Desk Report,
All our spring flowers
Four years ago. I had finally planned to go to Satchari National Park in Habiganj with the intention of taking pictures of the beautiful red flowers of the mandargacha. But just three days before the trip, half of the flowers fell off the tree due to untimely rain. So, the number of birds visiting the tree decreased. As a result, even on the specified day, I did not see any birds, let alone new birds.
All our spring flowers
The next morning, I went up to the tower again. After a while, a few more bird photographers arrived. But apart from the Bhatshalik, Katshalik, Sepahi Bulbul, Black-headed Bulbul, Sonakpali Harbola, Fuljhuri, Moutushi and Finge Coolie, no other birds came to the mandargacha. They were scattered in various trees around the tower. Occasionally, one or two birds of prey were seen flying in the distant sky.
I am standing with my camera pointed at the mandargacha, waiting for the birds to come. Suddenly, an acquaintance said, ‘Amin Bhai, what green bird has come to the bare tree?’ I quickly went to it. I looked at the camera’s viewfinder and my heart jumped with joy. ‘Hey, this is the bird I have been looking for for a long time.’ After taking four pictures in one click, the bird went to the unknown flower tree next to it and sat down. Now, it was as if 10 camera shutters rang out like pellets! Another bird was added to my bird list. The green bird I have been talking about so far is a species of spring woodpecker. Like woodpeckers, they are also members of the order Piciformes. The family name is Megalaimidae (Asian spring woodpecker). Although there are 35 species in the world, only 5 in this country. Their special feature is their short and strong beak, which has hard hairs at the base and sharp toenails. Since the main color of the feathers is green, they can easily blend in with the leaves of the tree. They are mainly fruit eaters. It nests in a hole and usually lays 3 to 5 white eggs. Depending on the species, it takes 12 to 17 days for the chicks to hatch from the eggs. The newly hatched chicks do not have any soft feathers on their bodies. Life expectancy is 8 to 9 years. A brief introduction to the 5 species of spring barbet found in this country is given here.
Bhagirath (Coppersmith Barbet): This is the most visible resident bird in this country. Hearing the name, you may think that the bird must have some connection with the name of the Bhagirathi river on the banks of which Amrakanaan in Murshidabad’s Palashi is located. However, this very beautiful bird is also known as Choto Basantbauri/Basant Baori or Choto Amatota. In West Bengal, it is called Sakra Basant. The bird is widespread throughout South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh.
