Joy of Birding

-

It was a bright sunny afternoon; the year was 1998; some time in April, when I heard a pleasant trilling sound of a bird just outside my window as I worked on my news story of the day. At that time I was working for The Hindu as Principal Correspondent for Madhya Pradesh in central India.

The continuous proclamation of the bird’s presence touched the chord of anxiety and without losing any time, I was out gazing through the thicket and the entangled shoots and branches of my Bougainvillea tree to spot the bird singing those beautiful notes. Oh what a delight it was to witness for the first time the grandeur of a grey-headed mango yellow bird, the size of a sparrow.I kept gazing at the bird but remained unsatatiated though the avian delight stayed hooked to the same branch for a long time oblivious of my presence.

This one episode came as a turning point in my life. It kindled in me the desire to explore, to learn, and to know as much as I could about the wonderful world of birds. That evening, after I had completed my day’s work, I was at a book shop looking for an illustrated book on birds. My friend Ajit Sonakia, a fantastically committed and learned forester, with whom I had discussed my experience earlier that day, told me to go for “The Book of Indian Birds” by the immortal ornithologist Salim Ali.

I bought the book and before returning home went to another shop and purchased a Panasonic VHS handycam (in those days, DV cams had not hit the market), an equipment I could barely afford. Armed with The Book of Indian Birds and the handycam, I started my journey as an upcoming birder. It was a learning experience when I could, for the first time, relate the image in my mind with the most congruent picture—that of a grey-headed flycatcher in Salim Ali’s book , which has become a constant companion and is a bible for birding.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

India's Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 and Section 45 of PMLA: A Critical Analysis

-
  Lalit Shastri   The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) stands as a law against financial malfeasance, yet its provisions, notably the definitions under Section 2 (u), Section 2 (y), Section 3 relating to Scheduled Offence like misuse of funds attracting Section 447 of the Companies Act, 2013 and Section 45 of PMLA , have stirred a maelstrom of debate regarding the delicate balance between justice and security.  Section 447, which even provides for a seven year jail term, can be imposed and prosecution proceedings initiated against someone who may not even be guilty merely on the subjective, biased or vindictive Inspection Report prepared by the Inspecting Officer of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.  The matter could be worst confounded if the proceedings under the Companies Act, 2013 are vitiated at the behest of vested interests to distort the findings and conclusion in the Inspection Report. Once a court takes cognizance of prosecution complaint under Secti
Read more

A Call for Peace, Inclusion, and Sustainability on my Birthday

-
Image
Lalit Shastri As a global society, we must strive for peaceful coexistence and embrace the spirit of inclusivity. Our shared future depends on our collective responsibility to protect the environment, preserve wildlife, and safeguard the delicate balance of our ecosystems, including our rivers and forests. It is time we shun violence, extremism, and division in all its forms, fostering unity over discord. We envision a socio-economic order where equity, transparency, and accountability reign, ensuring that skill and merit are valued over privilege, exploitation and denial of equal opportunity to all due to the quota or reservation system. Also, corruption has no place in a society where every individual is dedicated to the common good, working for the advancement of humanity and securing a brighter, more sustainable future for generations to come.  Together, we can build a world where compassion, justice with fairness, and progress guide our actions—creating a legacy that honors both t
Read more

Quantum Physics and Vedanta

-
Image
  “Whenever I give a lecture on Quantum Physics, I feel as if I am talking on Vedanta!” – Hans Peter Dürr. Lalit Shastri The above quote by  Peter Dürr prompted me to explore deep and draw a comparison or draw an analogy between Quantum Physics and Vedanta. The idea that "matter doesn't exist" in quantum physics can be confusing because it challenges our everyday understanding of reality. Here's a simplified explanation: Classical vs. Quantum View Classical Physics: In the everyday world, we see objects as solid and well-defined. A chair, for instance, is a solid object with a clear location and shape. This is the classical view of matter. Quantum Physics: At the smallest scales, the rules of the universe behave very differently. Instead of being solid and fixed, particles (like electrons, protons, etc.) exist in a state of probabilities. They don't have definite locations or state until they are observed or measured. Key Concepts 1. Wave-Particle Duality : In qu
Read more