A view from ‘Rapylon’: This migratory season, watch raptors stick to their perches
The Hindu
Perches in high places are crucial for raptors to launch their raids. A tour of the Siruthavur lake and Perumbakkam wetland shows the rabid loyalty displayed by migratory birds of prey to their vantage points
The lone male common kestrel would be pugnacious in the defence of its territory, at the Siruthavur lake, intrepidly flinging itself into the arena, even taking on raptors many times its size.
“We have seen the common kestrel mobbing the resident red-necked falcon and the short-toed snake eagle, which is five to six times bigger,” recalls eBird reviewer Gnanaskandan Keshavabharathi.
Known in local birding circles for his keen eye for raptors, Gnanaskandan has a reliable theory explaining the dynamics of how the underdog triumphs in this unequal match-up. “Due to their agility, all these smaller raptors have an upper hand over the large raptors, which cannot manoeuvre so quickly in the air,” notes Gnanaskandan.
The election authorities are gearing up for the counting of votes cast in the simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, scheduled to be held on June 4. The Collectors and Election Officers of Visakhapatnam, Anakapalli and Alluri Sitharama Raju (ASR) districts said on May 23 (Thursday) that their teams were ready for the counting of votes.
Responding to the prolonged water scarcity, the residents of the area took to the streets in protest on Wednesday. The protest, which drew attention to their plight, stopped only after the intervention of the police. It was not until 1.30 p.m. that a 4000-litre tanker was finally delivered by BWSSB, providing relief to the water-starved residents.