Wednesday, August 20, 2008

White browed fantail flycatcher

While lying on the bed, after tea, remains my favourite morning activity I went for a walk (on 14th August 2008) at Tuipang ‘despite’ the weather beckoning to do else wise! On reaching the water point from the Circuit House (22.31028, 93.02599) while I was pondering on which of the 2 foot paths I could take; a man washing clothes asked me where I intended to proceed. The look on his face, when I told him that I was talking this walk as I wished to see and if possible click birds, shall stay with me for some days and more. I started with the lower path, one where I and Manuna (colleague very well versed with the region) had seen jhum (shifting cultivation) plots undergoing their ritualistic burning process few months ago. Walking ahead I saw a few birds further to my right in the secondary growth of an old jhum plot but they were too fast for my amateurish birding skills. Wondering when I would learn I reached an abrupt end.

Returning to the water point I started walking on the other path. Few minutes down the line saw a couple of birds on a tree to my left in what seemed to me a not well maintained orchard. Putting the camera and binoculars down I positioned myself to have a better view of the tree and the bird! After a couple of minutes I recognized them to be fantails. Recalled Anirban (colleague and wildlife biologist) having pointed it out to me during one of our walks in Agraa (Madhya Pradesh) during December 2007 (though I don’t recall today which of the fantails it was). I saw it pirouetting amongst branches and in the meanwhile tried to refer my field guide. Suddenly one of them crossed the path and settled on a bush about 12 to 15 feet from me at about 2 to 4 feet from the ground. I was able to catch it on the binoculars (pretty quick by my standards!) ~ It was a White browed fantail flycatcher (Rhipidura auresia). The white streak on the brow was distinctly visible. I saw it for few minutes chirping and jumping till it left the bush.Salim Ali’s Book of Indian Birds says of its distribution “The entire Indian Union, extending east to Myanmar, also Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.”

Jhum field at Tuipang

It was my first close and confirmed sighting of the bird in Saiha region and I was thrilled. While it may or may not be rare to the region I was glad like we used to be in our school days on adding a new postal stamp to our collection! I had enjoyed seeing the bird enough to exercise photography (another of my amateurish skills!).

For details - email > nimesh.ved@gmail.com phone > 94361 56458

State animal and state bird.

While the focus of our conservation education and awareness programme is on Hoolock gibbons (Hoolock hoolock) we had modules introducing the wildlife occurring in Saiha region and wildlife rich areas in Mizoram. As a part of the later we discussed the state animal and state bird with the participants.

To put across the concept (of the state species) as charismatic and alluring species that are closely identified with a region we showed a picture of the rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis), and put forth how its identity was closely linked with that of Assam of which it is the state animal. Even the transport buses have a symbol of the animal! Some of the participants identified it saying that they had seen it on television and calendars while one of them had visited the Guwahati zoo.


Most of the participants were familiar with the national bird and national animal and at the same time unaware of their state counterparts. We had downloaded pictures from the internet besides using those in the field guides to boost the interactions.

Serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis) or Saza as it is locally known is the state animal while Mrs Humes Pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae) or Vavu is the state bird. R Lydekker says of the Serow in The Wild Animals of India, Burma, Malaya and Tibet ~ “A solitary animal, no where abundant, it is never found far away from wood, and often takes up its abode in thick forest, or scrub jungle, which is mainly formed by a long thin reed like bamboo, being an especial favourite in the Eastern Himalaya.”

On seeing the pictures the participants said that Saza (Serow) was bigger than the goat and its ears were similar to that of a donkey. While of Vavu (Mrs Humes Pheasant) they said it was bigger than a jungle fowl and on top of that had a long tail !

We shared that while none of them were seen during our surveys in the region both of them could occur at Blue Mountain National Park (nearest protected area and one of the discussion topics). Also that while Saza is found near cliffs the Vavu occurs higher in the hills.

In our modules we try to bring in comparisons of elements within the topic of discussion with elements the participants would have a high level of familiarity with and it was interesting to hear participants take the same route! It did convey that the approach works signalling at the same time that we will need high levels of familiarity with participants to bring in comparisons that are amicable while being pertinent.

We thank the participants of our programme for giving us this wonderful opportunity.

For details email to Nimesh.ved@gmail.com

Friday, August 8, 2008

Screening of wildlife films.

As a part of our conservation education and awareness programme in Saiha region (Mizoram) we have been screening wildlife films for the participants. Students and their teachers (of classes 5, 6 and 7) and members of village councils (elected representatives at the village level) and youth associations consist the participants.

Film screening is one of the tools used in the programme in conjunction with presentations, colouring/ sketching and discussion sessions. The films to be screened are selected depending on the subject we are then discussing with the participants. Recently we have screened Sekhar Dattatri’s films: ‘Nagarahole – Tales from an Indian jungle’ and ‘Point Calimere – Little kingdom by the coast’.

The idea behind screening of these films is to stimulate the sensitivities of participants on wildlife and get them alive to the issues in the region. This, of course, is backed by the educative value of these films.

Prior to screening a film for the participants; 2 to 5 screenings, depending on the need, are held at our field base. A list of the species depicted in the film is prepared. This list is then bifurcated into species occurring in the region and others. For the species occurring in the region corresponding local names are collated. These could be in Mizo, Mara or Lai languages. Elementary information on these species is looked up in the field guides (mammals and birds as the case presents) and relevant pages in the field guides are book marked. During the screening participants are prompted to share the local names of select species and are also shown the relevant pages in the field guides. At times we cut down on the length of the film by screening only the portion that is relevant to the subject under discussion.

Screenings for members of village councils and youth associations are many times organized on television sets at residence of one of the members; time and place being decided by them. However, at most of the schools the screenings are organized on our laptop. Laptops are of great utility in these schools that are bereft of electricity connection. Since the length of these films usually varies from 30 to 60 minutes and class size ranges from 10 to 25, both the battery life and the screen size at congenial to the activity. During screenings at Donbosco school however we have put to use a projector and ourselves have felt the thrill on seeing the impact.

During these screenings participants have asked if Palak Lake (wetland like Point Calimere and recognized as Important Bird Area) would have the water fowl as depicted in the film. One seeing Spotted dove (Streplopelia chinensis) and Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) an expression of familiarity dawned on their faces and they told us of the species occurring in the region. Primates with their swinging and scratching generated maximum vocal response followed by the dung beetle at work. Elephants (Elephas mamimus) bathing and trumpeting too were followed by lot of chattering amongst the participants. Saiha, where we work, literally means “ivory” in Mizo language! At Donbosco school while the students requested us to show another film the next time we visit them one of their teachers came up after the screening and requested for a copy of the film that he could show it to his children !

Two reactions I recall with fondness. They bring out the connect these films, despite depicting places far away from the region, made with the participants. During the Point Calimere film I saw a boy, sitting in the corner of the first row, taking aim at the water fowl on the screen with an imaginary catapult in his hand while during the Nagarahole film I also saw a girl cover her face with her notebook when the Wild dogs (Cuon alpinus) bit into the then alive Spotted deer (Axis axis).

Wide eyed and open mouthed students; institution members not getting up to smoke even after the film is over and a few other indicators have brought forth the fact that films are loved by participants. This is an activity the participants don’t feel subjected to despite the commentary in the films being in a language that many of them are not comfortable with.

We thank all our participants for giving us the opportunity to screen these films and also Sekhar Dattatri for sharing his films.

For details email – Nimesh.ved@gmail.com or call 94361 56458

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Butterflies

Rains and clouds pay far greater attention to Saiha than the rays of the sun during the monsoon, but for the short bursts that the sun manages to peep from behind the rains and clouds it is greeted by butterflies in numbers and colours that amaze us and bring cheer to our office !

We share some of the images !


cabbage white


blue pansy


straight banded tree brown


grass yellow


five ring


three ring

We thank Kishen Das for help in identifying the images.

Our images featuring wildlife are all taken under non-controlled situation.

For details - Nimesh.ved@gmail.com or call 94361 56458

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Simplicity

Simplicity is something that has baffled me to no end during the recent months.

I recall my colleague at Tuipang during October 2007 , my initial days in this wonderful land, talking to people of our undertaking Biodiversity Significant Area "work" in Kiasietlah Conservation Landscape. This line left most people stunned and I could see their eyes asking “what the hell do you do?” Listening to this (albeit after a few times) made me realize that we need to work on becoming simple with respect to our communications; else we were not communicating at all!

Even as we began our programme on conservation education and awareness these "communication blemishes" continued to keep us company (much against our intent!). I recall using "herpetofauna" in the slides meant for middle school children! The connect that the earlier slides had helped establish and interest that the pictures had generated took very little time to vanish. Sitting, hand on my forehead and feeling foolish; I wondered why we had not thought of using "frogs - snakes - lizards" earlier. The incident presented an opportunity to espouse the virtue of simplicity in our communications with participants and we have since been trying. The reporting term, “wildlife values” is now “wild animals and birds” and so is “fauna and avian fauna”; while “memorandum of understanding” has changed to “partnership”.

While preparing for the interaction material I and my colleagues have found the going very tough primarily on account of need to make things simple. Understanding has to be common at all three levels; mine, my colleagues and of course the participants. The challenge is the journey from mine to that of participants taking my colleagues as co travelers!

For details contact - Nimesh.ved@gmail.com