PERIPHERY
PATH - INS MANDOVI
A year ago, I went on a trek
to Chorla in Sattari taluka on Karnataka-Goa border. This is a pocket of moist
deciduous forest overlooking the Western Ghats - a lesser- known Valley of Flowers
on the lines of Kaas Plateau in Maharashtra. Kaas Plateau, as you may be aware,
is popular with tourists who pay to come and witness the seasonal natural
phenomenon when for a month or two the valley is carpeted with wildflowers. I
was astounded by the wealth of wildflowers at Chorla, not only for its beauty
and novelty, but also because it dawned on me that I had already seen many of
the species right here in INS Mandovi!
INS Mandovi is situated on
what was once Mandovi Hill, a lateritic plateau habitat existing since millions
of years. This kind of lateritic plateau harbours a variety of endemic species
of wildflowers and other flora and fauna. The Mandovi campus has retained a
fair amount of native vegetation, even today. The Periphery, particularly, has
remained untouched over the years. Thus,
INS Mandovi is a unique, if not exclusive, biodiversity hotspot. This was
corroborated by the erstwhile Director of WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) India
- Goa Chapter, Dr. Nitin Sawant, when he visited the campus.
My
daily walks on the Periphery Path over the year have reinforced the fact. Struck
by the richness of Mandovi’s backyard biodiversity, I decided to document it by
photographing the wildflowers and avifauna. As one passionate about ecology and
environmental conservation, I firmly believe that conservation should begin at
home, in one’s backyard; that documenting backyard biodiversity, raising
awareness among residents and children is of activist importance. This
documentation thus spans an entire circle of season from summer of 2012 through showers to the summer of 2013.
MONSOON
– The harbinger of natural wealth
In the legendary Goan
monsoon, Mandovi wears a green garb. Wildflowers sprout vigourously over the
months from July – September such that new species come up in quick succession.
We think of these wayside flowers as weeds, and therefore, something unwanted
or waste. But give them the label, wildflowers, and it gains respectability,
which it deserves!
Many wildflowers such as
water willow, sonki (senecio grahamii), touch-me-not (mimosa pudica) and so on are seen during
this period. Many of the flowers are tiny, some the size of pea, yet others the
size of a thumbnail. For two months after monsoon, climber vines completely
invade trees and hug them like a rug. By September, the monotony of green
foliage is broken by striking red tubular flowers; these are the ipomoea hederifolia or scarlet morning
glory. Another red beauty that speckles the verdure closer to ground is the Gloriosa
lily. It does not grow as extensive as the other species found here, and is in
fact, few and far between. This is a rare medicinal plant whose value has been
recognized since ancient times. Its tuber is used extensively to treat many
maladies. In fact, some tribes in Nilgiris use the tuber of this plant as an
antidote for snake bites. Once abundant in the Western Ghats, it is now getting
scarce due to poaching because of its medicinal properties.
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| Ipomoea hederifolia |
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| Gloriosa lily |
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| Celosia argentea |
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| Impatiens rosmarinifolia |
We also have wild okra - jungli bhindi or raan bhendi (as it is locally known) here. Similarly, wild
ancestors of cucumber or melon family too abound. Spiked green lemon-size
fruits that look like cucumbers can be seen hanging on the vines. These are not
edible, but are an important ingredient during Diwali celebrations in Goa. Only
a few days before Diwali, the Panjim Vegetable Market gets flooded with baskets
of cucumis prophetarum. I am told
that on the morning of Dhanteras this
fruit is nipped in a symbolic gesture to officially usher in Diwali!
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| jungli bhindi |
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| sesamum indicum |
By October-November, a short
shrub with attractive purple orchid bells reared its head filling up the landscape. Imagine the joy
when I figured out that this was Sesamum
indicum, the source of sesame seeds or til!
WILDFLOWERS
and Us
Why are wildflowers so important
to us?
According to renowned
Goa-based botanist-ecologist Nandkumar Kamat:
· Wildflowers are an important genetic resource.
· Many of them are medicinal with great potential
for future research and use.
· They are a rich bank of biopharmaceuticals
and pigments.
· They sustain certain species of insects and
birds.
· Cultural dimension – painters and poets have
been inspired to create classic works of art.
Think of Van Gogh’s paintings
of Blue Iris or Sunflowers and, of course, William Wordsworth’s Daffodils, and
you will get an idea of its aesthetic value and cultural connotations!
MANDOVI
– a butterfly haven
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| Common Sailor wearing its stripes! In Naval Base, Mandovi |
Cotigao, Bondla and
Netravali in North Goa may be butterfly-watcher’s paradise, but our Mandovi
Hill is no less. Where there are so many wildflowers, can butterflies be far
behind? The gloriosa lily, the explosion of morning glory, the scarlet ixora of
garden ubiquity and wild asters – all - attract butterflies. Many
artificial butterfly parks have been created to attract tourists, but
Mandovi Hill is a natural butterfly park.
Presence of butterflies is
an indication that the ecosystem is throbbing and alive; that there are plenty
of host (flowering) plants. On the flip side, butterflies perform the important
function of pollination, thus propagating plants. Therefore, habitat protection
is the best means of conserving butterflies.
Butterflies are seasonal. In
October, they were visible prominently; late monsoon and winter season is the best
time for butterfly sightings. The quality of site-fidelity, that is being
present in the same place, day after day, makes it easier to spot or track
them. Opposite Sick Bay where the steps lead to the swimming pool one could see
colonies of striped tiger mingling with plain tiger and common Indian
crow varieties. The Common India crow is one of the commonest butterflies found
in all habitats (forests, grasslands etc.). It can be confused with the female
of Great eggfly, though. The Eggfly is an interesting
species. The female of the Danaid eggfly actually mimics the Plain tiger and that
of Great eggfly, the female of common Indian crow. They can have you foxed. As
if it were not enough to have mindboggling variety of species you now have to
contend with ‘conmen’ butterflies ‘impersonating’ other butterfly species!
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| Great eggly |
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| Plain tiger |
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| Peacock pansy |
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| Lemon pansy |
Some of the common species
such as the Common Wanderer can be seen feeding on ixora. Others are
butterflies of the undergrowth such as the Common bushbrown. They camouflage
well amid dry leaves and twigs. In the dry season, when its eyespots fade it
actually becomes indistinguishable from a dry leaf! One of the most beautiful butterfly species seen on the Periphery is the
Peacock pansy. Its eyespots resemble the motif on peacock feathers, hence the
name. I have also seen the giant Malabar raven in flight. As per guidebooks
this species is a common sight in “well-wooded forests”… by this logic we can
safely conclude that Mandovi is a well-wooded forest!
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| Common Indian crow |
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| Common wanderer |
BIRDS
– Indicator of Healthy Habitat
Birds
are an indicator of healthy habitat in ways that even butterflies cannot be. Birds
are the first cog in the wheel of the environment cycle; their disappearance should
be the first warning sign that something is going wrong with the ecosystem. Construction activity in the vicinity can be more
disturbing for the birds than butterflies. Thankfully, Mandovi still pulsates
to bird calls.
In fact, Mandovi mornings
begin with bird songs. The common iora sings its heart out first thing at day-break, sitting atop a tall tree. The magpie robin takes the cue and starts its celebratory chirrups. Apart from the common birds - mynas and bulbuls,
one sees many other species - drongos, bee-eaters, and robins - throughout the
day. There are numerous other birds (uncommon to the city-slicker, though quite
common here) - from orioles to bluejays and kingfisher to cuckoos -
that make a regular appearance.
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| Drongo |
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| Cattle egret |
The uncommon birds that I
have seen here are the Tickell’s Blue flycatcher and the shy Black-headed cuckoo
shrike - one of the haunting song.
The Periphery is
particularly buzzing with frenetic activity. INS Mandovi is blessed with the
presence of peacocks that are the pride of the Periphery. If you see a flock of
birds performing fantastic synchronized aerobatics taking off the silk cotton
trees during November to March, be sure they are the rosy-starling and
chestnut-tailed starlings. The rose-coloured starlings are winter visitors here
- migrants which breed in Afghanistan.
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| Chestnut tailed starling |
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| Tickell's blue flycatcher |
When I told some of my
naturalist friends that I had spotted green pigeons – yellow-footed and Pompadour
- they were amazed as they are rare. We are extremely fortunate to have the green
pigeon varieties here. They are to be found only in ecological hotspots like
Pilerne Industrial Estate, Goa University campus or Raj Bhavan premises. It is a
rare sighting and truly indicates that INS Mandovi figures among Goa’s last
pockets of pristine plateau habitats.
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| Black redstart |
More have come in cameos and
left their imprint behind, such as the very rare Black Redstart! I was
fortunate to see one individual behind the Naval War College building. This
bird is a migrant from trans-Himalaya/ Ladakh, so I gather.
In INS Mandovi, I have seen
many ‘lifers’. This is a birder’s terminology for ‘first sighting of the season’
or a ‘person’s first sighting of any bird species’. These are:
- waterhen, that of the water-bodies.
- Blythe’s
Blaza (brown lizard hawk).
- grey-headed
bulbul
- white-browed
bulbul
- sparrow hawk
In fact, almost every day I see new species. I have counted
70 species of birds on the Periphery alone and am still at it! All this
reinforces that Mandovi’s habitat health is in fine fettle.
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| White-throated kingfisher |
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| Purple sunbird |
SPECIES diversity
Not
only is this place blessed with birds and butterflies, but it also represents a
wide diversity of insect and reptile species. Fungoid frogs are a ubiquitous
presence in the kitchens and bathrooms. Periodically, snakes – venomous and
non-venomous, make a surprise appearance in the house, too. In my year-long stay here, I have
come across a saw-scaled viper, spectacled cobra, striped keelback and green
vine snake, among other serpents.
On
my walk by the Dhobi Ghat one evening, I came across a very unusual stick
insect the size of a human index finger. Its body was couched in what looked
like a tiny bundle of twigs. At first, I thought a small insect was trapped into something,
but on close observation, I could see that the twigs were a kind of exoskeleton
equivalent of a tortoise shell!
The
species diversity of Mandovi Hill is mind-boggling. My documentation hasn’t even
begun to touch upon trees, shrubs and grasses! Documenting flora and fauna is a
humongous task and calls for observation over at least one-year season-cycle to
understand the real nature of biodiversity.
BARREN is Beautiful
Only
for three months, the campus looks green. The rest of the time dry grass takes
over and the charm of the cooling soothing green gets behind Mandovi. But, barren
is beautiful. Observe closely and you’ll find that barren is also productive;
it is fertile. If barren was not beautiful, the African savannas wouldn’t have
been the biggest draw on Earth. At first impression, the African savannas –
Maasai Mara – looks like a desert, fallow land. But the beauty of it emerges
when you see it pulsating with wildlife.
As
months pass and the vegetation dries further, the tangled overgrowth may look
messy, but when grasses, plants and shrubs wither and die they get back to the
soil and nurture it. The leaf litter helps create humus which sustains viable
roots that will sprout again with renewed vigour in the next season.
Author’s Note: This
documentation is culled and adapted from the script of a presentation the
author made to the Mandovi fraternity on February 8, 2013 at Tarang Auditorium.
It is born out of labour of love… out of a year’s “walking in the woods” of INS
Mandovi. The sightings of wildflowers, birds, butterflies and other reptiles documented
here (all the author's work) have been logged from the limited geographical area of approximately
10 km-stretch of the Periphery Path, alone.
Backyard biodiversity is our natural heritage and, if it be rich like it is in INS Mandovi, then it is a veritable museum of who’s who of flora and fauna! Therefore, it is important to document it and preserve it, for posterity.
“Mandovi Hill Periphery Path” is fit to be a “Biodiversity Hotspot, Birding Site and a Butterfly Park” in its own right.
All Photographs in this blog and website are the Author's Original work/Copyright.
From suburbs to countryside, from birds to
butterflies, from mega to mini, from long shot to short range, from telephoto
to macro photography, it’s been a journey, a wild one. Over the years, my
skills got honed acutely. From missing the songster in the bush to spotting it
through sixth sense and from being blind to butterflies and dragonflies to
picking up their presence as on radar, I have graduated in the course of “natural
progression”. 
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