NOSTALGIA 6: COMMUNAL HARMONY

BY P S SUNDAR

Among the strengths of India I had highlighted in my lectures abroad on India's culture was the well-known unity in diversity, more so, communal harmony in metros and cosmopolitan towns.   Six years ago, around this time, this article of mine was published in The New Indian Express (Feb 20, 2008).  This article evoked keen interest among many including those living outside Coonoor. In the recent years, there were some disturbances in communal harmony which makes this article more relevant reading now:

  

ICON 8: BIRDS OF THE NILGIRIS vs BANGALORE

ICON 8: BIRDS OF THE NILGIRIS vs BANGALORE

BY P S SUNDAR

My articles on Big Bird Day 2014 in the Nilgiris published in this Blog have evoked keen interest from bird lovers from near and far.   I have received a plethora of responses to my 6 articles on this marvellous event in this Blog.

Among them, K Vetriselvan John, Programme Manager, World Vision India, Coimbatore, phoned me from Bangalore and today, Feb 24, 2014, on his return to Coimbatore, has sent me a mail with an interesting attachment. 

He was in Bangalore attending some meetings held at Ecumenical Christian Centre (ECC) in Whitefield. This centre has a sylvan campus of 29 acres. It is known for supporting ecology in its campus. Quite a few boards displayed in the campus motivate people to be eco-friendly all through their life. It is a company registered under Section 25 of The Companies Act, 1956. This means, it is a company not for profit (but for promoting charity, morality and ecology)..

Vetriselvan John has sent ma a snap of a Board displayed there of the birds in the campus, as he says, kindled by my articles on Birds in the Nilgiris, in this Blog. 

I thought of giving the snap here for those interested:

NOSTALGIA 5: A BRUSH WITH ANIL KUMBLE

BY P. S SUNDAR

In 2008, I attended the Upanayanam of the son of Sundararaman, my maternal uncle's son in Bangalore.    As Sundararaman had connections with cricketer Anil Kumble, the latter attended the function.   My article on this brush with Kumble appeared in The New Indian Express on March 22, 2008, as under:

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ICON 7: BIRDS IN KOTAGIRI

ICON 7: BIRDS IN KOTAGIRI

BY P.S. SUNDAR

This is the last -- fifth -- in the series of five articles on the bird species identified by the dedicated teams during their survey on Big Bird Day on Feb 16, 2014, in the five zones of the Nilgiris.  This list has 69 species identified by the team in Kotagiri under guidance from N Dharuman, as per the compilation sent to me by Jamuna Raju and G B Henriksen and it follows my previous article of today ICON 6: BIRDS IN COONOOR:

Kotagiri

Dharuman Nanjan

69 Species

Purple Sunbird

Crimson-backed Sunbird

Spotted Dove

Emerald Dove

Greenish Warbler

Blyth's Reed Warbler

Thick-billed Flowerpecker

Jungle Myna

Southern Hill Myna

Jungle Crow

Jungle Babbler

Indian Scimitar Babbler

Rufous Babbler

Red-wiskered Bulbul

Red-vented Bulbul

Yellow-br0wed Bulbul

Black Drongo

House Sparrow

Pond Heron

Crested Sarpent Eagle

Black Eagle

Black Eagle juvenile

Black Winged Kite

White eyed Buzzard

Rufous-bellied [HAWK] Eagle

Oriental Magpie Robin

Indian Blue Robin

Oriental White-eye

Malabar Parakeet

Bronzed Drongo

Racket-tailed Drongo

Blue Rock Thrush

Blue-capped Rock Thrush

Orange-headed Thrush

Malabar Wistling Thrush

Asian Fairy Bluebird

Shikra

Long-tailed Shrike

Scarlet Minivet

Grey Jungle Fowl

Mottled Wood Owl

Brown Fish Owl

Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher

Asian Brown Flycatcher

White-bellied Blue Flycatcher

Asian Paradise-flycatcher

Rusty-tailed Flycatcher

Nilgiri Flycatcher

Verditer Flycatcher

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher

Velvet-fronted Nuthatch

Malabar Trogon male

Malabar Trogon female

Greater Flameback

Vernal Hanging Parrot

Grey Wagtail

Forest Wagtail

Common Iora

Banded Bay Cuckoo

white-rumped Munia

Blue-bearded Bee-eater

Common Rosefinch

White-throated Kingfisher

Golden-fronted Leafbird

Brown-cheeked Fulvetta

White-rumped Shama

Eurasian Blackbird

ICON 6: BIRDS IN COONOOR

BY P. S. SUNDAR

Here comes the list of 68 Bird species identified by the team guided by Manoj Sethumadhavan and Allen Murphy in Coonoor zone during the Big Bird Day survey on Feb 16, 2014.   This is as per the compilation sent to my by Jamuna Raju and G B Henriksen.   This is the fourth in the series of five and follows my article ICON 5: BIRDS IN OOTY appearing in this blog. 

Coonoor

Manoj Sethumadhavan + Allen Murphy

68 Species

Crimson Backed Sun Bird

Loten's Sun Bird

Spotted Dove

Emerald Dove

Rock Pigeon

Greenish Warbler

Leaf Warbler

Blyth’s Reed Warbler

Flower Pecker

Jungle Myna

Common Crow

Jungle Babbler

Puff Throated Babbler

Indian Scimitar Babbler

Twany Bellied Babbler

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Yellow Browed Bulbul

Black Bulbul

House Sparrow

Crested Serpent Eagle

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Common Hoopoe

Indian Robin

Oriental Magpie Robin

Indian Blue Robin

Oriental White Eye

Rose Ringed Parakeet

Malabar Parakeet

Black Drongo

Indian Black Bird

Ashy Wood Swallow

Hill Swallow

Blue Capped Rock Thrush

Malabar Whistling Thrush

Asian Fairy Blue Bird

Bar Winged Fly Catcher Shrike

Brown Shrike

Scarlet Minivet

Grey Jungle Fowl

Black And Orange Fly Catcher

Grey-headed Canary Fly Catcher

White Bellied Blue Fly Catcher

Rusty Tailed Fly Catcher

Brown Breasted Flycatcher

Nilgiri Fly Catcher

Verditer Fly Catcher

Tickells Blue Fly Catcher

Velvet Fronted Nuthatch

White Breasted Water Hen

Vernal Hanging Parrot

Ashy Prinia

Grey Wagtail

White Throated Fantail

Pied Bushchat

Common Iora

Grey Tit

Chest Nut Headed Bee Eater

White Cheeked Barbet

Common Rose Finch

Common Kingfisher

Swift

Leaf Bird

White Bellied Tree Pie

Brown Cheeked Fulvetta

Crested Goshawk

Kestral

ICON 5: BIRDS IN OOTY

ICON 5: BIRDS IN OOTY

BY P S SUNDAR

Further to my article ICON 4 - BIRDS IN MASINAGUDI, herewith the next list -- the third in the series of five.  This is the list of 36 bird species sighted by the team guided by Bheeman and Manojkumar at Udhagamandalam (Ooty) on Feb 16, 2014 during the survey on Big Bird Day 2014 Nilgiris, as per the compilation sent to me by Jamuna Raju and G B Henriksen:

Ooty

Bheeman Bheeman A + Manojkumar NG

36 Species

Purple Sunbird ( 1)

Spotted Dove ( many)

Rock Pigeon ( many)

Nilgiri Wood Pigeon -1

Greenish Warbler - 3

Tickell’s Warbler - 1

Warbler (many)

Flower Pecker  -1

Jungle Myna (many)

Common House Crow (many)

Long Billed Crow (many)

Red Whiskered Bulbul (many)

Pond Heron (3)

Eagle -1

Oriental White Eye ( many)

Ashy Drongo- 1

Black Bird (many)

Common Swallow (many)

Nilgiri Laughing Thrush (Many)

Shikra

Bar Winged Flycatcher Shrike -4

Long Tailed Shrike -1

Golden Oriole

Grey Jungle Fowl - 3

Black & Orange Flycatcher -2

Grey- headed Canary Flycatcher (many)

Nilgiri Flycatcher - 7 ( M & F )

White-breasted Waterhen (2)

Ashy Prinia - 3

Grey Wagtail (5)

White Throated Wagtail (1)

Pied Bush Chat 5 ( M & F )

Great Tit - 4

White Cheeked  Barbet -1

Common Rose Finch - 3 (M & F )

Nilgiri Pipit -1

Common Moorhen ( 2)