Mhaisal - a village, on the banks of the river Krishna, is in Sangli district of the western state of Maharashtra. Being on the boundary between Karnataka and Maharashtra, it is a confluence of cultures, languages and religions. Though the official language is Marathi, almost seventy percent of the population is bi-lingual. The highway to Bijapur and Belgaum, passes through the village. Agriculture is the main occupation, with sugar-cane, and grapes being the most important crops. Mhaisalkars are lovers of festivals, which are celebrated all year round with fervor and gaiety. (Map)
It is fortuitous that not only do I hail from Mhaisal, but chose, to spend my life here.


Monday, April 28, 2008

Mhaisal Birds

Mhaisal is located on the banks of the River Krishna. As the "Stage I" of the "Krishna Koyna Lift Irrigation Project", is at Mhaisal, the water in the river is perennial. The "Stage II" of the project is located about 2 KM from the river and a small reservoir has been dug for temporary storage of water. With such nice water-bodies nearby Mhaisal has indeed become a haven for different species of avian life.
Since childhood I have loved "Bird watching". My uncle Dr. Jaysingrao had an old copy of Dr. Salim Ali's, "The Book of Indian Birds" . Whenever we spotted a different species, we would read all about it. Even before spotting the bird, we would try to guess it, by just listening to its song. The differences between the sexes, in most avian species, was another interesting point. I was fascinated by the fact that the male was always smarter looking ,(As against humans, where women, I believe are certainly better looking).
The photographs below have been shot using a "Sony Digital Cybershot DSC H7" camera with 15X zoom. I have referred to "A Pictoral Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent", by John Henry Dick, with Dr. Salim Ali and Dillon Ripley, published by Bombay Natural History Society. ( In case I have identified some of the birds wrongly do inform me, so that I can make the necessary corrections). If any one wishes to have a "higher resolution" copy of any of the pictures do email me at deepakashinde@gmail.com.