A TRIP TO BHANDUP PUMPING STATION - the birdwatchers paradise

"A Picture from Bhandup Pumping Station"

I am a nature lover, and I often like to go birdwatching with my dad. We had read that "Bhandup Pumping station was  home to a lot of beautiful birds. So, recently on Christmas me and my dad visited it with my aunt and my cousin.

The night before when my dad proposed the trip I readily agreed since I liked birding and in general nature. I was pretty excited and had a tough time getting to sleep. The next morning we had a quick snack and left in our car. We had carried our binoculars and some water. Once we got to Bhandup we used Maps to get us to the right place. When we got onto the right track  the road started getting narrow. After a few minutes we decided to park the car and walk the rest of the way.

"Thousands of Flamingoes at Thane creek Flamingo Sanctuary in Bhandup"

After walking for a bit we came to a Flamingo Sanctuary. We didn't know it was there earlier but since there was nowhere else to go we decided to go there. So while my dad got the tickets we   watched a raptor perched on a near by gate. I looked it up but I couldn't find which bird it was but I think it was a eagle. It looked as if I was tame since it let us get pretty close to it.

Once dad got the tickets we entered the sanctuary. At first we could only hear

the birds, not see any, but the various bird calls gave us hope. After sometime as the road roughened a bit we saw some birds. Our first spotted a Blue Tailed Bee-eater perched on the top of a tree. At first we thought it was a Green Bee-Eater which we had seen quite a few times earlier but then we saw a sign board which said it was the Blue Tailed Bee-eater. We also saw a couple of other birds which I have listed below.

Blue Tailed Bee-Eater

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black.This species probably takes bees and dragonflies in roughly equal numbers. The insects that are caught are beaten on the perch to kill and break the exoskeleton. This habit is seen in many other members of the order Coraciiformes. They call mainly in flight with a rolling chirping whistling teerp.

Painted Stork

This large stork has a heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip that gives it a resemblance to an ibis. The head of the adult is bare and orange or reddish in colour. The long tertials are tipped in bright pink and at rest they extend over the back and rump. There is a distinctive black breast band with white scaly markings.Painted storks feed in groups in shallow wetlands, crop fields and irrigation canals. The maximum success of finding prey was at 7 cm of water depth at Keoladeo-Ghana National Park. They feed mainly on small fish which they sense by touch while slowly sweeping their half open bill from side to side while it held submerged.

Common Myna

A large, black-and-brown myna with white wing patches, yellow bill, and yellow legs. Gregarious and often found in noisy flocks. Aggressive, often driving away other birds. Can be found just about anywhere but the densest forests. Native to southern Asia, where it is among the most common species. Widely introduced elsewhere in the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

White - Eared Bulbul

Dull gray-brown bulbul with a black head and bright white cheek patch. Also note yellow vent and white tail tip. A lowland species of dry forests, scrub, forest edge, parks, and gardens; can be quite common in cities and towns in parts of its range. Song brief but pleasant and fluid. Gives low raspy “chuk” as well as mellower call notes similar to components of its song.

Red - Vented Bulbul

A dark, sleek, medium-sized bird with a black crest and a white rump. The red color under the tail is often difficult to see. Eats fruit, flower buds, and insects. Conspicuous and sometimes gregarious, often seen high in trees or perched on wires in urban and rural areas; generally prefers scrubby edge habitat instead of dense forest. Calls include a variety of chirps and whistles. Native to South and Southeast Asia. Introduced to Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Polynesian Islands, including Hawaii.

Long Tailed Shrike

A large, noisy shrike typical of open habitats across Asia. Adults have a dark mask and a lightgray upper back with a variable amount of orange on lower back and flanks. Eastern subspecies has complete black cap; melanistic form has more extensive dark mask and is darker overall. Smaller Bay-backed Shrike has thicker black mask; Gray-backed Shrike has darker gray back and lacks orange coloration and white in wings. Juveniles difficult to separate from other juvenile shrikes. Gives loud, screeching calls; also mimics other birds.

"A picture of the jetty at Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary"

At the end of the trail there was a jetty available to take us into the water on a tour to see                                                                                 some flamingoes and other water birds. Some of the birds we saw in the water are listed below.

Black Headed Ibis

A large wader with a white body and bare black head and neck. Males and females look similar 

and both have grayish tail feathers.It probes into mud and shallow water with its long, down 

curved black bill, sometimes submerging its entire head. Found primarilyaround wetlands 

including agricultural fields and occasionally around coastal areas, but also seen foraging in

 dry fields and human-modified landscapes.

Lesser Flamingo

The smallest flamingo in the world, with

 a dark bill and red legs. Note glowing 

red eyes in adults. Juveniles are 

gray-brown and darker than young Greater 

Flamingos. Found in alkaline lakes and coastal 

lagoons, where gathers in huge flocks to eat microscopic blue-green algae. Breeds on remote 

flats sheltered from predators. Migrates and breeds in response to changing environmental 

conditions. 

During the boat ride we a huge flock of flamingoes and their flight was spectacular. I am 

mentioning this as it was amazing and for me, one of the best moments of the whole trip.

Intermediate Egret

A stocky egret that is larger than Cattle and Little Egrets, but smaller than the Great Egret. 

Often confusing and difficult to identify, this bird is truly intermediate between potential 

confusion species. Things to look for include a yellow bill that is shorter than Great Egret but

 longer than Cattle Egret, a relatively rounded head, and shorter legs than Great Egret, 

approaching Cattle Egret. In Asian populations the bill becomes black during the breeding 

season; these birds can be distinguished from Little Egret by their completely black feet and 

shorter bills. Like most egret species, associates with all types of water bodies including wet 

fields and usually flocks with other egrets.

Though I got to see a lot of birds and thoroughly enjoyed the trip there was one thing that disturbed me a 

lot...the amount of trash. Not only the sewage, people had thrown garbage on the trails and even in the 

branches of some trees. I feel this is one of the major problems leading to the extinction of birds and that 

we should try to stop it or reduce it.

Nurture Nature

I love nature.However in cities with their concrete jungles we see less and less of nature.

In villages, like my native village in Nejar we still get to see and experience the beauty

of nature.Whenever I go to Nejar I get to see a lot of birds and animals

e.g   Common Golden Backs,Greater Racket Tailed Drongos,Black Drongos,Rufous Treepies,

Mongooses,Green Bee Eaters,White Throated Kingfishers,Grey Hornbills,Black Kites,

Red Whiskered Bulbuls, Brahminy Kites,Red Vented Bulbuls and Peacocks (Male/Female).

I cannot type the characteristics of all the birds, so I am just writing down my favourite ones.

Common  Golden  Back:

Medium sized woodpecker with golden mantle and wings; white face with malar stripes; black hindneck red lower back and rump.Male has a red crown while female has a black 

crown.

White underparts with strong black scaling; black tail and small bill.

Left : Male | Right : Female

Greater  Racket  tailed  Drongo:

Glossy blue-black plumage; prominent crest of longish feathers,curving backwards;

elongated wire-like outer- tail feathers, ending in 'rackets' diagnostic.

Distinguished from Lesser by larger size and wider rackets.Sexes alike.
Solitary,or in pairs,sometimes small gatherings;
arboreal,but often descends into low bushes; moves a lot in forests.

Black  Drongo:
Glossy black plumage;long, deeply forked tail. Diagnostic white spot at base of bill.
Sexes alike. Usually solitary, sometimes in small parties; keeps lookout from exposed perch; most common bird seen on rail and road travel in India; drops to the ground to capture prey; launches short aerial sallies; rides atop grazing cattle; follows cattle, tractors , grass cutters, fire; consumes vast number of insects; bold and aggressive species, with several birds nesting in same tree.

Rufous Treepie:
Sexes alike. Rufous above; sooty grey brown head and neck; black, white and grey on wings, best seen in flight; black tipped, grey tail. In pairs or in small parties; feeds up in trees, but also descends low into bushes and onto ground to pick up termites.

Brahminy Kite:
White head, neck, throat, upper belly and flanks diagnostic. Chestnut wing coverts, thighs and tail; black outer flight feathers; white tipped tail. Sexes similar in appearance; female tends to be slightly larger. Juvenile various shades of brown, with darker upper parts and lighter head and underparts and rounder tail. Solitary or in pairs, scavenging; also hunts for live food including crabs, crustaceans, amphibians, small reptiles, fish, insects, small mammals and birds.

Besides the birds there is a lot of natural beauty around my village with It's flowing rivers, 
beautiful beaches, pretty flowers and the lovely trees which give us so many tasty fruits.

"Thanks to nature for all the beautiful colours and places."

Ragas Sagas

Rahul Gandhi 2019 Election campaign this picture sums it all.

Creating charts with groups of stacked bars in Excel 2007

Suppose you have some data for sales of some 4 products (A, B, C, D) for the 4 quarters of a year & for 5 regions in the country, an interesting way to represent it in a graphical format may be a column graph, columns (each presenting a product stacked by location & grouped by quarters…
Here is a step by step guide about how to do it in excel 2007…

1. Arrange the data in the below pattern (this is the most important step :-) ):

   	Mumbai	Hyderabad	Delhi	Kolkata	Chennai
   Q1	20	13				A
   	25	11	0	1	1	B
   	2	1		20	3	C
   	1	1	5	7	4	D
   Q2	31	13				A
   	15	11	0	1	1	B
   	8	1				C
   	4	1		8		D
   Q3	16		10	15	5	A
   		12				B
   	5	2	10			C
   	7	5			12	D
   Q4	30		5	5	5	A
   		13				B
   	10	12	18			C
   				5	5	D

   2. Select the whole data table & go to “Insert” tab & insert a “Stacked Column” graph.
   3. On the design tab go to option “Select Data”, or choose “Select Data” from the right click option menu by clicking on the chart.
   
   
   “Edit” the horizontal Axis Labels and drag & select the last column of your data, i.e. the product names. The legend entries should show the locations, do NOT change that. Click “OK”.
   4. Click on any of the data series (any of the bars) on the graph. Right click & choose the format data series option. Set the gap width to “No Gap” & Close.
   5. Insert blank rows between each quarter in your data table. This will create the gap between each group (each quarter).
   6. The legend will also show an extra color without any text, just select & delete that color.
   7. The chart is ready, additional formatting like adding borders, or adding the quarter numbers can be done selecting options from the layout & design tabs.

Rajnikant Reloaded

1. Recently china airports were closed due to heavy fog....... later it was discovered that rajanikanth was smoking in india!!!!!!!!!!
2. Rajanikanth did his kg from seven different places..today those places are known as iits!!!!!!
3. The government of india pays tax to Rajanikanth for living in india!!!!!!!
4. Definition of solar eclipse : when Rajanikanth stares at sun with anger, sun hides behind the moon. this greatest phenomena is called solar eclipse.........!!!!!
5. Rajanikanth woke up one day and decided he should share atleast one percent of his knowledge with the world......thus....................... the google was born!!!!
6. Think what would have happened if Rajani would have born 150 years ago..????? british would have fought for independance....
7. Best Rajani joke!!!!!!---even ghajini remembers rajani!!!!
8. Why do earthquakes occurs????? because at that time Rajanikanth's mobile is on vibration mode!!!!!!!!!
9. Once Rajanikanth bunked a whole day in school.....! since then that day is known as...........................sunday!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10. Breaking news: isro does not exists anymore.....!! Rajanikanth purchased all the rockets for diwali celebration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
11. Why did Rajani buy an acre of land wth 4 wells on each corner?????...................... to play carrom!!!!!!
12. Before Tom cruise, Rajani was approached for the movie mission impossible, but rajani refused as he found the title insulting..

The pyramids in egypt are actually......................................Rajanikanths primary school craft projects!!!!!!!!!!!!

UNIX : The difference between [ ... ] and [[ ... ]] (The extended test operator)

The [[...]] is processed as part of the shell grammar whereas [...] is processed like any other command.
Operators and operands are detected when the command is read, not after expansions are performed. 

1. The shell does not do word splitting or path-name generation inside [[...]].This allows patterns to be specified for 
   string matching purposes.
   
2. Parameter expansion and command substitution is allowed.
3. Prevents many logic errors in scripts. e.g [ "$x" = "TEST" ] can be written as [[ $x = "TEST" ]] the variables don't need to be quoted.
4. The &&, ||, <, and > operators work within a [[ ]] test, despite giving an error within a [ ] construct.
   

Some Rajnikant Facts

With Robot (Endhiran) Southern Superstar Rajnikant has shown his box-office might. Here are some fun facts that make him folk lore.
  1. Rajinikanth has counted to infinity, twice
   2. When Rajinikanth does push-ups, he isn't lifting himself up. He is pushing the earth
       down.
   3. Rajinikanth can slam a revolving door.
   4. Rajinikanth knows Victoria's secret.
   5. Rajinikanth leaves messages before the beep
   6. Rajnikanth makes onions cry.
   7. Rajnikanth can delete the Recycle Bin.
   8. Rajnikanth can drown a fish.
   9. When Rajnikanth enters a room, he doesn't turn the lights on,..............
        he turns the dark off.
  10. When Rajnikanth looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is
        stupid enough to get in between Rajnikanth and Rajnikanth.
  11. Rajnikanth' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, no one
        fools Rajnikanth.
  12. Rajnikanth can do a wheelie on a unicycle.
  13. Rajnikanth was once on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin.
        The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around
        awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.
  14. There is no such thing as global warming. Rajnikanth was cold,
        so he turned the sun up.
  15. In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Rajnikanth could
       use to kill you, including the room itself.
  16. Rajnikanth destroyed the periodic table, because Rajnikanth only
        recognizes the element of surprise.
  17. Outer space exists because its afraid to be on the same planet
        with Rajnikanth
  18. Rajnikanth once ate an entire bottle of sleeping pills.
        They made him blink
  19. If you google search "Rajnikanth getting kicked"your search will
        generate 0 results. It just doesn't
        happen.
  20. The Bermuda Triangle used to be the Bermuda Square, until Rajnikanth
        kicked one of the corners off.

Some more
  21. Once Rajnikant issued a cheque and there was no balance...........................
       The bank bounced
 22. Its on Breaking news..............
       Rajni ate the missing peice in the Apple Logo
 23. Rajnikant once entered a race, he came... first, second and third.........


Tell me about your favorite one.  :-)