Wild Side of Chandigarh

Sukhna Lake nestles in the north-eastern corner of Chandigarh. Beyond the lake is  Shivalik piedmont, a gently rolling plain dissected by large number of ephemeral streams locally known as choes. This undulating plain is not very wide. Most of this area is forested and forms a buffer zone between the city and Sukhna Wildlife Sanctuary. The lake itself is a great attraction for migratory water fowl in winters. A large water body and very less human presence have made it a very important biotope. Last week a paper reported that some Open Billed Storks and Spot Billed Ducks have stayed behind and are nesting. I was intrigued so the first opportunity that arose saw me accompanied by my friend Prithvi, laden with camera, binoculars, field book and water-bottle heading towards Sukhna.

This part of city has a very jumanjisque character. You park your car and climb up the embankment, you are in the forest. It is a very surrealistic feel and as we walked up, I stumbled on to a herd of Sambar deer. There was one magnificent stag with a large rack of antlers with his harem of six does and five fawns. They were as surprised by our appearance as we were of their presence, so they crashed away into the shrubbery before the camera could be brought to bear on them. I did not have to walk far before I saw another doe standing in a glade which allowed me to photograph it. 

The whole forest was replete with bird song. It was like Mr. Gods Own Philharmonic playing the Divine Melody. I had to sit down so that it could sink in.

As we walked further there was this peacock resplendent in its colours and feathers sitting on a tree. It modelled for me for a while, calling loudly, what I thought was a warning to the jungle folk “ware-man”, but it was not so.

 As I turned around, there was a peahen trying to hide herself by blending in to the bole of a fallen tree. It was very intriguing as it kept crouching, trying to make itself invisible. Then I saw a movement under its wings. It was hiding its chicks while its mate was doing everything in the book to distract me. In the process they 

rewarded me with a number of superb pictures.

We walked along the forest track and as we came up a small mound there was a crashing sound and all we saw was last of a sounder of wild boars. When I told Prithvi all he had to say was “You mean what we saw was a large rasher of bacon disappearing down the bend?” It was turning out to be an interesting walk. The glimpse was so fleeting that there was no chance of a photo so we walked on till we reached the shores of lake. Here we saw and photographed the Open Billed Storks and Spot Billed Ducks. 

There were birds in the reeds but the light was fading fast so we started back. We saw a large number of birds on the way back including a flock of Red Jungle Fowl. They were scratching in the under growth for grubs but by now it was too dark to shoot.

 I folded the monopod, and we walked back. Cicadas had joined the chorus and it was time to go home because as Kipling writes in the Jungle Book...

“Now Chil the kite brings home the night,

That Mang the bat sets free -

The herds are shut, in byre and hut,

For loosed till dawn are we.

This is the hour of pride and power,

Talon and tush and claw,

Oh, hear the call! – Good hunting all,

   That keep the Jungle Law!”