JOIN USSpotting the beauties
Even as the winged beauties are disappearing from our skyline, the number of youngsters trying to catch a glimpse of the soaring birds are increasing.
Bird-watchers, bird-photographers and ornithologists in the City are observing October 1 as ‘Bangalore Bird Day’. They are also paying tribute to the pioneer of birdwatching — Joseph George. The day also marks the birth anniversary of Joseph George who started an informal bird watching group in 1972 and was one of the first stalwarts to initiate it among non-researchers and non-scientists to bolster the body of knowledge in ornithology.
The first week of October also marks the ‘Wildlife Week’. Dr MB Krishna is an ecologist and ornithologist from Bangalore, who started BngBirds, an online group of over 2,600 birders. He says that bird-watching is growing among the young because birds are large, easy to observe and active. “Their visual and auditory systems are similar to how humans perceive the world around them. It’s a cheerful hobby and one of the easiest ways to get close to nature. Other hobbies that have come up, like trailing butterflies, started through watching birds.”
He says that bird watching actually boomed through bird-photography thanks to the visual appeal, the long treks and drives they involve themselves in. Bopanna Pattada, a member of Bangalore Birding, attributes the rise in bird photography to the fascination of watching flight and the thrill of capturing rare birds. “Birds can be found anywhere in the City — in places like Madiwala, Hebbal, Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. An amateur, who is just starting out on birdwatching, should mainly look for movement and be observant,” says Krishna. He attributes the decline of species in the City, especially sparrows and crows, to the loss of green cover.
Bangalore Birding organises bird trips every Sunday to places like Hebbal and Bannerghatta. Bopanna says that bird watching as a hobby for amateurs is not very difficult. “The City has about 275 species and all one would need is a bird book, binoculars and a notebook to record observations. They should be observant and identify the relative size and behaviour of the bird.”
Bopanna feels that though there is a decline in one species of birds, there is a simultaneous rise in another. He talks about certain pressure points in this activity. “It’s a pretty challenging hobby because the person is using all his senses, his auditory organs, visual sense and recording the observations at the same time. The best feeling for a bird-watcher is when we spot a few rare birds in the City.”
Geetanjali Dhar, an active and passionate bird watcher, says that awareness about conservation, flora and fauna and climate are the motivating factors for the young to take up bird watching as a hobby. “People are very interested to go out into the field, take pictures and upload them and this is a positive sign.”
Despite rampant habitat destruction, damage for development, environmental degradation and reduction in greenery, Bopanna is pretty reassured by the positive signs that the State has undertaken to maintain bird population in the City such as doubling the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and taking appropriate measures to protect long-billed vultures by declaring the vulture sanctuary.