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For the sake of winged visitors

Avian adventurer Dr.T.Badhri Narayanan who is actually an eye doctor but is much in love with birds, writes SOMA BASU

ATTRACTIVE Aquatic birds PHOTO: N. BALAJI

"That's a night heron...cormorant...those are egrets, ducks..." he rattles off, totally immersed in the avian world. You almost believe he is one of those few avian adventurers till he discloses half smiling how is caught between two "O's" — Ophthalmology and Ornithology. The former earns him his bread but the latter is driven by an indescribable passion.

Those who know Dr.T. Badhri Narayanan as a part-time eye consultant at Apollo Hospital or as a faculty at Madurai Medical College or having a clinic near West Masi Street are well versed with his twin interest.

But those who don't perhaps find in him a weird eye specialist who is not glued to operating microscope inside the theatre always but also finds time to sit patiently for hours by water bodies or set off on a trek in forests with his binoculars and camera.

A keen watcher

Twenty six years ago, a pair of unused binoculars lying waste in the house initiated him into bird watching. "We used to live in a house behind a temple tank in Madurai. There were lot of bird attracting trees," he reminisces, asserting how the variety and difference in the shape, size, colour and chirping of birds that visited these trees attracted him more and more to this wonderful pass time.

Soon the hobby took full control of him and he started subscribing to the Book of Indian Birds published by Mumbai-based Salim Ali University. "It simply hooked me on and I started going for full day trips to assess the biological wealth of water tanks in the city," he says non-chalantly.

But soon ophthalmological demands caught up and time became a major conflict. "My full day trips were gradually reduced to half-day trips and now I can manage only three-hours in the morning," he says regretfully. But that did not deter Dr.Badhri from undertaking a Correspondence course in Ornithology under the Nature Education Scheme of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) six years ago.

"Birds are the most easily visible of wildlife. Watching them provides sheer joy and is a humbling experience for those who care to take note of them," he asserts.There are at least five tanks in the city which attract a good avian population, according to Dr.Badhri.

These are the Vandiyur Tank in K.K.Nagar, Kunnathur Tank near Varichiyur, and three in Thirunagar — Koothiarkundu, Cholavandam near Tenkarai and Vadakarai.

Potential haven

Of these the Vandiyur Tank, on an area of about 687 acres with an existing ayacut of 64 acres, is one of the most potential haven for water birds.

During the South-West and North-East Monsoon when the tank fills up, more than 2000 birds of at least 30 different species can be spotted here from November to April. Many of these are migratory birds coming from Central Asia and Russia while several — like the coot, common and purple moorhen, little grebe and pheasant tailed jacana — even breed here.

A staunch propagator of converting the twin tank of Vandiyur and adjoining Kunnathur into a sanctuary, Dr. Badhri along with members of Resident Welfare Associations has even submitted a proposal to the District Administration.

"There are very few cities in the world which can boast of wild life sanctuaries within its boundaries. These include Chennai with Guindy National Park and Mumbai with Sanjay Gandhi National Park, both of which are forests.

Madurai too can become one such city if nesting sites are created to facilitate breeding of more birds," he says excitedly.

But next moment his voice is laced with sadness: "Most of our water bodies are neglected and the aquatic wealth ignored because they are under the PWD which is only bothered about the hydrological level.

There is always a clash with the Forest department."

Hurdles and non-cooperation does not cease to impress Dr.Badhri's love for the avian population. There are days when he hires a boat and goes off into the murky waters of Vandiyur because he believes spotting a rare bird is a "boon".

KEEN WATCHER DR. T. BADHRI NARYANAN

Or else he walks around or sits patiently by the tank bund because the fascination of watching the winged visitors feeding and nesting grips him.

The water birds recorded at Vandiyur by him include the spot billed and comb ducks, cotton and lesser whistling teal, common pochard, black winged stilts, black headed and white ibis, painted storks, Asian open bill, different types of cormorants, egrets and herons.

Part of bird surveys

Given his avowed interest, Dr.Badhri has also been a part of several district-level, State and national teams conducting bird surveys. In 2001, he was part of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History project to study the Inland-Wetlands of India.

He often disappears into forests in Nagercoil district and Bandipur near Mysore for bird census. Presently, he is involved in a first of its kind event - a Bird Fair - scheduled to be held in February next year at Gandhigram. Organised by Palani Bird Watcher's Society, the fair will aim at generating resources for conservation work, introducing bird watching to local population, sensitizing school and college students.

Preferring to describe himself as an "amateur and not a professional ornithologist", Dr.Badhri laments the financial insecurity of bird lovers. "People are unable to make a living out of wildlife biology and are dependent only on projects and their savings. And of course, an irresistible temptation and unwavering passion drives all bird lovers," he says.

Red tapism in Government departments and step-motherly treatment towards nature, frustrate many conservationists. And Dr.Badhri perhaps is no exception. Yet he is not willing to give up on his pet project which remains shelved for four years now.

"The idea should originate from the Forest Office here. Vandiyur and Kunnathur tanks are self-chosen sanctuaries collectively attracting more than 7,000 multi-plumed birds each year. Yet, they are exploited only for human use," he rues.

The proposal suggests the segregation of the eastern half of Vandiyur tank for use of birds where a mound can be created and planted with acacia trees for facilitating breeding.

"Water birds are notorious colony breeders. They arrive en masse after a good monsoon attracted by presence of aquatic food and greenery for nesting. They migrate at the slightest distraction. A suitable environment needs to be created with adequate protection," asserts Dr.Badhri.

The lack of public or governmental appreciation of basic ecological and evolutionary process worries him.

He expresses concern for deterioration in habitat quality. And mind you, he does all this in between writing prescriptions for his patients with eye ailments. You can't miss this life member of BNHS inside an eye clinic either. Without compromising on either of his love, he juggles hard with time.

Ofcourse, his loving and supportive family allows him the liberty.

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