Here is a report from Mr. Sharad Khanna ji: "Dear All,
The tailor bird sings early in the morning everyday. The house sparrows are nesting somewhere in the bushes nearby, The city bird life seems to be perfectly normal, but it was not like this not very long ago. With each passing year the openness was getting closed year after year and the vastness of green fields and barren plots gave way to urban structures and colonies mushrooming everywhere. I did remember my closest encounter with a Nil Ghai just outside the colony, it was on the fringes of Aravali Jungle and now exactly the same place has concrete jungle around it. I also remember with fondness that one fine evening my nice "dekho" with a giant sized monitor lizard at the entrance of my colony. The lize unmindful walked with grace and elegance into the nearest bushes. I have never seen her or any of her relatives since then in Gurgaon. Delhi Region Remember ? just last year a leopard was killed by speeding vehicle on NH8 near Manesar. My uncle fondly tells me that in the hills of Sohna, a village in early 1930's had healthy population of tigers and migrating elephants (?). Now the place is a different story. Delhi area has been a kind of gateway to the migrating species of both birds and animals. The major bird areas support this point also. Whether it is Bindawan, Sultanpur, Dadri, Okhla, Najafgarh, the entire "Dhob" area of Yamuna and Hindon rivers are most rewarding from Flora and fauna since many many years. It is a kind of an funnel route as Mr. Ravi Singh of WWF had once said, which migrating birds take when going down south or into the Himalayas and other way round. No wonder Delhi and surrounding areas has the second highest number of different variety of species of birds visiting, residing or transiting during the year. This junction of nature's migrating has seen a lot of changes (for the worse). The usual halting and resting points have been changed to let development supersede over sustainability. When city dwellers settle down in any area they bring their own environment unlike their rural counterparts. Slowly the trees and bushes over a period of 10 years saw a change. The semi arid variety of trees gave way to ornamental trees and other trees easy found everywhere in the Capital. Now the New Gurgaon as it started to be known had trees like Almaltas, Jamun, Gulmohar, innumerable varieties of palms etc. The bird life also changed forever. The city used to boast of a healthy population of semi desert variety of birds. Indian bush larks, crested larks. Yellow footed Green pigeons where in great numbers. This was and some are still a very good area for Yellow Wattle and Red Wattle breeding sites. Mr J.L.. Singh fondly tells me of his sighting of Lesser Florican alongwith Bill in Sultanpur NP not very long ago. I really wonder at the vast spectrum of nature's canvass in Delhi Region. My Neighbours Neem and Pipal trees are great magnet for birds. In an area behind my house was barren when we moved in, we promptly planted neem and some fruiting trees, slowly and over a period of time we had a friendly neighbourhood. Now every day putting some bajra and left over from the kitchen waste attracts multitudes of birds. There is a flourishing colony of house sparrows in the backyard. Red Vented Bulbul, Plain prinia, Tailor bird, Crimson Sun bird and Indian Robbin are daily visitors cum residents, and there has been many surprises also like once a family of Peacock with their little babies came visiting. Shikra also occasional visits us. In the lamp socket in the veranda there a batman and his spouse stays, probably a fruit bat but I am not sure. In the darkness both come out for their "walk" looking out for tit bits to eat. With increase in the bird life how can hunters be behind.. A cat occasionally prowls and once I saw the left over of a nice hefty meal he had of a rock pigeon. Nature is very quick to make a come back provided we as humans let that happen. Now everyday is my neighbours wake me up and ask me to come into their home and BE HAPPY. Happy birding !! Warm regards, Sharad Khanna www.indianwildlifea dventures. com www.journeysofindia .com " -- With regards, J.M.Garg "We often ignore the beauty around us" Creating Awareness about Indian Flora & Fauna: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Jmgarg1 For learning about our trees & plants, please visit/ join Google e-group (Indiantreepix) http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "indiantreepix" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.co.in/group/indiantreepix?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
