Madhya Pradesh - September, 2005

Bhopal is the Capital of Madhya Pradesh, Raja Bhoj founded the city as Bhojpal in the 11th Century. Almost at the center of India, Bhopal is a pleasant city made up of lakes, the upper lake being the most prominent. The infamous gas tragedy which always pops up into mind at the mention of Bhopal, even today, after over two decades seemed to be a thing of the past to me as I drove around the clean and un congested roads of the city.

Here along one side of the upper lake is Van Vihar National Park. Covering about 445 hectares, this park consists of Caged Carnivores and freely roaming herbivores introduced and cared for by the park officials. Along the water front is plenty of wet grassland which attracts hundreds of species of birds right in the middle of the city! Dr. A. K. Bhattacharya (CF and Director Van Vihar) is passionately overseeing the well being of this park.

It is here that Mr. Pratap Singh, IFS, Conservator of Forests, who has been a faculty member at IIFM, Bhopal for the past one year discovered the Bristled Grassbird breeding! The last record of this “Globally Threatned” bird in the area, I am told is over 100 years old! This discovery is certainly great news that projects a new and environmentally conscious Bhopal. ( Bristled Grassbird )

On an invitation from Mr. Pratap Singh I went over to Bhopal on the 1st September, 2005 to photograph this rare bird. Mr. Pratap Singh has a great passion for recording bird calls and has traveled to various location in India and has recorded calls of about 650 specis of birds found in India!

I stayed at the Guest House, of the Indian Institute of Forest Management which is another vast green campus very close to Van Vihar. On the 2nd September, 2005 morning it took me two hours to photograph the Bristled Grassbird which used to fly high calling loudly and suddenly descend on a perch well inside the tall (almost 7ft ) grass. After this I met several nature enthusiasts as well as some people from the press over a breakfast meet organized by the Park Director.

Mr. Pratap Singh along with one of his colleagues Mr. Chinmaya S Rathore has made a CD called “LARK” which contains about 35 images of birds found in Bhopal along with its calls, This CD which is basically meant for building nature awareness among school children, was shown at the meeting and various discussion took place. I spent the whole day at the Park.

Next morning we left for Ratlam in search of the Lesser Florican. Another Globally Threatned Bird. Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh is about 300 kms from Bhopal. Just outside Ratlam (about 20 kms) is a place called Sailana. Here during the month of September you will see vast stretches of green. Some of this land is grass and some of it is cultivated (basically Soya). Some of this grass land is owned by the Forest Department who are trying their best to protect it. There is a total absence of trees in the area.

Here the Lesser Florican comes to breed during this time. If you watch intently and listen carefully, you will suddenly see a male bird (50 cms, black, white and shades of grey) pop up from the grass making a sound like a frog (few notes on each jump). Before you can blink it is back inside the grass and you cannot see or hear it anymore. If you try to creep closer, it will creep further ! A major challenge for any photographer. All day long several males (we saw four) pop up and down from the grass at various locations to attract a female. One wonders why you hear the frog like sound only when it jumps and never while on ground?

As we watched these fascinating Floricans jump up and down a group of harriers (about 15) arrived on the scene and began quartering quite low above the grass! "Look before you leap" ! is all that came to mind...

This species is endemic to the subcontinent and Globally threatened. ( Lesser Florican )

I also photographed a few species of butterflies as I waited for the birds. I was back home on the 6th night.

Many Thanks to Mr. Pratap Singh for making it possible for me to see & photograph these birds. The image below of Mr. Pratap Singh was shot by Mr. Selvan Shiv Kumar -- sr. photographer - Hindustan Times -- Bhopal, while we were at Van Vihar.

As always, I am most happy to share this experience with you…

Regards,

Vijay Cavale

September, 2005