Photography exhibition: Drushtikon 2009

The interlockings

For a few of years now, we've been seeing the nice interlocking blocks in the market. When introduced, these were an alternative to the tiles. I must say these blocks look great in gardens and walkways sorrounded by lush green lawns. A different look and feel than the traditional "Shahbaadi tiles". I first saw these blocks in Fergusson College CSD way back in 2001... Within no time these blocks got popular all over...

But only a couple of years ago, these blocks managed to impress the offlicaials in PMC. Slowly PMC started adopting these blocks for footpaths along side the roads. Fantastic application of these tiny marvels...So far so good. But then some wiz official came up with an idea of having these blocks deployed in all major squares in the city.

And there goes the Pandora's box wide open. Every third week one of these interlocking blocks get un-locked and sits loose. A prompt action can save a lot of trouble...but with the rep that PMC carries, instant action is a distant dream. Consequently, with Pune traffic in action, the adjacent brothers and sisters of the disjoint block start falling apart. This damage hampers the avg speed of every vehicle passing on that route.

And when realization dawns to the officials, a truck load of new blocks are ordered. Then half of the sqaure is blocked for maintenance. This hotfix deployment goes on and on for days..causing a lot of painful traffic jams. Finally when they manage to patch the entire sqaure, the intersection of tar\concrete part of the road with the interlocking blocks remain the weakling. In addition, countless blocks go waste in the transaction.

I've been seeing all this for over a year now. The Aundh road-Baner Road intersection square is one of the instance. Just 100mtrs away is the GreenPark Hotel Square on Baner road. Same story... The work never seem to finish... I wonder the rationale behind this advancement from tar\concrete to the blocks.

But but but ... when all the blocks are in place...all the repairs tend to finish ..I srill slow down when I approach these sqaures ... suspecting... "There's gotta be a block that is no more interlocked.."

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The Baya nest!!

Recently I got a chance to see a baya weaver bird weaving its nest. We all have seen the nest as a dry tube like mesh with some bulges here and there... But call it Nature's Excellence or an architectural marvel ... each and every curve of the nest has a significance.

The nest hangs from a branch and looks like an upside down flask. Generally the nest hangs on the weakest and most flamboyant branches of the tree. Often a thorny tree adds to the safety. The suspended design helps keep the feline predators at bay.

The central bulge is the actual nesting area and the tube on the side that leads to the exit. This tube makes it difficult even for snakes to enter the nest. Although the nests look precarious, most nests are very well attached and are impossible to remove without almost destroying the nest.

The nests are made entirely out of strips of grass which the birds collect by cutting a notch in a tall grass. The bird usually gets hold of an entire blade of grass and then it stripping it into thin threads (30-60cms), which then it weaves into knots. As you can see in the image, a newly-made nest is green with fresh grass and turns brown as the grass dries.

The nests last well through the 3-month breeding season, sometimes even up to a year. The entire procedure of building the nests could take weeks to complete.

I could not see the entire nest being constructed, but at least I could witness a part of Natures way to Protect the next Generation...

Bird Photography .. in and around Pune

Geographically Pune is quite diverse comprising of large water bodies, mountain ranges, plateaus. Each geographical location houses a habitat for birds, including migratory bids. Places like Mulshi, Bhigvan, Sihagad Valley, Kavdi etc serve an excellent treat to birdwatchers. These sites are within 50-100km radius and are easily accessible by road. The best time for birding in Pune is from September(closure of monsoon) to April (beginning of harsh summers). Flamingos are the main attraction during Dec-Feb time period. In addition, the residential localities of the city too are abundant with birds like sun birds, bee eaters, ashy prinias, tickells blue flycatchers etc.

For the past few months (before Monsoon) .. I have been addicted to bird photography. The new Canon Gear at hand, inspired all the more. Though the glass that I possess is considered a mediocre choice for bird photography, I am content with the results.

I am novice at bird photography, so any comments\suggestions are most welcome...

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Google wave..

This will be one of the coolest thing Google ever released so far!!... Check out yourself..

Sky outside the window

The sky outside at the moment is absolutely like a painting. It is so very tempting to start clicking right away. But the fact remains that today is a Monday. So all I can do is .. use my cellphone from the window...

Hope it rains tonite... Cheers..