Bird lover documents 102 species during lockdown

Part serendipity, part an undying passion for wildlife and environment led to the discovery of 102 bird species in his home town Bodhan. Md Adnanuddin, a lecturer in Political Science and Environment Hyderabad, goes home due to lockdown and makes the most of his time documenting wildlife

The lockdown has been a blessing in disguise for Adnan. You cannot keep a birder home for long, the very next morning, May 24, of reaching his hometown he headed straight to Bellal Lake and ever since his tryst with nature began resulting in documenting 102 bird species.

Adnan says, "Every visit of mine resulted in the discovery of a different bird species and the numbers kept adding up every week. It wasn't just the birds but also the diversity of various species like butterflies, insects and reptiles in my hometown Bodhan that fascinated me. It was then I realized that I need to document them."

"If there is one bird that I would term as the one that enthralled me the most, it is the Cinnamon Bittern, says Adnan. The excitement is understandable, a shy bird, it flies away seeing humans. Spotting two elusive water birds - Ruddy-breasted crake and Brown crake, Peacocks, Yellow Bittern, Indian Nightjar, Pied Cuckoo, the Jungle Cat are among the numerous birds caught on camera.

Bird watching is largely a solitary pursuit that requires a lot of patience. Adnan has been spending on an average 15-20 hours a week and four hours at a stretch on Sundays in these two months. "I prefer to be alone. Fishermen guide me to different places. The reward for patience and silent observation has been great. Discovering the Jungle cat, that hid in the bushes took 20 minutes of waiting to capture the shy reddish and sandy brown feline," he said. Adnan adds, "Jungle Cats are mostly found near swampy and marshy areas and near reed beds and paddy fields. They are carnivorous and their diet includes rodents, birds and small mammals."

An exciting development was finding a pair of woolly-necked stork hovering in the sky. The bird is listed in IUCN Red List as 'vulnerable'. The population of the birds has been in declinw for quite some years. Apart from avian fauna, Adnan also spotted several species of butterflies (crimson rose, crimson tip, lime butterfly, etc) and reptiles like lizards and snakes (rat snake, checkered keelback, red sand boa etc). The presence of different types of species in a small town signifies the biodiversity potential of towns and villages in the twin Telugu states which is yet to be explored properly. "I wish many more take up birding, as they are an important indicator of ecosystem and biodiversity," says Adnan.