Title: Field Sketches

Medium: Fountain and Dip pens on paper

Reference: On the field

Welcome back one and all to yet another edition of Birds of Bangalore, we are halfway through this journey and this week I thought of sharing my field sketches and study sketches with you all. It's great to go outdoors and make field sketches and also regular studies in the studio on composition, feathers, bill and more helps in honing my skill.

First, I would like to share the field sketches of the various lakes I regularly visit to watch birds. Rampura lake being very close to where I stay, is one of my preferred bird watching spots, though nothing much to write about this lake, water is getting drained out through bore-wells everyday, land encroachment is like a fast spreading cancer cells on this wetland, like all the other wetlands, dumping debris on regular basis, the first time I visited this lake about eleven years about, I get to watch about twenty five species of birds, now I get to watch about only seven to eight. However with limited time, it's my go to bird watching spot.

In this sketch I have showed how the lake land has been filled and converted into farmland, ploughed and ready to sow the seeds and also seen the pump-set area where pipes are drilled up to thousand feet and water is pumped out of the lake to the farmland. Not only this constant cutting down of trees around the lake area, which is vital nesting ground for many birds affects bird population. Overall, I am seeing this lake is heading to point of no return and in few days there will be apartments coming up in the lake bed.

Hoskote lake is a birders paradise, if time is not much of a issue, almost all Saturdays I spend my time watching birds at this lake. We get varied species of birds at this lake, the waders during morning session and in the evening session, the afternoon session for the shrub and grassland birds, at some point I have recorded nearly close to hundred species of birds at this lake and its surroundings. Here the situation is not too rosy but excess amount of fishing, long line fishing, reed harvesting, land encroachment, bird trapping, bird hunting and most of all stray dog menace is some of the major concerns which need immediate attention, before we lose all these birds to greed.

Kaikondrahalli lake is a beautiful lake on Sarjapura road and I frequently visit this lake as well. And is a good example how citizens can come together and make a difference. Its protected, fenced and allowed for nature walks, talks and other great events to bring awareness. I have recorded about thirty species of birds at this lake, rosy starlings are in huge numbers at the moment. This lake is also facing all the challenges similar to other wetlands in and around Bangalore. Fishing, reed harvesting, dumping debris outside the fencing area, sewage seeping through from neighboring construction sites, even trapping of Ducks and Coots have been reported by the local residence. Another big area of concern is during the festive season when all the idols get dumped into this lake, yes, separate Kalyani has been setup however its take many months for our authorities to clean them up and by then the area around the Kalyani is a stinking mess, breeding ground for many airborne and mosquito disease, those days walking around that Kalyani is next to impossible!

We will continue on few other lakes and my study sketches next week as well!

So until next time, keep watching!