All posts by Pallavi Singh

Binsar, Binsar Forest Retreat, Birds

Verditers are back!

The Verditers are here! I saw that first brilliant verditer blue fly into the canopy of a big oak and I stopped in my tracks. They are here! They are back! And as I sat down for breakfast outside, I heard that familiar song and looking in the direction I saw this beautiful blue bird perched on the walnut tree, singing. The joy it brought to me can only be compared to Wordsworth’s, on spying ‘a host of golden daffodils’. So these birds that had left Binsar sometime in October last year for their wintering grounds have arrived after a stupendous round trip to the western ghats. What a journey!

Most of these long distance migrants fly south to their wintering sites and come spring they return back north to their breeding grounds. Some fly by day, some fly by night. They get their cues to commence their long journey from nature, the length of the day to be precise. They use the earth’s magnetic field to guide them. They also use the position of celestial objects like the sun and the stars to navigate. They probably also make mental maps of the earth’s physical features as they fly. These incredible fliers maintain a very high site-fidelity. They go back to the very same locations year after year, unless conditions in these locations have drastically changed. So most birds that have arrived here now are the same ones that left these shores last October. Many of those that have returned probably were born here last summer and learnt to take their first flight here. What a joy to have them back. What a joy indeed.

Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary

The White Goral of Binsar

Albinism in biology is described as the “Congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration in a person, animal or plant, resulting in white hair and pink eyes in mammals.” Mammals have special cells called melanocytes which are responsible for skin colour. Absence of melanocytes in the body results in a whitish appearance.

I had heard from a few village folks about the sighting of a white goral  (Himalayan Goral or Mountain Goat) in the forests in the last few weeks. I was, naturally, curious to see this “white” or albino goral, though I must admit, I was also a little sceptical. One evening we were walking down a mule track towards Mayolikhan. It is a beautiful trail with oak and rhododendron forest above and Chir pine forest below. It is a level walk in most parts with lovely views of the sun sinking into the western horizon. As I was walking, I was looking down at the hill slope into the valley. Suddenly, I saw something crouching down below, under a tree. Something whitish. Could it be a large hare? Could it be a sheep? Or could it be…?? I checked through my binoculars, and sure enough, sitting under a tree was a very white looking goral! Another one, a more familiar looking one, was sitting right next to it. Both were looking towards us. As we all gathered to take a look, the white goral froze in position while the normal one got up and silently slipped away. We gazed at this beautiful, unusual creature for some time, until it got up and slowly slipped away too. We had, quite by chance, seen the  white goral of Binsar. 🙂

Binsar Forest Retreat, Birds

Song of Sibias

Woke up in the morning to a mini orchestra – of birds! From the sweet chirrups of warblers and tits and the song of the Verditer Flycatchers close by, the loud, fluty, whistling song of the Rufous Sibia is what transitions one to complete wakefulness. Lying in my bed, mustering courage to step out into the cold, crisp morning, the song of the Sibias becomes all too alluring to resist. So I step out, wrapped up, with binoculars in hand. And what a treat awaits me!

Two Pink-browed Rosefinches on the grass, Streaked Laughing Thrush hopping about in the bushes beyond, and the Poplars, devoid of leaf and laden with beautiful, pendulous yellow-red flowers, are full of small birds flitting from branch to branch. On one such branch sits the Rufous-breasted Accentor. The Verditer Flycatchers, Grey-hooded Warblers and Green-backed Tits are singing and courting their mates. A pair of Rufous Sibias are busy feasting on bees buzzing around the Poplar flowers. The loud, distant yip-yip-yip of the Shrike-Babblers on deodar trees catches my attention. The Black Bulbuls, Greenish Warblers and even the Great Barbet dipping themselves in the large Rhododendron flowers appear clownish with their heads full of pollen. Mr and Mrs Ultramarine Flycatcher zip past, and the loud Eurasian Jays have abandoned their favourite oak trees and have gate-crashed into the great Rhododendron nectar party! In the far distance, a Hill Partridge calls a plaintive call, and a Collared Owlet hoot-toot-toots. Its a new morning. It’s a celebration!

 

Binsar trees

The Wonderful Walnut Tree

The tree was completely bare in the beginning of March, not a single leaf,  and yet I could not help but admire the graceful way in which it held its long branches and it’s dark grey fissured trunk.  Snow softly settled, hailstorms pelted, and wind and rain swayed its branches, but this dark grey graceful tree  stood steadfast and won my heart with it’s remarkable form and resilience.

A few weeks on, and it was as if it started coming back to life. Tiny buds sprouted, and shiny new leaves started making an appearance. It is completely covered with foliage now, with a beautiful wide canopy. The new leaves are light green, velvety, pinnate, with 5-13 leaflets. The male flowers are numerous, green, hanging in clusters with catkin-like inflorescences, borne on old branches.  The female flowers are small, few, greenish, borne at the end of fresh new branches. The tree will bear green husky fruit, and in autumn these fruits shall open and fall down,  revealing the wrinkly hard nut we all know so well! 🙂

Velvety new leaves and male flowers
Velvety new leaves and male flowers
Female flower
Female flower