Contribution to Kiltheihrawk

As I went to the post office today, to collect our posts, I was in for a pleasant surprise. We received the January / February issue of Kiltheihrawk that featured a write up of mine.

Kiltheirawk focuses on wildlife issues and is published from Aizawl with most contributions being in Mizo. Pu K Lalmuansanga the wildlife enthusiast is the editor who can be contacted at kiltheihrawk@yahoo.com. Thanking him heartily. This will be a treasured contribution. 

I also take the space to thank numerous people from Mizoram from who have been encouraging me on the blog right from the onset. From editors of websites to senior government offices (and others); from pointing out spellings in local language in the very beginning to recently asking to me write of the Chakhang trip. Its been an invigorating journey that would have been half the fun without all of you.

Thanks.

The write up is happily placed (again) below.

Fantail Flycatcher.

While lying on the bed, after tea, remains my favourite morning activity I went for a walk (on 14^th 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 (friend 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. 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.”

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 saw it for few minutes chirping and jumping till it left the bush. I had enjoyed seeing the bird enough to exercise photography (another of my amateurish skills!).