Curiosity gets me places – Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary, Goa!

Every human being is born curious. It is this trait that has got us thriving and evolving to become the dominant species in the world. Curiosity in itself is innocent. I too am curious, curious to observe and explore the original treasures of the world. Curiosity has four aspects, namely ‘How’, ‘Why’, ‘Where’ & ‘What’. ‘Where’ & ‘What’ make greater sense to me, serving a higher purpose. Of the many adventures that have come my way, the one ‘Where’ & ‘What’ I will take you along is the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa for its avifauna.

Wintery mornings in Bondla WLS are just magical. The silvery mist takes over the forest; the road is just about visible, tempting and beckoning. As you pass through the archway of the sanctuary, there is a notable transformation; the air is thicker, temperature has dropped, the noise has ceased, you may have even grown wings, you surely have gotten a ticket to a different world! You will want to tread carefully, so as not to disturb its residents.

As the mist clears, the forest transforms once again. The Giant Wood Spider webs glisten in the morning sun, the sun rays dance about, playing hide-and-seek with the rustling leaves and tall trees. The foliage is dense and mysterious, the canopy magical, but the real tales lie in the understory amongst the lianas and vines. The forest floor is laid with leaves golden, upon which you dare tread, for they will trumpet your presence to the inmates of the land, in loud crunch squeals. 

Greater Racket-tailed Drongo

But, if you tread carefully, just pause momentarily and bow to listen, the whole jungle is yours to see.

The morning songs will come strong, resonant through far and near, and the first song that you hear may very well be of the Greater Racket-tailed Drongo. A rhapsodic melody from a hidden perch, the tail visible as it sways to each note, like a conductor’s baton to every score. Behold the majestic bird, carefree in his forest; well, this is just the beginning as his band of boys will follow.

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Orange Minivet, Bronzed Drongo, Brown-cheeked Fulvetta, Velvet-fronted Nuthatche, Black-
rumped Flameback and many more species follow. What we have encountered is a hunting party, a mixed flock of birds, each benefitting from the others’ company, flittering and hopping, going about their business, foraging for munchies from tree to tree, making merry of a beautiful morning. Well, they will disappear as abruptly as they came, and then again, you will be left behind with impressions dear, to continue along the road much taken, for the untold tales lie in the lost trails. 

Great Indian Hornbill (Female)

If you are lucky, you will be graced by the presence of many beauties, such as the Malabar Trogons, Black-hooded Orioles, Hair-crested Drongos, Indian Blackbird, Green-Pigeons, Great Hornbills and others.

The terrain at Bondla WLS is unusually hilly, nesting amidst the Western Ghats, each bend taking a different tone, the wavering light transforming the place with every passing minute. The shadows can be wary, and if you are not curious enough, you will pass many a beauties camouflaged in pure sight, unnoticed. At times, you seem to be ascending towards heavenly green, while at others, descending towards a fiery yellow. The passage of time notwithstanding, the show will go on forever.

Crested Serpent Eagle

Although I am not an expert at deciphering forests, from what I have learnt, Bondla forest is of the mixed type, primarily moist deciduous and partly evergreen. Understanding forests is a beautiful science and there are key identifier species that can help us decode.

The road is paved, open to all vehicles, entry fee reasonable, at times the traffic can be a bother but that is a necessity for self-sustenance and preservation of the habitat. Within the sanctuary is a zoo, the only one in Goa, serving as a bridge that can shape young minds, sensitizing them about our co-inhabitants, their importance and preservation.

In the end, all journeys must culminate, to seed another.

PS: This article was published in "The newsletter of Ecological Society, Pune" January 2021 edition, called Ecology@Work.

Wildlife paparazzi

I am so angry and frustrated even. The only way that I can express it is through words and that I will do.

The big news in birding in Maharashtra is the arrival of a few Amur Falcons (Falco amurensis) in Lonavla Lake which is in the private hands of Tata Power. They are passage migrants (They breed in the plains of Siberia and China but during winters, when the cold is harsh, they migrate to Southern Africa, primarily stopping over in North-east India while passing through. A few vagrants get reported in many parts of India as is the case in point here.)

Well, this in itself is a wonderful news, that a few Amur Falcons decided to take this route and rest near us. As you are aware of the kind of fate (Large scale hunting of the beautiful birds) they have had in the past and their story of survival and revival due to woke individuals and their efforts at conservation, it is disheartening and disillusioning to see how birders and photographers have acted on this wonderful opportunity to seek and photograph them.

So, if the birds allow you to come close enough as they go about their business, I am sure your big lenses give you sufficient reach and you can maintain a respectable distance. But this is just part of my concern. The primary concern is that you bring big vehicles and small alike, into the lake area (which has transformed into a wonderful grassland during the dry season). It is this wonderful habitat that is spawning and supporting life, creating food for visiting birds. So much so that besides, the Amur Falcons, there are hundreds of Wagtails and Plovers, a few Bar-headed Geese (they fly over the mighty Himalayas to visit India during winters), Storks, Terns, Herons and Cormorants besides other waders and many other raptors.

You drive around nasty, ruining the habitat, disturbing the life around and causing ruckus. All this to get that perfect shot, that close-up of the nostrils, finding the male, getting that feeding shot, that kill shot and whatnot. Well, I too have been there, I got my captures, equally good ones, but I chose not to bring my vehicle into the lake.

I urge you to be good in your behaviour and respect the habitat and to all those wonderful instagrammers and page hosts who have been blowing the bugle, praising the lot, kindly promote best practices as well.

Anyways, the resultant outcome of this vehicular chaos and the jamboree is that Tata Power has stepped in, throwing out everyone, even if only for a few minutes, as they cannot patrol all the time, and may soon block the entrances and put a stop altogether. So, unless we correct ourselves, we may win today but will lose access to this wonderful habitat altogether in years to come. So today you might get that winning shot but tomorrow, when another vagrant comes along, no one will be there to welcome it, and it may go unreported altogether.

Hope at least a few will hear, read, share my thoughts and take corrective action.

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