COCHIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY: January 2011

Regd. Office: Revathi Bhavan, Edathala P O, ALUVA-683561. Reg.No.: ER 18/10 of 2010 Telephone No.: 0484-2837414 Email:cochinnaturalhistorysociety@gmail.com

WELCOME TO THE COCHIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

The Cochin Natural History Society is a non-profit making, non-political charitable institution registered under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955. This is a society of amateur naturalists who live in harmony with nature and seek to protect and to preserve the biodiversity and healthy natural environment. The mandate of the society is to undertake studies and documentation of biodiversity around us and to draw attention to the aesthetic, economic, scientific and conservation aspects.The society also intends to provide a platform to those who are concerned to come together and share, enlarge and correct our knowledge about Nature and its magnificence. Any person, who has a love, interest and commitment towards conservation of our biodiversity and natural history may become a member of the society*.

"You can know the names of a bird in all languages of the world,but when you are finished ,
You will know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird.....
So let`s look at the bird and see what it`s doing --that`s what counts.
I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something."

-Nobel Laureate Richard P Feynman(1918-1988)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Prasanth’s Birdwatching Report 23-1-2011

Today I visited HMT estate along with Madhu Krishnan for birdwatching from 8.30 am to 11.30 am. We had seen the following birds.

1. Cattle Egret
2. Indian Pond Heron
3. Brahminy Kite
4. Crested Serpent Eagle
5. Western Marsh Harrier
6. Spotted Dove
7. Asian Koel
8. Greater Coucal
9. Small Bee-eater
10. Blue-tailed Bee-eater
11. White-cheeked Barbet
12. Common Swallow
13. Large Pied Wagtail
14. Red-whiskered Bulbul
15. White-browed Bulbul
16. Brown Shrike
17. Oriental Magpie Robin
18. Indian Robin
19. Franklin's Prinia
20. Ashy Prinia
21. Blyth's Reed Warbler
22. Purple-rumped Sunbird
23. Purple Sunbird
24. Spotted Munia
25. Grey-headed Starling
26. Brahminy Starling
27. Rosy Starling
28. Common Myna
29. Black Drongo
30. House Crow
31. Jungle Crow

For some photos visit,

http://drsprasanth.blogspot.com/

Dr. S. Prasanth

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Invite

Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC) 2011.

Friends,

The CNHS invite you to participate in the Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC) 2011.

The AWC is an annual event and this year it will be carried out during January/February for collection and dissemination of information on waterbirds and wetlands. The result of the census and information are used to promote regional and national waterbird and wetland conservation issues. Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) as well as Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS ) are coordinating the event.

So CNHS has plans to visit the largest and nearby Important Bird Area (IBA) in Ernakulam namely, the Devasowm Paadam, in the Varapuzha panchayat on 6^th February 2011 and count the waterbirds and thus become a part of this international exercise.

Thanking you in anticipation for your active participation in the AWC.

For further details, contact:

Dr.Dilip K.G.

9446128308

drdilipkg@yahoo.com

CIRCULAR

MALAYATTUR-IDAMALAYAR-POOYAMKUTTY BIRD SURVEY

Dear all,

The Cochin Natural History Society(CNHS) is happy to announce a major bird survey of this season.The Cochin Natural History Society(CNHS) &Kerala Birder shall team with Kerala Forest Department (KFD)to conduct a bird survey in Malayattur Forest Division - a largestretch of low & mid-altitude forests with few high elevations – stuck between the Vazhachal-Sholayar and Mankulam Divisions covering a hugearea of more than 600 sq.km of mostly evergreen forests including the famous stretches of Idamalayar & Pooyamkutty.

Dates
11th Feb 2011 - 14th Feb 2011
Assembling on 11th & Return on 14th.

Interested CNHS members/followers may please mail your
confirmations at the email: vpk_cusat@yahoo.com .More details on how to reach, where to reach etc will
follow by individual mail communication.

Thanks & Regards

Vishnupriyan Kartha

Secretary

COCHIN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
Mobile: 9446437410

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

The full text of the ACT is given at the bottom of the blog for your information and reference. Pls. click the link.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Bhootathankettu-Edamalayar Photos

You are invited to watch a wonderful Photo Album by Dr.George Mothi. It is on the right panel. Click over the photo to enlarge.

Prasanth’s Birdwatching Report 9-1-2011

Today I visited Dewaswam Padam Pokkali paddy fields at Varappuzha along with Vishnupriyan Kartha and Dr. Dilip K. G. from 8.30 am to 11.30 am. Some local people named Shelbin, Thampi, Roy, Babu and Yesudas Varappuzha helped us to locate the area. We had seen the following birds,

1. Little Cormorant
2. Indian Shag
3. Darter
4. Little Egret
5. Grey Heron
6. Purple Heron
7. Large Egret
8. Indian Pond Heron
9. Brahminy Kite
10. Purple Moorhen
11. Common Moorhen (Indian Moorhen)
12. Pheasant-tailed Jacana
13. Bronze-winged Jacana
14. Red-wattled Lapwing
15. Common Redshank
16. Common Greenshank
17. Wood Sandpiper
18. Common Sandpiper
19. Gull-billed Tern
20. Little Tern
21. Whiskered Tern
22. Small Blue Kingfisher
23. White-breasted Kingfisher
24. Lesser Pied Kingfisher
25. Blue-tailed Bee-eater
26. Common Swallow
27. House Swallow
28. Yellow Wagtail
29. Grey Wagtail
30. Streaked Fantail Warbler (Zitting Cysticola)
31. Ashy Prinia
32. Plain Prinia
33. Blyth's Reed Warbler
34. House Sparrow
35. Common Myna
36. Eurasian Golden Oriole
37. Black Drongo
38. House Crow

For some pictures visit,

http://drsprasanth.blogspot.com/

Dr. S. Prasanth

Sunday, January 2, 2011

NEW!!!!!!

Bird Race 2010. Album of the concluding ceremony is displayed on the right panel. To view enlarged, Pls. click over the photo.

Indian Purple Frog

Paathaala thavala (Malayalam) Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis (7cm)

Indian Purple Frog is a relatively large burrowing frog with a distinct, bloated appearance. Endemic to the Western Ghat Mountains (Sahyadri Mountains) - which conservationists consider a biodiversity hotspot. In Sanskrit, nasika means "nose" and batrachus means "frog," while Sahyadri refers to the location where this species is found.

The blackish-purple ‘living fossil’ looks like a bloated doughnut with stubby legs and a pointy snout. Its closest relatives hang out in the Seychelles, a group of islands 1,900 miles (3,000 kilometers) away. The species Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is estimated to have originated in the Jurassic, 130-180 million years ago.

Little has been published about the life history of Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis; it is rarely seen. N. sahyadrensis is fossorial (adapted to digging) and comes to the surface only for a few weeks a year to breed.

Human pressure, primarily from agriculture, has reduced forest coverage and dam projects in the Western Ghats threaten large portions of this frog's habitat.

Courtesty: Biju and Bossuyt (2003), Aggarwal (2004), Dutta et al. (2004), Radhakrishnan et al. (2007) and Sandeep Das

This photograph was taken at Ernakulam on 24^th May 2012.

FORTHCOMING PROGRAMMES

> World Wildlife Week Celebration (Concluded. For more details, pls. see BLOG ARCHIVE, Oct 3-10, 2010)

> Bird Race 2010 (concluded. For more details, pls. see BLOG ARCHIVE,Nov 14-28 and see Right panel)

> Birding Tour for new comers to be organised by CNHS.(Edamalayar-Bhoothathankettu birding trip conducted.For more details, pls. see BLOG ARCHIVE, Dec 5-12 and also right panel).

> Pelagic Bird Survey in Ernakulam!

(Conducted in February,2012)

> Asian Waterfowl Census - CNHS to participate on 6th Feb 2011, at Devasowm paadam, Varapuzha, Kochi (Concluded. See report below)

> Edamalayar Bird Survey (By Kerala Birder and CNHS, from Feb 11-14, 2011. Conducted. See report below))

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Prasanth’s Birdwatching Report 23-1-2011

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Invite

CIRCULAR

Monday, January 10, 2011

The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Bhootathankettu-Edamalayar Photos

Prasanth’s Birdwatching Report 9-1-2011

Sunday, January 2, 2011

NEW!!!!!!

CNHS Membership Application Form

SAVE Asia`s Vulture from Extinction(SAVE)

An Introduction to Birds and Birdwatching

Checklist Of Indian Birds

Madhav Gdgil Report on Western Ghats

Fifty Ways To Make Your Home Eco-friendly

State of the World`s Birds-2013

Threatened Birds of Kerala

Munnar Bird Survey Report

Conservation Across Landscapes-India`s Approach to Biodiversity Governance

Citizen Sparrow Project

Green Guide for Teachers

List Of Endemic Birds Of India

Spatial Map of Western Ghats(Courtsey MoEF website)

Wetland Atlas of Kerala

Endangered Animals Of India List

Wetlands Rules 2010

The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972

Green Passport Application Form

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LINKS:- Some Useful Web Links