RV Matters!

Thanks to the low-pressure formations in November, the Valley got drenched in the downpours and all the waterbodies on campus (and the Valley) have now copious supply of water. The Percolation tank, has in fact, been overflowing for the past nearly two weeks and it is so nice to hear the sound of flowing waters once again.

The water bodies have been attracting birds and the Percolation Tank, in particular, has now several pairs of Little Grebe with at least three active nests. The tank now resonates with their loud trilling calls and they keep chasing one another, half-flying, half-running across the water, in their attempts to defend their territories.

Joining them are the Eurasian Coots and Eurasian Moorhen, both species putting in an appearance on campus after nearly 15 years! They too, it appears, maybe nesting. The White-breasted waterhens are also quite active and could be observed swimming or flying across the waterbody. Their strange, loud calls cannot be missed by anyone who ventures anywhere near the Tank. There are two families of the Red-wattled Lapwings around the tank margins, often raising an alarm when it senses danger.

Eurasian Moorhen

Eurasian Coot

Occasional Little Egrets and Little Cormorants are seen. The availability of water across the landscape and the high level of water here may perhaps restrict the numbers of ducks, herons, and other wading birds. I am sure they will be turning up over the next few weeks when conditions become more conducive for them. The nearby fields also have been attracting large numbers of Cattle egrets and Pond Herons.

I once heard the Common Kingfisher once as it flew past. I noticed a pair at the tank opposite the Rural Health Centre. Hopefully they will turn up more regularly in the campus as they did in the past.

- Santharam, Dec 14, 2021

Little Cormorant

White-throated Kingfisher

Indian Pond-heron

RV Matters - 1 Nov 2021

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A pair of Red-rumped Swallows hovered low above our heads before descending to the wet shore of the Percolation Tank, on a morning visit there, last week. Though they initially appeared nervous, readily taking off at the slightest movement, within minutes they got used to our presence.

Over the twelve minutes, they landed seven times at the same wet patch. With its tail cocked, the bird that I observed pecked at the mud some twenty times in the 30-second period it was there and carried the mud in its beak to build its nest not too far away.

I have noticed these birds nesting in the valley in the early part of the year after rains have commenced and nests are placed on the underside of culverts or in buildings. There was a pause in the rains after the initial spell in June and early July this year. With some rains coming our way last week, these swallows must have decided to resume nesting and raise a brood.

- Santharam

19 October 2021

RV Matters!

The monsoon rains this year were uneven with some good rains in the early part of the season with a big dry spell from mid-July to September. However, the plants thrived and blooomed. Here is a small selection of flowers of this season.

- Santharam

13 October, 2021

RV Matters!

There are indications of the changing season. With dew condensing on vegetation overnight, the onset of the cold season is imminent. Flowers like the Millingtonia (Indian Cork) tree have started blooming. Hordes of dragonflies have been hovering in the air, awaiting the returning monsoon.

Over the past few days migrant bird species have begun arriving in the campus. However, this year, they seem to have been delayed. The Grey Wagtail, a winter visitor from the Himalaya, turned up three weeks after it was due to arrive, on 20th September. It is usually seen by early September. Similarly the Greenish warbler, another migrant too turned up late. The paucity of rains after the initial spell in June-July could have had some role in this delay.

The Grey Wagtail

Several more migrants have been coming in since. Asian Brown and the similar-looking Brown-breasted Flycatchers too have been seen in the past couple of weeks. The Lesser (Hume’s) Whitethroat from Central Asia has been seen in good numbers in the open scrub habitats. There was a sighting of the Forest Wagtail, which migrates from Eastern Asia, last Sunday. Some of the local migrants too have turned up; prominent among them are White-bellied Drongo, Paradise Flycatcher and the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. The next few days are going to be exciting for the bird enthusiasts as more species are expected to arrive (some merely passing through).

The Asian Brown Flycatcher (left) and the Brown-breasted Flycatcher (right).

- Santharam October 4, 2021

RV Matters!

A pair of Scaly-breasted Munia has always nested under our roof, under the tiles, placing its flimsy-looking mass of grass strands on the wooden beam under the tiles. 

This year too was no exception. Once the monsoon set in and we had the first set of showers, the pair started bringing nesting materials and commenced nesting. Things went on smoothly for over a week and then the macaques came in. As always, they pulled down the nest with its precious eggs which the birds had commenced to incubate. The birds, after a couple of days, recommenced their nesting activities and brought in fresh nesting materials, and started rebuilding the nest at the very spot. Ten days down the line, the macaques came again and pulled down the nest!

Once again the birds recommenced the nest after a short gap and again at the very same spot! Enter the macaques. The nest is again gone. But the birds were not willing to give up. This time they shifted their site and placed the nest just outside our door, just a couple of meters from the old site. Now a tragedy of a different sort struck the birds. The domestic cat that often sleeps on our terrace pounced on one of the birds and made a meal of it! I thought the bird would give up now. But no! Four days later, the bird found a new mate and continued bringing fresh material to its nest. 

I am now looking forward to what new threats the birds will face and also eager to know if they will be successful in raising a brood.

- Santharam
                8 Sept. 2021

RV Matters - 11 February 2020

The seasons are changing and dryness has already set in. Trees have started shedding leaves in anticipation of the coming summer. There is hardly any surface water on campus and wildlife around us are looking for water.

On the last day of January, a little after we had poured water in the birdbath in our small yard (behind Red House), I heard bird song and a flurry of activity at the birdbath. A pair of Oriental Magpie-robins were having a bath, the male keeping a look-out for predators while his mate was enjoying a leisurely dip. A Red-whiskered Bulbul was awaiting its turn on a branch above and chirping. This seems to have irked the male Magpie-robin who hopped to the bulbul and shooed him away! A little later, after the Magpie-robins were done, a house crow drank a few drops of water.

The next afternoon, there was a pair of Cinereous Tits at the birdbath, splashing water all around and enjoying themselves, one at a time. They were quite bold and allowed me to take a few shots with my camera. After their bath, they retreated to a nearby branch to dry themselves and preen their feathers. The Magpie-robins were around but somehow did not object to their presence. Just then the flamboyant male Indian Paradise-flycatcher came into the scene and flew low over the birdbath and had a dip. This was repeated a couple more times before it noticed my presence and moved away.

I have been observing other birds like the Tailorbirds and the Yellow-billed Babblers moving around in the area. This morning the babblers came looking for water and started complaining when they found the level had fallen below their requirements, prompting me to refill the bath!

Birdwatching does not mean just making a list of birds in an exotic location. It also involves careful observation of bird behaviour and ecology. A birdbath offers excellent scope to study the personalities of individual birds and once used to your presence, they shed their inhibitions and behave naturally. Try this at home this summer. Only ensure the water in the birdbath is not deeper than a couple of inches and its placed on a raised platform (a metre or so from the ground) in shade with plenty of vegetation cover nearby as the birds need time to dry up and cannot fly away from predators immediately after a dip. Also clean the bath regularly so that there are no chances of infection from bird droppings etc. I am sure you will gain a lot of insight of bird behaviour.

Dr Santharam

RV Matters - 29 January 2020

On 26th January, I celebrated the Republic Day with birds. I was out early that morning to the Sunrise point and the valley beyond. I decided to explore the overgrown fields, surrounded by shrubs and trees, away from the path. I could see this area was not much disturbed and there was good ankle-high growth of dense grass clumps on what used to be earlier barren, exposed gravelly soil.

Just as I approached a clearing, I noticed a dull-coloured, bulbul-sized bird take off from the ground where it had been foraging and perched on the trunk of the Cassia fistula plant, not yet a big tree. Even before I got a clear of the bird, I could guess its identity as the WRYNECK (Jynx torquilla). This is a rare winter visitor to southern India and I had seen it just once earlier almost at the same place on 26th March, 2013. Related to the woodpeckers, the wryneck is a distinct bird, unmistakable in its appearance. Its upper parts were greyish-brown with barrings and mottlings of dark, cream and rufous shades. The underparts were paler with dark wavy lines. There was a dark line through the eyes and the tail too had whitish bands. The beak, unlike the woodpeckers was shorter but pointed.

The bird seemed quite restless, kept turning and twisting its neck and within a couple of minutes took off and disappeared in the adjacent row of shrubs. I slowly tracked it and saw it foraging on the ground. Over the next forty minutes the bird and I were playing hide-and-seek, which was quite demanding since there were quite a few similar-sized birds (bulbuls) flying about, the bird was very silent and with its inconspicuous colours, it just merged with the surroundings. However, with patience and luck. I spotted it every time. Once it sat deep inside a shrub, preening itself. Another occasion, it was seen chasing away an Indian Robin that ventured close to it as it hopped on the ground, looking for ants, which seems to be its favourite food. I managed to get a few record photographs but the bird was too quick and restless.

On my earlier encounter in 2013, I had seen the bird much closer and it was much more confiding, allowing me to approach it as close as 2-3 metres, providing excellent views. Unfortunately I had not carried my camera that day. Today the bird was rather skittish and perhaps also hungry after a cold night.

Its Generic name “JYNX” is derived from the ancient greek word “IUNX”. The specific name “torquilla”, refers to its ability to twist its neck almost 180 degrees. When threatened at its nest by predators (including humans), this bird is reputed to hiss like a snake and contort its neck and sway from side to side. This habit earned it an ill-reputation among early Europeans who used the bird in casting a spell (or Jinx) and in witchcraft.  

Through persistence and patience, I managed to ward off the jinx and see the bird twice in Rishi Valley!

Dr Santharam

RV Matters - 25 December 2019

December had started off as a busy month for me and I am still trying to catch up with things. This is the reason I could not write this piece earlier. Apologies!

The winter has begun well with several migrants returning to the campus from their breeding grounds up north. However, there was some initial anxiety as some of them turned in later and in smaller numbers than in earlier years.

The Grey wagtail (image above) was one of them. Usually we see them as early as early September but this year after a sighting or two, they did not turn up until late October from their Himalyan abodes. Even now, though I see them, I feel there is a dip in their population in the campus.

The same is the situation with the Blyth’s Reed warbler, a central Asian migrant that turns up in good numbers by late October and can be heard uttering the characteristic “tshcuck” calls every few seconds from shrubs and tree canopy. They turned up sometime in late November and I don’t see them in their usual numbers.

The Verditer (photo below), Blue-throated, Taiga and Paradise Flycatchers are back in fairly good numbers and that is a relief. The north-east monsoon has once again disappointed us and none of the waterbodies have any water. The Hundri-Neeva Canal outside the campus has some water flowing in it. But despite the excess rainfall and floods in the Krishna river and its tributaries, very little water was released in the canal. None of the waterbirds seen last year could be seen here. Our only compensation was the sighting of a pair of Wire-tailed Swallows on our Sunday morning outing.

The meagre rains that fell intermittently have kept the campus somewhat lush and green, though it is a matter of time before the drying of the vegetation starts.

Dr Santharam

RV Matters - 9 October 2019

Can you identify the bird species in these photographs?

Drongo (Black), right ?

Take a closer look. You are only partly right. To be precise, the bird on the left is right (pun intended) !!!

Last evening I was out with my camera and close to the Lost Pond, I came across a bird that looked like a Drongo. But something was not quite right. So take a closer look at the photograph on the right. Look at the beak carefully. What do you see? Now look at the bird photograph on the left. Compare the beaks. Can you make out any difference? Yes, the bird in the right has a finer, curved beak.

I followed the bird for over 30 minutes and managed to get some pictures and here are some of them.

My patience was amply rewarded and I got some some nice shots of the       bird – It is known by the name: FORK-TAILED DRONGO-CUCKOO. You can see the details on its plumage from the above photographs: overall bluish cast to the plumage, the white spots (juvenile), the white thigh-patch, the extensive white barring on the vent and undertail coverts and the absence of the rictal spot (at the base of the beak, a pointer in the case of the Black Drongo).

 I have not seen this bird in Rishi Valley earlier, though I am familiar with it from Chennai and other locations (in Western Ghats). It is often overlooked and mistaken for the more familar Black Drongo. Incidentally, the bird I asked you to compare it with (a Black Drongo) turned up on the very same trees that the Drongo-Cuckoo had used later in the evening and posed for a few shots.

I also noticed in the field and from the photographs (my own and those from the internet) that the Drongo-cuckoo tends to hold the wings somewhat loose and drooping by the side of its body and unlike the Black Drongo.

The Fork-tailed Drongo-cuckoo is closely related to the Square-tailed Drongo-cuckoo (some taxonomists feel both these are the same species). It is widely distributed in the country and in South Asia. It is a brood-parasite and lays its eggs in the nests of other birds like babblers, bulbuls and shrikes. They disperse after breeding and the bird I saw was perhaps a bird on the move.

There was a Sirkeer Malkoha too at the Lost Pond!

Dr Santharam

RV Matters - 12 September 2019

What I am about to write may be controversial. But I suggest you read it objectively before drawing your own conclusions and reacting to it.

This year some of my former Environmental Science students came up with some suggestions to do something about the various environmental issues at school at their level and have started to work on some of them. This is laudable. We have several important issues plaguing us here – water shortage, plastic and other waste disposal, cutting down on electricity consumption, food waste and so on.

Yet there is one issue, a major one at that, which in my opinion we can act on fast if only we are willing to accept the facts.

Last couple of years, the number of students returning home and to school who fly rather than go by trains has increased tremendously – over 100 of them, I understand. This term, the “parties” to and from various cities (Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai) have been cancelled as many students opt to fly.

While air travel is advantageous and preferable for various reasons (“safe”, “saving time”, “cheaper” ...), the one major reason to rethink about this is the amount of carbon footprint this entails. I have been recently reading about the initiatives scientists and educators ought to take in view of the grave and imminent consequences of anthropogenic global warming. It is time we, associated with K-schools also do something about it if we are really sincere and feel we can be part of the solution. We do discuss about the problems in school ad nauseum, in a mechanical way and expect others to do something about it when we ourselves, collectively and individually, can take action.

I do wish we can do something about this immediately rather than wait for some grand and fancy-sounding solution to be rolled out by innovators and scientists working on this issue. We are running out of time and we really don’t seem to worry about this. We have started facing the consequences of this in our daily life. How long are we going to wait? We need to put with some little inconveniences now rather than trying to solve the irreparable damage we have started to unleash on our planet.

Dr Santharam

RV Matters - 28 August 2019

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There were three of them up in the sky that morning against the background of a cloudy sky, flying and circling, accompanied by the loud calls. The Oriental Honey Buzzard is usually a quiet bird but in the months of July-August when it is in the breeding phase, the birds become more vocal and take to the skies. We were trying to discern the various features by which the bird could be distinguished from its relatives and for over 15 minutes, we watched their antics in the air. Even as we watched, we could see one of the birds climb in the air, above the Cave Rock, uttering its calls and then lift its wings vertically over its back and clap them a few times. We saw this at least on four occasions. We also saw them dive down a few metres. The gathering clouds and the sheet of rains that slowly came our way forced us to beat a hasty retreat and head to the Dining Hall for hot, crispy dosas. I manged to click a few pictures (see above and below) which I hope will help our young birders locate the key features of this bird to identify it when they see it the next time.

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Dr Santharam