Sunday 26 August 2018

Celebrating Diversity of Avian Life at the Basai Wetland


The Basai Wetland, a yet to be notified wetland by the Government, supports a wide range of Avian life, including resident birds and migratory ones. What makes the Basai Wetland easily reached from Gurgaon is that it is barely a fifteen-minute drive from Old Gurgaon.


What makes the Basai even more attractive for birders is that the wildlife department has put no restrictions on their entry, though I guess a good amount of revenue could be earned through entry fees, greater than the amount earned through fishing contracts!


The sight of Sarus Cranes flying by can be a most satisfying moment. One feels liberated on seeing such beauty in nature, birds celebrating life to the fullest, affirming the immense possibilities in life. Sarus Cranes are a metaphor for togetherness and matrimonial harmony. There is so much that we can learn from nature, that too by visiting wetlands like the Basai Wetland.


Little Grebes can be interesting to watch especially at the beginning of the breeding season. This particular Grebe gave me the benefit of a smile as if telling off and not to pry!


Black-winged Stilts can be found throughout the season, they only need some water to survive on. They are particularly noisy birds and can be found flying in formation.


Bitterns, Herons and Egrets are very secretive and they remain still for ages! Hidden in the grass, they wait for the right moment to strike.













Pheasant Tailed Jacanas Spotted at The Basai Wetland





It was a joy to spot a flash of Gold contrasted by a patch of white in the middle of the grass and weeds at the Basai Wetland yesterday. While the Wire-Tailed Swallows were away, the Pheasant Tailed Jacanas could be seen in abundance. These were, however, a little away from the main part of the wetland. One particular Pheasant Tailed Jacana seemed to want to give me the full benefit of its antics even as I followed it around; it led me on, as it sang aloud to those hidden in the water weeds.




Only one gender of the species, the male develops such a long tail and the golden patch on his neck makes him particularly conspicuous to the female. Jacanas are found in abundance in the area and they are not in the category of dwindling species.




Black Kites Perfect the Art of Fishing at the Basai Wetland




It is a surprising sight to see  Kites circling over a particular patch of water that was not covered with weeds, swooping and striking at the unlucky Magoor Catfish lurking beneath the surface! The presence of these kites in large numbers might affect the presence of other migratory birds and also decimate the fish present in the wetland thus impacting the ability of the wetland to sustain migratory avian life.


One major fear is that the presence of fish in large numbers in the Basai Wetland has attracted a large number of Kites into the area. This could scare off other migratory birds in the locality including the Sultanpur National Park. The Basai Wetland is in the path of an aerial route taken by migratory birds and the presence of kites circling in the air might force the guests to change course and instead select other wetlands.


The kites were probably attracted by the fish carcasses left behind by the people who had been given so-called rights to catch the banned species of African Magur Catfish. The presence of a large number of weeds in the area has exacerbated the situation robbing the fish of breathable air witch the Magur Catfish need since they are air-breathing fish. The presence of a large number of dead catfish has become a matter of great concern.




It is these seemingly small ecological imbalances that ecologists need to study because they are indications of a larger ecological disaster waiting to happen. The absence of fish in the reservoir will lead to a proliferation of insects in the whole area.



Thursday 23 August 2018

Gurgaon-Unseen Images of Nature



Gurgaon is an anathema, a conundrum and an oxymoron in terms of how it has been and where it is going. It was once a slumbering little town that suddenly shook itself and launched itself into the twenty-first century. The setting up of the Maruti factory gave the town a global identity. However, with development came other problems like overcrowded roads with traffic jams becoming the norm. Disappearing greenery, wetlands, streams and ponds, destruction of bunds meant to protect the town from flooding, and garbage management issues have become serious problems. But then, there are still areas in Gurgaon that have managed to preserve nature, though how long these will survive before the realtor's roving eyes fall on them is something that can only be guessed. The apathy of the administration towards the protection of wildlife and the ecosystem of the town has lead to serious complications.

It is, however, most surprising that Gurgaon continues to have pockets of untouched oases of wildlife that can spring pleasant surprises. The Basai Wetland continues to support a vibrant avian population of different species of resident as well as migrant ones. One can spend hours simply looking at the different birds.








So, whether it is highrise buildings or even a Heron with a fish in its beak; a dragonfly drying off the dew on its wings in the morning sun, or perhaps even Swallows fighting for space on a narrow bamboo pole, Gurgaon has them all! Unfortunately, the need for building space along with a burgeoning population has had an impact on these oases of nature. One can't help but wonder if these beautiful birds will be present a few years from now!











Friday 17 August 2018

Flight of the Wire-Tailed Swallows


Swallows are rather playful little birds, always chasing each other, dragging long wire tails behind them even as they are buffeted by the wind. At this time of the year, the Basai Wetland is taken over by Wire-Tailed Swallows, after of course the exit of the larger variety of migratory birds like the Bar-Headed Geese, the Sheldon Ducks and the Spot-Billed Ducks.

When I visited the Basai Wetland today, I found a solitary Spot-Billed Duck, left behind by its family, no doubt! It was a pleasant surprise, however, to find the diminutive Swallows playing around. The colour combination of blue, white and a rust-coloured head covering, rather like a skull-cap along with the two wires sticking out of the tails of some, made for an interesting hour of photography. I was able to take quite a few photographs of the birds in flight, I was assisted, no doubt by the strong wind that made them sort of hover in the air.


Besides the cavorting Wire-Tailed Swallows, I was also taken aback by the almost Human bickering of the Myna Birds. A whole flock of these birds had perched on top of a tree and they were all looking in the same direction even as a rather severe-looking large Myna bird seemed to be the leader of the group. It was clear that the argument was going nowhere, and the Senior Myna bird seemed to have lost control. In the end, everyone seemed to be snapping at the Senior bird!


Most of the Wetland was covered with weeds making it difficult to spot water-birds, nevertheless a Crow-Pheasant or Greater Coucal did spring a surprise stepping out of the bushes to leap into the air, though not being able to fly a long distance.



As if the flight of the Crow Pheasant was not surprising enough, after some distance I was again startled by a Purple Heron which decided to make a break flinging itself into the air like a lumbering giant. I was reminded of a heavily laden aircraft trying to unstick itself from the runway.



The Basai Wetland is sure to spring pleasant surprises for birders who are patient and willing to walk the extra mile. It is always a clever idea to carry a zoom lens along with a decent enough DSLR. I personally don’t like carrying a tripod since it hampers movement. The Basai Wetland is easily accessible to cars and motorcycles. It is located near the Water Treatment Plant on the Gurgaon Jajhar Road. After descending from the flyover just before the water treatment plant, you need to take the first cut to the right on to a narrow lane that seems to lead to nowhere. Just at the beginning on the right, you will come across a Gas Agency godown.



Swallows love hanging on together, even if it means making space for the odd one!


As a coup de gras, I would like to share a couple of snaps of an amorous pair of what I believe are dragonflies attached to each other in matrimonial bliss!






Sunday 5 August 2018

Banned African Mangur Catfish Spotted Thriving in the Basai Wetland



The first banned African Mangur Catfish that I spotted at the Basai Wetland in Gurgaon was a few months back. A kite had it in its talons and it was flying away to eat it in peace. I have been curious about the presence of this banned species looking at them swimming around in the wetland. I did take a couple of shots of the fish with my camera but then forgot about it till just today when I saw something similar to a feeding frenzy in which a fish carcass floating in the water was literally torn to shreds by the Mangur fish. 

I was reminded of the movie Piranha while looking at the fish. No wonder, this fish has been banned by the Government! Clearly, the African Mangur Catfish is highly is highly aggressive and harmful to the endemic species found in the country. The African catfish is a hardy species that can survive in polluted water and often manages to survive in near drought-like conditions. It is clear that these fish have been introduced to the Basai Wetlands for commercial reasons and this is wreaking havoc on other endemic fish species.

In no time the catfish had dragged the carcass into the weeds out my line of sight. It was truly a strange experience!



While I did try to take a few snaps of a feeding frenzy in which these African Mangur catfish were literally tearing into shreds the carcass of a fish that was much bigger than the catfish. It is high time the fishery department took stock of matters before they got out of hand.


Wire-Tailed Swallows spotted at the Basai Wetland, Gurgaon

Today when I decided to visit the Basai Wetland in the morning, the lighting was awful. Nevertheless, I managed to capture a couple of wire-tailed swallows having a quiet time together. When I looked at the photographs later on, I was surprised to notice what looked like two strings trailing from one of the birds' tail. Initially, I wondered if this might not have been a thread from one of the nets used for catching fish. On looking closely, I realised that these were in fact long hair growing out of the tails. No wonder they looked strange, but then these were birds that I had seen flitting in the sky but not sitting in one place.