Republic Day

HappY RepubiC daY :)

The March Past

As thought with my camera and in high spirits I was at the parade ground at Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bhubaneswar. Here every year the Republic Day and Independence Day parade is done with much pomp and show with flag hosting by the CM or the Governor of the State followed by function formalities, march past and all. The mood and the feeling of these days would never go from the heart. The feeling of being in a freed country, the memory of the brave men who gave us freedom and the feeling of being a part of this great country would never ever fade away. To make the feeling sink in more, I always go and watch the parade. :) It feels great watching it. From school kids to middle school to paramilitary forces, everyone in uniform, everyone with determination and strong will power to perform their best.

Today too, driving in the foggy and chilly morning, I came for the parade. On my way, I stopped to buy an Indian flag badge (as always) and pinned to my chest :) Kids and parents lined up to buy flags too. While driving I tried remembering the Patriotic Songs we used to sing in school. I remembered the song 'Aye watan Aye watan... humko teri kasam. Teri rahon mein hain jaan tak luta jayenge ... ' 

Accompanying my Canon SX10 IS, I had reached much early to catch some before parade candid shots.

The foggy ground

This time I was alone and no other photographer was in view, unlike last time where I felt there were more photographers roaming than the paraders. Good I guess. May be this time whoever came was near the place where flag hosting was done. I observed people, I roamed around casually, I smiled at them. At some place made them conscious and sometimes they made me conscious :P The roads were all foggy even till 8.15 am. The time came when the parade was to be started. There was tension among the jawans and cadets to perform their best. The last minute touch up in their uniforms and making stern faces. 

Last minute preparation

Police people got strict with the viewers and made them go outside the main track. I hadn't planned to stay in the crowd this time. I stayed towards the end of the parade set and watched them go one by one towards the main stand where they had to perform.

Watching them brings back my own goody goody feelings, when I used to be IN the parade. Wearing my best, pressed blue NCC AIR WING uniform. Pride in my heart, chest out, beret on my head, shining shoes and straight spine. It was some feeling I tell you. As if the whole world is watching you and would judge with the slightest moment made. 3 years, 6 times I have marched on this road, in uniform. Then the time comes when you have to perform in front of the chief guest. Showing the best of you with the other participants. The most difficult task was to maintain the uniformity among the other girls in the same flight. And the correct way was to hear the drum beats. After the college days got finished, I continued to come to the ground with the same feeling to capture the moment in my little camera. Completely this would be the 8th year I would be coming to the parade ground both for Independence parade and Republic Day parade :)

Of-course one can not forget these days while in school. Wearing the whitest of white uniform, me sometimes in Guide uniform. Watching and listening the programs performed at school. Speeches, some kids fancily dressed as freedom fighters and then we waiting for the tiffin packets and boondi (best part :D). Then we would walk towards our home gossiping all in the way. :) 

Coming back to today. I stayed till the last platoon was gone from my sight. There were three school boys by my left side who were very excited for the marches. They had superb expressions to be captured. Excitement, amazement and innocence. In the last, after fire station tableau, there were some performers dressed in folk dresses, Sambalpuri costumes and two in costumes of Durga Maa and Mahisasura. I had never watched such performers before. They looked beautiful and with very high spirits to make their audience dance in their tunes.

Durga Maa

The folk dances

I had few of their photos. While they crossed, two of the boys on my left side made a namaskar gesture watching the Durga Maa's idol. I was touched by their innocence. I bet even we adults would not have done this. But they did! On the whole trip today I was not very pleased as I had not got any good shots but they made my day fruitful one. I was in some kind of inner peace after watching them. On the whole way I drove back smiling. :)

Shot of the Day :)

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Some earlier days picture ... :)

Inspired

Celebrating Freedom

The R&V squadron

The guns at rest

Kids waiting for the parade to start

The song I was remembering of:

Bird Census of Chandaka Dampara Sanctuary

The Entrance

Waterfowl Census of Chandaka Dampara Sanctuary_13.01.12

One Friday, we again got the opportunity with the Wild lifers and Naturalists to count birds in the Chandaka Sanctuary Region. The first venture was to Chilika and this would be the second one. For this one day trip, I started with Udayan, early morning around 5 to Chandaka. The morning bike ride till there was super chilly and almost killed us :( Reached there and met Shakti bhai, Dipti Ranjan and Partha who was also our team leader. Started the journey in the Bolero for the Range Office, inside Dampadra Range. The distance was pretty good but with beautiful sights it didn't matter. Full of green big trees, pre-set path, shrubs, bushes, birds everywhere, sharp shrill chirping and cold cozy weather. At the office we got our kits and met other birders who had bird counting in the nearby region. We met the most senior members like Biswajit Sir and Babu bhai. It was a great pleasure to be associated with them and know them. :) 

7.10 am: From there we reached Mahanadi shores where Biswajit Sir and Babu bhai took a boat for their journey.There on the river bed we saw so so many Small Pratincoles and River Lapwings. I saw Pratincoles first time and found them so cutie :)

Small Pratincoles

8.05 am: We then turned towards our designated places :) Jaria, Charigharia and Upara-pathapur towards north-eastern part of the sanctuary. With our young guru and TL Partha, me and Udayan too jumped off to view the place, alongwith Shri.P.C.Nayak (RO) geared up with full excitement. In the start I could hardly see anything but heard beautiful voices. Even of peacocks :) 

Haduapatta

The Fisherman setting the nets

Then we started spotting Purple Moorhens, Sandpipers, Redshanks, Common Snipes and the Spot billed ducks. :) Ofcourse accompanied by pond herons, cormorants and Egrets. Also saw spotted dove, Hoopoe and white throated kingfisher. We moved closer to the lake sides, walking and stopping by, keeping an eye on the birds :) the view was amazing. I could have never imagined a place coming through Chandaka :) Again the mountains, fields, water, chilly air, marshy land, walking inside fields...hmmmm :) There at a place a fisherman was setting his nets for fishes :/ which disturbed the birds and they mostly flew away.

Red-Wattled Lapwing

8.40 am: We kept walking on the shores of the lake and the edgy fields. With Partha's guiding we could see and collect most of the bird information. :) Mr. P.C. got irritated with us as were weren't walking up to his pace. He preferred more safe places and didn't land into marshy fields. So obviously he reached places fast and we didn't :D He clapped for the birds to fly away and count. We continued watching and spotting the birds. Missed clicking a spotted owl though. The photography helped in recognising birds more closely.
We then reached near villages where people were fishing by, washing clothes and lining up to bath and all of a sudden they realized we are there :P They started asking in loud tones if we are from OTV and shooting :P  After a little more of roaming there we were off for other places.

Lesser Whistling Ducks

Partha made the vehicle stop at a place with lake view sighting many birds. All dropped down and saw birds flying by in large number of flock. Partha made us recognise them as Lesser Whistling Ducks.  Yes I too could here the whistling :)

The Mahanadi banks

9.45 am: We then got back into bolero and reached at a Mahanadi reservoir area where we picked up Biswajit sir and Babu bhai and were all off to have tea nearby. All snacked up, breakfast plus yummy bara-tarkari (Vada-curry) at the local Dhabha. There all got into conversations on the birds one found and related information. After having a light talk time all got divided again to continue our respective journeys.

The next place was almost empty of birds except one man bathing making bear sounds :P we were scared. :D We stopped at various places on the way. One marshy place was full of Egrets and Herons, Cormorants and Purple moorhens. Asian Open billed storks and one Oriental Darter too. I saw one Citrine wagtail nearby :) The following place was superb with avid flora and fauna. The water source was even more blue and beautiful with Cotton teals and couples of spot-billed ducks swimming by. 

The great Banyan tree

There was one typical huge Banyan tree, very tall and very pleasing underneath it. Again we missed an owl that just flew away from us. Other birds spotted were Brahminy Ruddy Shelduck, River terns, River lapwings and lots and lots of Purple Moorhens. 

Common Redshanks

Cotton teals & Spot Billed Ducks

Spot-Billed Duck, Purple Moorhen, Citrine Wagtail, Wood Sandpiper, Large-pied Wagtail

1.00 pm: All were packed back in Bolero and dropped at the Range Office. There lists of birds were marked, counted and added in the pre-defined lists provided. Discussions and questions in air were shot in different species one found and on their recognition with the help of descriptions and photographs. Took lunch break in between and then finished the listings. 

2.50 pm: Partha was ready with the listings and submitted it to the DFO. After everybody's submission all started off to the main gate.


4.00 pm: Reached to the starting point i.e. the entrance gate. All got together with the conversations on their places and sightings. :) We bid goodbye to other members and were off from there. Yet another memorable and priceless trip. :) Looking forward for more, but this time to add more value to the census :)




list if birds spotted: In the order of final listing

1. Little grebe
2. Little cormorant
3. Oriental Darter
4. Indian Pond Heron
5. Cattle Egret
6. Little Egret
7. Intermediate Egret
8. Purple Heron
9. Grey Heron
10. Asian Openbill
11. Lesser Whistling Duck
12. Brahminy Ruddy Shelduck
13. Indian Cotton Teal
14. Spot-Billed Duck
15. White-breasted Water hen
16. Purple Swamphen
17. Little Pranticole
18. River lapwing
19. Red-wattled lapwing
20. Redshank
21. Marsh Sandpiper
22. Greenshank
23. Common Sandpiper
24. Common snipe
25. Indian river tern
26. Citrine wagtail
27. Large Pied wagtail
28. White wagtail
29. Pied Kingfisher
30. White breasted Kingfisher

 Few more photos:
 

With the Bolero

Inside the fields

 The team walk :P

On the way...

The beautiful Marigold fields on the way

'A priceless learning experience for me'

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"Chandka Elephant Sanctuary is a wildlife reserve located in north western fringe of Bhubaneswar in the Indian state of Orissa. Nestled on Khurdha uplands of 'Eastern Ghats' biotic region, Chandaka forest spread over 175.79 km² of rolling table land and small sprawling hillocks of Khurdha and Cuttack Districts."

 Source: Wikipedia