The times are changing and so our lifestyle. Today’s generation do not have time to stand and stare. They have already deep dived into their corporate timelines. ‘ONLY ONE WORLD’ is the environmental theme for this year by UN. All over the world, every year we celebrate World Environment Day on 5th June invariably, but are we doing any follow up action? Its not enough that we celebrate one day in a year and forget environment for the rest of the days in the year. Our environment is getting worse day by day. Carbon emission is going on unabated, comfortably forgetting Paris declaration. Even rural areas are showing the symptoms of urban maladies. Trees are being felt in large scale to pave way for development activities. Water is becoming a scarcity. Soil quality is degraded. Air is unbreathable. Development has relegated environment to a backseat. Many of our social organisations are focussing on planting a tree to mark the Environment Day, just to forget the same the very next day and to return to life as usual. Bureaucrats are showing callousness in managing the environment. Our population is increasing at rocket speed while natural resources are depleting drastically. It is against this backdrop that UN has given a warning note, rightly choosing the phrase ONLY ONE EARTH as its theme. We must think globally and act locally. South Express gives all a clarion call TO ACT NOW!
I started my birding activities when I was 20, and continuing the hobby since then. I have been visiting places in India looking for birds .
How I started the birding?
Well, it is an interesting history. I was in my BSc Zoology class in 1975. I was a reluctant learner of anything about animals then. Prof Daniel Wesley created some impact on my understanding of the subject. Though I did not show much interest in any topic, the one topic which attracted me was Bird Migration. I wanted to explore all about birds. One day, one bird fell on my balcony and I was curious to know which bird it was and therefore I rushed to the college lab with the bird. Prof was not there, but the lab attendant said that it was a sparrow juvenile and this induced my curiosity further.
Birding & wildlife as a hobby!
After graduation, I met one Mr Natarajan, who was running a wildlife conservation Society (WILCOS) in Trichy, and my first visit to a nearby Puliancholai at Thuraiyur, 40 KMs away was my first birding trip with him and I encountered a wagtail for the first time. Thus started my birding journey in 1975 (I was 20 year old then). But then, search for a career and subsequent landing in Pollachi, a small town near Coimbatore shattered my love for bird watching. But my love for nature and environment continued
Birding with GP!
Then the running was never ending, Career in Banking, Trade Union activities, marriage, Children, family life, transfers, promotions, one chased another and my realisation that I am not doing justification for me education or passion had swallowed another 10 years. It was when I reached Erode and met some friends who were seriously into nature related activities that I revived my interest in Birding. Important person I met was Mr G Paramasivan, (GP) a botanist and a teacher who joined me in birding. With NSS students, we check-listed birds in Erode district. In 1992, we located Vellode lake (near Erode) which had a variety of water birds. I left Erode on transfer to Delhi in 1993 but GP had continued the struggle to declare Vellode as a bird sanctuary. Our efforts yielded results and we were able to get the place declared as Vellode Bird Sanctuary. Today after 30 years, GP and I recollect our initial efforts to get the place declared as bird sanctuary and at times we are proud that it is now an hotspot in global portal eBird International and about 190+ species are recorded till date
Birding in Delhi
When transferred to Farukhnagar, Haryana, a remote place for a non Hindi speaking persona like me, my first thing I did was to search for the location and I found that there is a bird sanctuary called Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary. I almost decided to join the bank branch but I was given a city branch in Delhi. Anyway I kept my urge to visit Sultanpur which made me return to my hobby for the next 27 years. I emerged as an environmentalist, thanks to the love for birds.
Bangalore Birding
My birding journey continues. As usual I located a lake near my apartment, called Puttenahalli, which is a bird reserve. I continue my journey in preserving the habitat. There is a lake (across the road) in front of my apartment, one on the back (2KM), one on the left (3KM) and one on the right (1KM). What else is needed? I am back with my hobby.
