After parking their automotive on the roadside, the 4 chook watchers begin climbing a hill lined with thorny vegetation at Rampar village in Kutch. The “Durr…” name from the close by gorad (Acacia senegalia) and desi baval (Acacia nilotica) alerts Asa to the scribe’s ears.
“It’s the call of the forbidden buttonquail,” mentioned veteran birder Munshi, who led the crew of 4 bulletins. Deepali Vatwe, a chook from Pune ticks the field towards the forbidden-button quail within the eBird software on her cell phone to create a chook guidelines.
“Laughing pigeons call, from afar the call is more caulk. You please add four red-vented bulbuls and two red-collared pigeons to the list,” provides Munshi.
As they proceed to climb the hill close to Fort Mahadev, they hit a hedge round an agricultural subject surrounded by an earthen observe and an overhead powerline working parallel. Watwe’s sons Ayan (12) and Abir (9), see the white-throated kingfisher and pied cuckoo and begin clicking photos of him. “Bay-backed scream, red-backed scream,” says the scribe murmuring, “Wait, interesting bird! That’s red-backed scream!”
Munshi, who has been birdwatching for the previous decade, opens the Merlin Identification Tool on her cell phone to confirm the id of the “interesting” chook and when the instrument’s options match these of a chook sitting on a transmission line. smiles fortunately.
Both the mom and the child additionally level their binoculars in that course and are clearly excited. The crew is clearly excited as they spot the red-backed shriek, considered one of eight species of migratory birds that journey throughout the size and breadth of Kutch as a part of the 104 Bird Watching Passage migratory from Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Were looking for and depend their numbers. Count 2022, Kutch on Saturday.
The goal of the two-day first train is to estimate the populations of the red-backed shrew, blue-cheeked bee-eater, red-tailed shrew, nice whitethroat, rufous-tailed scrub robin, European curler, frequent cuckoo and noticed flycatcher. Migrating from West and Central Asia to Africa and stopping in Kutch earlier than flying throughout the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean to East Africa. The depend has been organized by the Bird Conservation Society of India (BCSG), Bird Count India collectively in collaboration with the Gujarat Forest Department.
Munshi and Watwes then transfer to a different a part of the thorny forest close to the Peyoni Mahadev temple in Kandhya village, adjoining to Abdasa taluka of Kutch. They spot rufous tailed scrub robins and noticed bee-eaters. But the colourful European curler prompts them for the higher a part of the morning.
“My understanding is that the rollers in western Kutch have not yet reached this part,” Munshi, 35, informed his 40-year-old teammate from Pune.
Just when the crew was planning to finish the morning birding session, a chook sitting on the ability line on the fringe of the forest caught their consideration. Munshi first says it’s Indian curler and never too excited. But she provides it one other take care of driving her automotive in a course the place the daylight is beneficial. “Ah cutie! It sounds like a European roller to me. Look at the lighter colors,” she says. “Actually, it’s European,” agrees Wataway. Abir opens the roof of the automotive to get an excellent take a look at the chook. “My For instance, the European curler is extra lovely than the Indian curler,” concludes Munshi and Watway says it’s the identical for him.
In the night, Ashwin Viswanathan of Bird Count India and Omkar Damle, one of many coordinators of Passage Migrant Count, lead Tejas Mahendle and Partha Wagh—all postgraduate college students from the University of Mumbai—on a chook depend journey to Lakhpat’s Guneri village. are learning. Taluka, on the sting of Sir Creek space. They encounter an Indian rock eagle owl, and Ashwin helps younger males collaborating of their first chook depend learn to establish the species.
Ashwin, considered one of India’s main chook watchers, encourages his younger companions, “It’s time to watch for some tremors.”
Following a muddy path in a thorny forest, they encounter a pair of chestnut-vine sandgrouse and savanna nightjar earlier than making their option to the highest of a hill on the fringe of a water physique. Seeing a pair of inexperienced bee-eaters, a small chook within the distance catches Ashwin’s consideration. “Okay, red-backed scream. It’s a juvenile, it’s a first for us today,” Ashwin mentioned in a peaceful tone to his teammate, adjusting his pair of binoculars.
Ashwin’s crew recorded European rollers and noticed flycatchers within the morning. “People from all over India come to Kutch to see these migratory birds. This count will help us understand which parts of Kutch have their abundance and how their birds approach protected (forest) areas and non-protected areas,” Ashwin informed The Sunday Express, including that Kutch has many essential biodiversity. Patches are usually not protected forest areas. ,
Yuvraj Singh Zala, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Kutch (West) Territorial Forest Division agrees with Ashwin. “This bird count will help us know where these birds are and guide us in deciding what to plant and what not to plant,” mentioned Jala, talking on the opening ceremony of the programme. District Judge of Bhuj.
“It is a historic moment. Kutch has a rich history of bird sanctuary. It is the only area where birds were studied and in two centuries three books were written about the birds of the region,” mentioned BCSG President Dr Bakul Trivedi mentioned by A.O. Hume referring to the books titled Birds of Kutch revealed by Hugh Palin in 1887. By Salim Ali within the 1904 and Forties.
Ali rightly remarked that Kutch is lucky to have a bird-loving ruler,” mentioned Dr Trivedi, recalling the contribution of Himmatsinh Bawa, the youngest brother, Maharao Madansinhji, the final ruler of the princely state of Kutch, in chook conservation.
According to provisional experiences, on the primary day, 11 frequent cuckoos, 27 blue-cheeked beetles, 182 European or Eurasian rollers, 13 red-backed shreks, 9 red-tailed shrews, 16 nice whitethroats, 25 rooftailed scrub robins and 64 noticed flycatchers had been among the many birds. The first days of counting had been recorded by birds. In all, 195 species of birds had been sighted, the organizers mentioned.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
