Changing Seasons, Changing Phases...a la vision of Botanical Garden

Situated in the heart of the city, adjacent to the Telangkhedi Lake, lies the Botanical Garden of Nagpur. It is a heaven for birdwatchers and a paradise for birds. Because of its location, Botanical Garden and the areas surrounding it have 5 major eco-systems namely- garden, lake, pond, plantations and forest. The varied habitats make it a rich bio-diversity hotspot of Nagpur. To support such a vast diversity and to maintain these habitats and ecologies, seasons play a vital role. With every season, Botanical Garden turns over a new look. The wildlife changes too. Lets have a look at how seasons affect the diversity, the habitats and the appearance of Botanical Garden.

1. Summer- After four months of cold weather, the hibernating reptiles come out of their burrows. Summer is the season of the Garden Lizard. By mid-April, the males sport a handsome breeding plumage to attract the females and can be seen displaying their bright red colouration from elevations. Skinks are frequently encountered in the gardens. Reptiles thrive in this dry weather. Apart from reptiles, Botanical Garden has its share of summer migrants. Minivets are common near light forests and Paradise Flycatchers- the most awaited summer migrants choose to reside among plantations and gardens. In the summers, Little Terns migrate from the coasts to inland water bodies. The Telangkhedi Lake and the Kingfisher Pond(called so because the unfailing attitude of Kingfishers to be present there always) inside Botanical Garden dry up, but still sprout with life. Just after sunrise, Peafowls, Pheasant-tailed Jacanas and Yellow-footed Green-Pigeons can be seen around Telangkhedi Lake. Even the Eurasian Cuckoo had once been sighted by our group on a tree on the banks of Telangkhedi Lake. Due to acute water shortage inside the garden, Bull Frogs and Skittering Frogs seek refuge in the fountains. Summer is the blooming season of the Flame of the Forest(Palas) which adds beauty to the forests adjoining Telangkhedi Lake.

2. Monsoon- After a long dry season, the monsoons bring a much needed relief. Monsoon is a season of renewal. The gardens turn green again, Kingfisher Pond gets filled up to the brink and even more, water of the Telangkhedi Lake spreads over vast areas. The forests adjoining Telangkhedi Lake become lush green and inaccessible. Some parts inside Botanical Garden become inaccessible too due to high density of plants and water logging. Birdlife also changes considerably with the arrival of Pied Cuckoos and Scaly-breasted Munias, who drop down for nesting purposes. The clever polygamist- the Baya Weaver also begins to nest in this season. Bitterns, though mainly nocturnal, may be encountered in the day time as well. The most noticeable of all the migrants is the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. Large numbers gather on the banks of Telangkhedi Lake, which at this time is full of Coots and Moorhens as the monsoons mark the beginning of the breeding season for them. Snakes also come out of their burrows. Ratsnakes can be seen swimming in the Kingfisher Pond. Bull Frogs return to the Kingfisher Pond, while Skittering Frogs can be spotted in stagnant water bodies.

3. Winter- Winter marks the beginning of the breeding season for most birds. Many species migrate from far off lands to this place- the Botanical Garden and adjoining areas. Winter is Green Bee-eater time in Nagpur, who come here as a result of their seasonal local migrations. Bee-eaters can be seen perched on any wire, from where they launch aerial attacks on winged insects. Inside Botanical Garden, Red-throated and Asian Brown Flycatchers are commonly seen. The rare Verditer Flycatcher is also seen from mid-October to November end. But the delight of winter is the Osprey which stays in Telangkhedi Lake from November to mid-February. Other migratory raptors recorded from the Telangkhedi Lake region are Western Marsh Harriers and Booted Eagles. Our group had also spotted a Bonelli's Eagle and a Crested Serpent Eagle in this region in December, 2006. The huge Grey Heron is also seen in the winter months. In the orange plantations, Rollers remain engaged in performing their elaborate courtship rituals. Migratory waders like Stints, Sandpipers and Snipes are common around lakes and ponds. This is not a season for the herps as they return to their warm burrows for hibernation.

As time goes by and seasons change, Botanical Garden too sports new looks. Species keep coming and going. Water level rises at one time and then suddenly drops down. But whatever the season is, this paradise is always full of life.

Hymn to the Himalayas

Here's a short verse i've written on the beauty of the Himalayas. I went for an excursion to Sikkim and Darjeeling and this verse is completely based on what i saw during the treks. I wrote this verse in the train, on our way back to Nagpur from Kolkata.

Out from the concrete jungle to the Mountains of the God
From Kanchenjunga, the Prince, to Everest, the Lord.
days unforgetful and sightings beyond imagination,
Swallows to Vultures, all adding charm to this hilly nation.
My heart filled with joy on sighting rare birds,
to describe its beauty I went short of words.
Scenery equally amazing, wildlife so diverse,
Its description isn’t possible in only a verse.

A Homely Wild Encounter

In my days of ‘House Arrest’ (the board exam preparatory leave), birding was banned and photography was prohibited. So the only way to be close to nature was reading more and more about her. Among all the books I’ve read, my favourite is the ‘Book of Indian Animals’ by S.H.Prater. On reading that book (for the second time!) my attention was drawn towards creatures which usually kids of my age would ignore for being unappealing- Bats, Mongooses, Civets, Ground Shrews and even Rodents! Of these I found mongooses the most interesting.
In front of my house there is a small nullah which provides an ideal location for the mongooses to flourish. From my balcony I’ve seen generations of mongooses following this pattern to reach their feeding grounds- moving stealthily from the nullah to my neighbours to the right, climb their boundary wall and jump exactly adjacent. But on a fine afternoon, the route had changed. An adult mongoose entered the house of the left neighbours and as usual I had seen it. Luckily no one was at home so I did not want to forgo the opportunity to photograph it. I ran to my backyard hoping to get the right angle. But what I saw next was bewildering. Stealthily I strove to my backyard and not an inch away from me was the mongoose I was looking for. It ran backwards to get away from the nuisance (me). I ran towards the verandah and yet again missed it by an inch. This time it moved backwards slowly and flashed an angry look leading me to clasp my claws. From my balcony, mongooses looked so cute but when it was just a foot away from me, it was just too frightening. Yet without budging a bit, I carefully picked up my camera but sensing my move the mongoose, intelligent as they are known to be, again ran to my backyard from the other side proving its wisdom. Even I ran to the backyard from the opposite side to get a front view of the creature. I felt as if I were a press photographer running everywhere to capture a controversial celebrity in my camera! So finally at my backyard I got a good snap of the mongoose. After this, the mongoose climbed a small tree and jumped to the compound of the apartment behind my house.
Such was my first face-to-face encounter with a wild mammal and surprisingly it was in my own arena! Obviously my enthu grows more to see more of these wonderful creatures.

Humans & The Web of Life

The natural world is like a web in itself. Each and every organism, from the tiniest bacteria to the largest of whales is directly or indirectly, in one way or the other, dependant on each other. Every organism does its bit, which helps in maintaining a balance in the natural world. But over the years it has been witnessed that the threads connecting one species to another have started loosening as Man is attempting to conquer the web of life, thus threatening the existence of every living organism.

1. Population Control in Nature- It has been observed that smaller organisms have healthy populations, they fall prey to creatures larger than them, who have comparatively smaller populations, and finally come the super predators(tigers, lions etc), who reproduce at a very slow rate, and thus have low populations. In this way, nature has devised her own method of population control.

Human Invasion- Humans in their attempt to rule the web of life have caused a severe ecological crisis. Poaching and hunting(mainly of super predators) and trapping of animals for monetary purposes have led to a drastic increase in populations of smaller animals causing an imbalance.

Immediate Aftermath- In the absence of natural predators, the populations of smaller animals increase and they become parasitic on man.

2. Pest Control in Nature- Rodents and insects(like locusts) are a major pest to Humans. Their populations have increased worldwide due to the absence of natural predators. Yet snakes, mongooses, owls, frogs etc do great service to Man by ridding him of these unwanted pests. In return Man punishes them with death.

Human Invasion- Snake skin (mainly of cobras, pythons and ratsnakes) is used for making leather bags, boots and other accessories. Mongooses are trapped in cages by baiting, where they starve to death. Mongoose hair is used in making paint brushes. Owls fall prey to myths and superstitions. Frogs become victims of inhuman experiments as they are used for dissections.

Immediate Aftermath- Increase in pests means reduction in agricultural productivity and increase in the number of diseases.

3. Tree Plantation in Nature- Tree plantation in nature is a continuous process. Butterflies and other nectar-sucking birds and insects transfer pollen grains from one flower to another. Frugivorous bats, civets, parakeets, hornbills etc are important animals which help in seed dispersion and cross-pollination. These animals feed on fruits and the undigested seeds fall on the ground along with their scats. These seeds lie preserved in the ground until the monsoons when they first experience the joy of growing tall. Though this process is continuous, unplanned development is also a continuous task in the present day world, for which thousands of trees are chopped off.

Human Invasion- Human invasion in this case comes mainly from the illegal pet trade. Parakeets, even today, are trapped in large numbers and sold as pets. Bats face persecution due to myths and have been directly affected by concretization. Major threats to the survival of hornbills is the lack of suitable nesting trees and hunting for their casks. Civets are again sufferers of habitat loss and urbanization.

Immediate Aftermath- Slaying of ‘tree-planters’ and uprooting of trees will directly affect humans. In a world bereft of fresh air, survival would become difficult or rather impossible.

In any case, Humans will have to suffer in the days to come. Over the years, we have tried to modify the environment to meet our needs. In doing this we might have been successful in the present, but will the future be similar? Every creature on earth is playing its role with perfection in maintaining the right balance in nature. But are we doing our bit? Humans are the most intelligent and superior animals of our planet. Their role is to protect all other creatures in their surroundings and not to interfere in the web of life. Our efforts have brought us to such a crisis that even restoring ecological balance has become difficult. But there is hope. After all nature is resilient. Given a chance she will bounce back.