Nature Club - The real deal

People call us many things - "Kala sangamaya", "Kurulu sangamaya" among other things, and i am not saying there isn't some truth in it all. We do spend a considerable amount of our free time forging our way through woods and forests, big and small.... and we do take particular interest in keenly following many a bird both common and rare, on campus and off. That's who we are and that's what we do! But that's not all!

The Nature and Photography club was established over 9 years ago by an enthusiastic bunch of nature loving seniors of our faculty and from that day forth the club has evolved by leaps and bounds. You may have heard of the field trips, bird counts and magazines listed as activities of the club but what does it all really mean?

It means we see the fun in scrambling over rocks and wading through the mud in the scorching sun and the pouring rain just to catch a glimpse of a bird (which more often than you think we do not end up seeing at all!). Crazy you might say but quite enjoyable nevertheless! Because you can't forget the fun we have along the way with the singalongs on the bus, "bath packet" lunches by the side of a lake under giant shady trees, impromptu baths in the icy cold waters of a mountain spring, bumpy rides on safari jeeps where we hang on to our dear lives...the list goes on and on.

It also means every year we take our annual stroll around campus looking up to the trees ( no pointing of course! One of the very first rules of bird watching! ) once again trying to spot our familiar feathery friends who call our university their home. Mind you we have gotten strange looks from our fellow Japura  mates but   we hardly notice it these days and we might even have inspired an interest in the subject among some of them ( we like to think!).

And then there's the time of the year where we all become poets and scribes as we slave night and day in a mad rush to get our magazine printed but at the end of the day everybody is more than a little proud to see their name in print on the glossy pages of our very own "Thinetha".

So that's just some of it but there's much more to be discovered! So come be a part of the club! If you have always felt that you shared a special connection with mother nature this is the place to be.... And even if you haven't felt anything of the sought as yet give it a try and you just might surprise yourself! After all Medicine isn't just about studying all the time, so make some memories, have some fun! And what better way to start than being a part of the Nature and Photography Club! =)

Trip to Sinharaja

Moments with Mother Nature

"Pop, pop, pop..."
"Shh... listen... can you hear that?"

We all stop our conversations & instead listen to what mother nature is trying to say...

Of course I hear the sound, & also recognize whose voice it is...
The Crimson-fronted Barbet (Ceylon Small Barbet/ Oluwa rathu kottoruwa/Megalaima rubricapilla), the only endemic bird seen at our university premises.


Four years ago, I had no idea that such a bird even existed. But since I joined the University of Sri Jayawardenepura, to study Medicine mind you, & then became a member of the Nature & Photography club, this bird has become one of my good friends.

"That is the Crimson fronted barbet, the only endemic bird seen at our campus. Look around and see if you can spot it..." one of my batch mates say, trying to impart a little of his knowledge to our junior colleagues & newcomers to the Club.

Pages of our guide books are flipped through and binoculars trained on a tree faraway...

"Look, I can see it!"
"That's good, but remember, don't point! Describe the position of the bird, say, at the corner of the thin branch at 11 o'clock position..."

Everyone tries to locate the bird, some severely hyper-extending their necks in the process. Then we note down the name of the bird, & watch it for a while till it flies away.

"Come, lets go towards the open canteen... there are usually more birds there"

We head off in that direction, taking care not to make too much noise.

I look at my notebook..

1. Cattle Egret, almost always the first on my lists.
2. Black- rumped Flameback
3. Common Tailor bird
4. Red vented bulbul
5. White breasted kingfisher- NOT common kingfisher, although it is common
6. Common Myna
7. Brown headed barbet
8. Indian Koel
9. Spotted dove
10. Domestic pigeon
11. Black headed Oriole
12. House crow
13. Crested serpent eagle
14. Green imperial pigeon
15. Red wattled lapwing
16. Crimson fronted Barbet

From experience at previous "Annual Bird counts" which is, by the way, what we are doing now, I know that the list will be around 55 nos strong when we finish!

We break up into small groups, paying attention to sights and sounds we ignore on other days. We find, watch and document a number of other birds before a mild drizzle comes down on us.

Those with umbrellas (the girls of course) put them up, we all take shelter under them, and we keep looking until darkness falls and we have to head home.

After a day of Clincals and some work with our Community medicine research, I found that I had a relaxing time communing with mother nature.

Although of course, it is not a typical evening spent by a 4th year Medical student...

Panthera pardus kotiya (Sri Lankan Leopard)

Panthera pardus kotiya (Sri Lankan Leopard)

^{Sri Lankan Leopard}

 Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae (cats), which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard.

 The Sri Lankan Leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya) is a leopard subspecies native to Sri Lanka. Classified as Endangered by IUCN, the population is believed to be declining due to numerous threats including poaching for trade and human-leopard conflicts.


The Sri Lankan leopard has a tawny or rusty yellow coat with dark spots and close-set rosettes, which are smaller than in Indian leopards. Seven females measured in the early 20th century averaged a weight of 64 lb (29 kg) and had a mean head-to-body-length of 3 ft 5 in (1.04 m) with a 2 ft 6.5 in (77.5 cm) long tail, the largest being 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) with a 2 ft 9 in (84 cm) long tail; 11 males averaged 124 lb (56 kg), the largest being 170 lb (77 kg), and measured 4 ft 2 in (1.27 m) with a 2 ft 10 in (86 cm) long tail, the largest being 4 ft 8 in (1.42 m) with a 3 ft 2 in (97 cm) long tail.

Depending on the region, leopards may mate all year round.  The estrous cycle lasts about 46 days and the female usually is in heat for 6–7 days. Gestation lasts for 90 to 105 days. Cubs are usually born in a litter of 2–4 cubs. But mortality of cubs is estimated at 41–50% during the first year.
Females give birth in a cave, crevice among boulders, hollow tree, or thicket to make a den. Cubs are born with closed eyes, which open four to nine days after birth. The fur of the young tends to be longer and thicker than that of adults. Their pelage is also more gray in color with less defined spots. Around three months of age, the young begin to follow the mother on hunts. At one year of age, leopard young can probably fend for themselves, but remain with the mother for 18–24 months.
Leopards have been reported to reach 21 years of age in captivity


Sri Lankan Leopard Cubs ( http://www.sundayobserver.lk/)

The Sri Lankan leopard is the country's top predator. Little has been known about it in the past, but ongoing studies in the framework of The Leopard Project, run by The Wilderness and Wildlife Conservation Trust, indicate that they are still distributed throughout the island both inside and outside of protected areas. The leopard has been observed in a variety of habitats including dry evergreen monsoon forest, arid scrub jungle, low and upper highland forest, rainforest, and wet zone intermediate forests.
A recent study has shown that Yala National Park has one of the highest recorded densities of leopards in the world, although this animal is still considered to be endangered. The Wilpattu National Park is also known as a good place to watch leopards. Leopards tend to be more readily observed in parts of Sri Lanka than in other countries


Ranges of  Sri Lankan leopard (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Srilankan_leopard_range.jpg)

 The Sri Lankan leopard is the country's top predator. Like most cats, it is pragmatic in its choice of diet which can include small mammals, birds, reptiles as well as larger animals. Axis or spotted deer make up the majority of its diet in the dry zone. The animal also preys on sambar, barking deer, wild boar and monkeys. The cat is known to tackle almost fully grown buffalos.

Devising a balanced conservation strategy for the Sri Lankan leopard is becoming more and more important and it is hoped that by gaining insight into the demography, range use and behaviour patterns of the leopards this study can provide an initial, solid groundwork from which informed and progressive decisions can be made. For the habitat of the leopard is fast disappearing and if this remarkable species is to be preserved in the remaining habitable pockets an increased understanding of them is essential.

 

References

•  http://www.wwct.org/theleopardproject.aspx
•  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panthera
•  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankan_leopard

Pygmy hippopotamus

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Family:	Hippopotamidae
Genus:	Hippopotamus
Scientific Name:	Choeropsis liberiensis
Common Name:	Pygmy Hippopotamus
Other Name(s):	Dwarf Hippopotamus

 (http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pygmy-hippopotamus/)

 

Hippopotamus at Dehiwala Zoo

Hippopotamus

Scientific Name:	Hippopotamus amphibius
Size:	13 feet long and 5 feet tall
Weight:	Up to 31/2 tons
Lifespan:	50 years
Habitat:	Rivers, swamps and protected areas
Diet:	Herbivorous
Gestation:	About 240 days
Predators:	Humans, lions, crocodiles

 (http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/enghippo.html)

 

White-Bellied Fish/Sea Eagle at Dehiwala Zoo