Endangered Bird Spotted in Siliguri

Endangered Bird Spotted in Siliguri

                                                      Nidhu Bhusan Das

                                           GREATER COUCAL SIGHTED AT SILIGURI

With the high speed urbanization in place, Siliguri, the gateway to the North-east, has already lost many of its birds along with the loss of vegetation. Greater Coucal or Crow Pheasant (Centropus Sinensis) is an endangered species, rarely seen in the sprawling town. The species is usually found from jungle to cultivation and urban gardens. Recently Souradipto Banerjee, an n undergraduate student and amateur Nature photographer, has spotted a pair of Greater Coucal in the bushes adjacent to a house in the town and photographed them. Local people are                                                                           

 unanimous in their opinion that this bird, once seen aplenty, are now rarely found in the town.

The birds are large, like a crow with a long tail and coppery brown wings. The eyes are ruby red. They are weak fliers. They are often seen clambering about in vegetation or walking on the ground. They forage for insects, eggs and nestlings of other birds. They have a familiar deep resonant call.

Waterfalls of Jowai

Waterfalls of Jowai

    Nidhu Bhusan Das

Picturesque Meghalaya(home to clouds) in Eastern Himalaya is resplendent with waterfalls. Of the 16 falls three are in the Jowai-Amlarem region. They are: Krang Suri, Tyrshi  and Thlumuwi.Their regaling sound adds to the charm of  the area.

Krang Suri : This is a charming cascade in Amlarem Civil Sub Division of Jaintia Hills District. This fall is

Krang Suri

a tourist attraction. It is made accessible to the tourists. The roads are  paved with multi-colored local stones, arranged symmetrically and aesthetically.

Tyrshi

Tyrshi :  Jowai boasts of the Fall on the Shillong-Jowai Road( NH 44) as does Shillong of her Elephant Fall. Tyrshi looks like a cascade of milk. It is about 5 kms from Jowai.

Thlumuwi :  This enchanting fall is  on the Jowai-Amlarem Road. It is an enchanting site for the visitors.

Thlumuwi

                                                             

Buxa Fort : History in Ruins

                          Nidhu  Bhusan Das

      Buxa Fort, now in ruins, in the picturesque setting of Duars, North      Bengal, India is an attraction for tourists interested in the study of archaeological remains. It is obscure when and who built the fort, 867 meters above sea level, but what history confirms is that it had been a bone of contention between the Bhutan king and Koch kings before it was occupied by the British. Invited by the Koch king, the British took over the fort for the king who transferred it  to the British  on November 11,1865 by way of the Treaty of Sinchula.The British replaced the  the bamboo-wood structure of the fort by stone structure which is now in ruins. During the freedom struggle of India, the fort was used by the British as a high security prison and detention camp in 1930s, and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose is believed to be in detention in   prison for a brief period.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                              
      A few hundred  Tibetan monks who crossed over to India  pursued by the Chinese troops following the  uprising in Tibet in 1959 took shelter in the fort and turned it into a  monastic study centre and refugee camp. They vacated the fort  on the advice of the Dalai Lama in 1971.

    The fort needs be protected from possible encroachments.

          Rhino Population  increases in Jaldapara
                                  Nidhu  Bhusan Das

                                                       Roaming  in Jaldapara grassland

ONE HORNED rhino population in Jaldapara National Park has increased. The latest census report  says the sactuary now has 184 rhinos,up by 35. However, the sex ratio is a matter of concern. It’s 1:1 while the ideal one is 1:3(one male per 3 females. This ,according to experts,may lead to increased infighting.Since January 2012,  12 rhinos died in the park following suspected infighting.Of the total population 61 rae males,55 females, sex of three could not be setermined,23 sub-adults and 42 calves.
Famous for its rhinos, Jaldapara park is at the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas on the bank the river Torsa in Alipurduar sub-division of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal.At an altitude of 61 m, it is spread over an area of 216.51 sq km of grassland with patches of riverine forests. One horned rhinos are a threatened species.

Kanchanjungha

Kanchanjungha Within View From Far

 

       Kanchanjungha from Siliguri. Pix by Arnob Das

Wonderful Kanchanjungha, a Himalayan peak is now within the view of millions from a large part of North Bengal. This autumn people from as far as Raigonj have the view of the mighty peak. This is thought to be a boon for the people of the region who had to travel to the hills to have the rare spectacle.