map to see how far the nearest pond or water hole was and came to know that the nearest one was not less than five kilometres away. It looks like Kingfishers in Gurgaon have either become independent of lakes and ponds or they have developed extraordinary reserves of energy to fly to and fro to the nearest water body, something that does not, in any case, make sense, for then the question would be, why would they really want to come back to the city?

The town has undergone a lot of change since the early eighties and we have seen the disappearance of vultures followed by sparrows. The sparrows and vultures seem to have been replaced by other species of birds like Kingfishers, Purple Sunbirds, the Indian Robin, and the ubiquitous pigeon. One wonders if this might not be the result of urbanisation, the concretisation of the city, draining out of wetlands, ponds and streams resulting in a change in the ecology of the land. The vultures were probably victims of DDT poisoning while the sparrows were driven out of Gurgaon by the pollution and lack of greenery, but what has brought Kingfishers into dry land is certainly difficult to explain!

This tussle for space between man and birds is reflected in the number of wild birds that have started making their appearance in the middle of the city, far away from the nearest wetland or even forest. The presence of Hornbills in Mianwali Colony of Gurgaon, or, for that effect Yellow feet Green pigeons, or Peacocks on the roofs of school buildings, all of them stand testimony to the fact that we have deprived wildlife of its rightful space.

Avians might change their food habits, and unless they have immense reserves of energy, they will be happy to consume whatever comes in handy. One might wonder if the Kingfisher birds in Gurgaon might not have turned vegan, what with the disappearance of wetlands and ponds in the city itself.