I was captivated reading the story of Reem Yateem and Hana Maki’s card game ‘Our feathered friends of Bahrain’ (GDN, August 9). A simple yet brilliant idea to educate and evoke the interest of children on the large number of migratory birds in Bahrain – some seen, some unseen and many unheard of. I am not sure if schools organise such educational field trips for students.
Many years ago, my ex-boss pulled out Howard King’s book The Breeding Birds of Bahrain which was gathering dust in his drawer and gifted it (more like tossed it) to me during a casual conversation. It was an eye-opener and I have treasured it.
Since then, I’ve been journalling and snapping pictures of the many birds that visit our home during different seasons – the Hoopoe, Red-vented Bulbul, Cormorants, white-cheeked Bulbul, twites, etc.
In fact, last year during our visit to Goa to attend one of Asia’s largest arts and cultural festival, ‘Serendipity’, we participated in ‘Nature’s Symphony – A bird watching adventure’, exclusively for bird enthusiasts at the Art Park. We were amazed to not only learn about the many migratory birds, more than 450, but also spot quite a few of them during our 90-minute walk.
We were handed binoculars and with the guidance of a renowned bird guide and wildlife photographer Omkar Dharwadkar we sighted more than our fair share. He shared his expertise on their distinctive cries, plumage patterns, beak shapes, migratory habits, etc. Birds of varying colours, shapes and sizes: Drongos with their long, forked tails, Greater Cormorants, Herons, Sandpipers, colourful Bee-eaters, Bulbuls, Ravens, Brahminy Kites, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Kingfishers and even owlets were all in the park, some singing, others pensive or just dozing.
It was an enriching and enjoyable experience for us. Maybe, Bahrain could consider organising such bird-watching trails too during the migratory season for residents and tourists. Tubli and Arad Bay, the Hawar Islands and the Al Areen Wildlife Park, now known as the Shaikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Nature Reserve, may be ideal locations for such an expedition. Just a thought...
Sheela Pai
&uuid=(email))