Recent Trip to Carmali

Presently, I have got holidays (for preparation for the semester examination) but as expected, I have spent them by travelling to various places.

I recently visited Carmali which is famous for its variety of migratorey as well as local water birds and even other bird species.

Out of my two visits, during the first on 23rd, I saw and recorded around 50+ different bird species. Due to the restricted vegetative cover on the lake during this season, birds are concentratedin a small area which makes it easier to spot them.

The best part for me, was not the lake but the fields adjacent to it. There, I saw a variety of local as well as migratory birds like open-billed storks, wood sandpiper, black-winged stilt, Common Redshank, Woolly necked/white necked Stork etc from a very close distance. Even the light was very good for photography, but guess what, I had not carried the camera.

On 26th, I made another trip exclusively for photography. but luck is not always on your side. This time, I didn't get to see the birds from a close distance neither the light was very good for photography. I was about to end my trip in disappointment when I just spotted the Western Marsh Harrier, a beautiful raptor which I saw for almost 15 minutes. It was hovering over the fields, taking a sudden dip and then rising.

Could not get any decent snaps though. These are some record shots.

Marsh Harrier 1

Marsh harrier 2

Harrier in flight 1

Harrier in flight 2

This is the closest I could get. But the bird must have felt shy and must have hidden its head. No problem though because the mere sighting of the bird was superb.

Some photographs of other birds sighted

Bronze-winged Jacana

Purple Heron

Brahminy kite

Ruddy Shelducks

Purple Moorhens

Whistling Ducks

A disappointing incident

I was coming back home when i saw a few people throwing something out with a stick. I strongly felt that it was a snake. I rushed to the spot but in vain. I was awestruck. They had just killed it and throwing it into the gutter. I was blank. All around me were the sounds of people murmuring about all the misconceptions. I looked at the dead snake, didn't even dare to find out which snake it was. I was traumatized from within. I, who always tells people not to kill snakes and why not, was silently watching those elderly guys. Suddenly I felt so insignificant. So all those rescues and awareness programs were useless? All that growing confidence with each snake rescue and awareness programs shattered in a moment. I remembered the incident when a guy killed a snake in front of me and i couldn't do anything. Thats from when I had started rescuing snakes. Today, the same feeling haunted me. Although I reached there after they killed it, I consider it as a defeat because despite of a huge number of people being involved in reptile conservation today, people still do this kind of stuff. Why do they have such an attitude? Won't they ever change? If not, why are we doing this? I should complete my eduction, get a good job, salary, a good wife, children and thats it. Why all this bull shit????


But backing off is not the solution. I get disappointed by one bad incident. but then, I remember about all the good once. All the snakes I have rescued, all the people who are inspired by my awareness talks and lot others. But we have to find some concrete solutions for this. Can anyone suggest solutions for tackling this problem other than the conventional ones? Please do reply.