Mangalajodi: The fairy tale of metamorphosis

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It was a land of hunters. You could have found gun in every hut of that poor men’s village. They used to wait eagerly for winter when thousands (sometimes lac) of birds visit from areas miles away. Those hunters didn’t have any spare time then. With country boat and loaded guns they used to travel across the vast wetland to rummage for birds. The bullets, fired from the gun with perfect precision rarely missed the target. Yes, poaching of migratory birds was the main source of income here even a few years back. The poachers could have earned even up to Rs. 25000 per month till 1997 when a magician came here. He, by virtue of his great magical skill made the hunters foresee their future. He made them realise, if poaching is not stopped, there would be no bird to fire at, after, say, 20 years, and there would be no income at all. On the contrary, if they protect the birds, if they could provide a better home to the birds, tourist will come for the years to come and earning opportunities will be widened by promoting tourism in the area. The job of that magician was not so easy. Though some were easily convinced, many were not at all ready to wash their hands because in 1997 income of Rs. 25000 was not a matter of joke. But the magician was a fighter too. He was not ready to escape. One day he became successful to hypnotise all of them. The initial turbulence is over, the dust settled down. The notorious poachers are now very important of the “Shree Shree Mahavir Pakshi Suraksha Samity” and re ready to protect the birds at any cost. They still patrol the wetland with country boats, but not to kill but to save. It is a story of metamorphosis, transformation to Ratnakar to Balmiki, the former poachers are vigilance guards.

Some of the readers have surely guessed which place and whom I am talking about. Yes, ‘The land of hunters’ is Mangalajodi and ‘The magician” is Mr. N.K.Bhujwal.

Mangalajodi Guide Map as painted on the walls of office of M.P.S.S

Mangalajodi is a small village in the Ganjam district of Orissa,, where vast wet land over an area of 300sq.km. provides wonderful homage to birds of almost 236 species most of which are migratory. Which includes Pintail, Northern Shoveller, Bar headed goose, Brahminy Ducks, etc. Not only that you can have a close observation to the nesting, breeding of some local wetland birds like Purple moorhen, Open billed stork, etc during monsoon.

Mangalajodi sky, covered with thousands of birds

Brahminy Duck(Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea)

Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus)

When you reach Mangalajodi, the members of MPSS will give an one welcome and offer you a seat in there office. After fulfillment of formalities like payment for boat, they will guide you to the jetty from where the journey starts in a country boat and a guide equipped with books of Dr.Salim Ali. The water is so shallow that some times the bottom of the kisses the riverbed.

Mangalajodi wetland

You have to make your way clear through the weeds. From the beginning of the journey Whiskered Tern will accompany you very closely. You can see common coot, purple moorhen, different types of herons and sandpipers, black tailed godwit, black winged stilt at every nook and corner of the wetland.

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)

Flock of pintail and Gadwal

Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybridus)

Sandpiper

Take off : Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

Brown-headed Gull, (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus)

Black winged stilt(Himantopus himantopus)

Black winged stilt in flight

Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa) in flight

Mangalajodi sky, painted with Blacktailled Godwit

Birding at Purbasthali

Imagine that you are in a remote village of West Bengal to spend your winter holiday where words like “pollution”, “stress”, “ hectic life” are treated as trespassers, where your morning are covered with veils of mist, where thousands of migratory and local birds take the responsibility of playing the background music by continuous chirping. Would you then complain about the non-availability of amenities of a modern cosmopolitan city? I do have doubt..

Mystic morning at Purbasthali

Purbasthali is such a small village in the district of Burdwan near Katwa. The Ganges has changed her track here and the abandoned path is still there in the form of an ox bow lake, which is known as “Chai Ganga” to the local people.

Daily life in "Chari Ganga"

The shallow, still water of the lake helps in the enormous growth of aquatic plants which in turn serves as the source of plentiful food to the fish and aquatic birds. So during November-February you’ll find this “ Chari Ganga” decorated with multifarious wings of thousands of migratory birds like Northern Shoveller , Pintail, Gadwal, Red Crested Poachard, Common Coot, Lesser Whistling Teal and so on. Not only these winter guests, Purbasthali is permanent home of birds like Pond Heron, Red Wattled Lapwing, different types of snipes, Sand Pipers, Purple Heron, Gray Heron, Purple Moor Hen, Open Billed Stork, Kingfishers, Cormorants etc. A boat ride in the lake will take you to their colorful world. The water is so clear that you can see the riverbed.

Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola)

Red Wattled Lapwing: Vanellus indicus (Hattiti Pakhi )

Red Crested Pochard (Netta rufina)

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in flight

cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis)

Though now a days it is a bit difficult to get very close to the bird. Fishing in the lake is one of the main professions of the people. They use a special type f net called “Chabi Jaal” for fishing. After installing this net they beat the water with such efficiency that the fishes are guided towards the net from their bushy shelter. But this turbulence also scares the bird. That’s why whenever you will try to have proximity they will fly away to land at a safer area. Picnics in the riverbanks and chaos thus generated have also caused in decreased in the number of these visitor birds.

Fishing with "Chabi Jaal"

Installation of Chabi Jaal

Driving the fishes towards the net

After the boat ride start to walk through the village paths. If you keep your eye busy, in the tree branches you’ll find Golden Oriole, Purple sunbird, Bee-eater, Magpie Robin, Babblers, Indian Tree Pie, Drongo, Crow Pheasant here and there. And if you are looking at the village huts to get an idea of village life of Bengal, you’ll get a chance to be acquainted with the cottage industry of Bengal. Yes, almost every family here is engaged in production of hand made Saree (famous Tant of Bengal),Gamcha(hand kitten thin towel). So there is chance to collect memento of the trip and some excellent gift for your dear one’s.

Few shots from this year Gangasagr camp

Here is some shots taken at the Gangasagar camp, Kolkata , this year.

Santragachi, a birder's paradise

Santragachi is an very important railway station in the South - Eastern division of Indian Railways. It is 8 km from Howrah Station. the famous Santragachi Jheel (Lake) is at a short walk from the Santragachi Railway Station and hosts thousands of migratory winter birds from Late November to February end. Not only migratory birds, this vast wet land and surrounding area is a place to watch some local common birds of Bengal which are not so common due to urbanisation. Though this Jheel has lost it's past glory, modern civilisation has already encroached into the jheel in form of club building, extended slum, apartments, shops etc, though plastics and domestic garbage has played a vital role in shrinking the jheel area, though the sounds of engines in the rail yard create utter nuisance constantly, though the number of visitor birds has reduced dramatically, yet it is still an excellent place to study the birds. In last few days I had been there several times to test my new lens. I am sharing some of those shots here.

Lesser Whistling teal or duck (Soral in Bengali) in flight. The huts of the slum in the back drop shows how disturbed the birds feel here due to anthropogenic activities.

Lesser Whistling teal or duck (Soral in Bengali) in flight(II)

Lesser Whistling teal or duck (Soral in Bengali) in flight(III), Safe landing

Little cormorant (Pankouri in Bengali)

Gadwal (male) in flight

Gadwal in challenging mood

Gadwal and Pintail

Male Common wagtail (Khanjana in Bengali)

Swinhoe's snipe

Pond Heron (Bok in Bengali)

Yellow Wagtail

Pied Myna (Gang Shalikh in Bengali)

Common Small Kingfisher (Machranga in Bengali ) Side view

Common Small Kingfisher (Machranga in Bengali ) - Front view

Green Bee eater (Banshpati in Bengali)

Territorial fight

Rinchenpong: The unexplored Sikkim

Rinchenpong is a small village in West Sikkim at an altitude of nearly 6000 ft. Literally means "Assembly Place" in Lepcha dialect. It is a place for the people who love tranquility and so always search serene places, far from the madding crowd. The clear view of majestic Himalays, fresh air free from car exhaust, lush green forest, chirping of less known birds must fill thier mind for long .

Stay

Few hotels are available in/around Rinchenpong market. Among them Hotel Mount View, Hotel Rinchen, Norlah, Nest are most popular. Tariff ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs 1500, depending upon season and rush.

On the way to Rinchenpong from Jorethang




Sunrise at Rinchenpong

Inside the Rinchenpong Monastery

Rinchenpong kid

Village life at Yongsum village, 2 km trek from Rinchenpong Bazar

Panoramic view of Himalays from Rinchenpong