Today (11th
May 2014) as I tuned FM ~ the RJ screamed ‘Annaiyar Thinam’ (Mother's Day)
~ a celebration honouring mothers and
motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Today, many friends have posted their
mother’s photo on FB and other social media too. Somehow I am averse to these
‘Day celebrations’ – thinking to be not native to our culture .... in our
culture, we take care of our parents, fall at their feet and take their
blessing on all important days – and deem it our bounded duty to be with them
and take care of them – then where is the need for a special day !!.
Life on fast lane ever
since office shifted to Karapakkam – now much time spent on travel too... one
of the bright spots has been ‘bird watching’ (the
winged ones of ‘class aves’) - me
or most of my friends can seldom distinguish a
flamingo or other migratory birds such as avocets, black-winged stilts,
coots and pin-tailed ducks .... which reportedly are sighted in the marshlands
of Pallikaranai abutting OMR – the IT corridor which has lane of ever fast
moving vehicles, bustling traffic and some gory accidents too. The only surviving wetland in the city,
Pallikarnai is a natural freshwater swamp, but today it has largely shrunk
owing to toxic waste being dumped along the way and real estate development
around it. Pallikarnai marshland, the centre of IT is barely 20 km from the city centre, still are home to over 100 species of birds,
most of which flock here during the migratory period and also breed here.
From our Office – we are
able to see lot of birds – the winged
ones of ‘class aves’…………… perhaps there are Pelicans, the large water birds
characterised by a long beak and large throat pouch used in catching prey and
draining water from the scooped up contents before swallowing. Some birds often
stand on one leg, the other leg tucked beneath the body. The reason for this
behavior is not fully understood. Storks, the large, long-legged, long-necked
wading birds with long, stout bills. Cranes
which unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, fly with necks
outstretched, not pulled back. In Tamil,
we call – Kokku, Narai, Vakka and more…
sadly they may not be spotted for at least some time now.... the water
is drying [in fact most areas are parched] .... and these birds would have
flown back to their native lands far across.
Though there may not be
any ceremonial send-off, 10th & 11th of May is considered ‘International Migratory Bird Day’ a conservation initiative that brings
awareness on conserving migratory birds and their habitats throughout the
Western Hemisphere. This program is dedicated to international conservation
efforts and environmental education and
engages the general public to care about maintaining healthy bird populations
and protecting breeding, non-breeding, and stop over habitats used by migratory
birds. International Migratory Bird Day programs often are informal science
education or informal science learning activities such as bird walks, art
competitions, nature based festivals, and presentations. These programs take
place in a variety of settings such as zoos, aquariums, protected lands,
biospheres, museums, and schools. On
this year's World Migratory Bird Day, the United Nations is spotlighting the
role sustainable tourism can play in conserving one of the world's true natural
wonders: the spectacular movements of migratory birds along their flyways.
Every year, more than one
billion tourists cross international borders. A thriving wildlife is a key
tourism asset, and the spectacular movements of the world´s migratory birds are
no exception. Properly managed, popular bird-related tourism activities such as
bird watching or bird photography can serve as the foundation for a mutually
beneficial relationship between people and migratory birds. Thanks to an innovative new project being led
by the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and promoted through this year's
Day, marked on 10 and 11 May, some of the world's estimated 50 billion
migratory birds should soon be able to benefit from sustainable tourism
development. With the theme “Destination
Flyways: Migratory Birds and Tourism”, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2014
will highlight the links between migratory bird conservation, local community
development and wildlife watching tourism around the world.
Time perhaps
to showcase some of the photos of birds taken by me at Pallikaranai with my
Nikon D70 with 55-300mm lens. Nikon D70
is a digital single-lens reflex camera, introduced in 2004 and perhaps is a
very basic model of DSLRs now. The Nikon
D70 is the first DSLR camera built by Nikon's factory in Thailand. The Nikon
AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm is a telephoto
zoom len sdesigned to complement the 18-55mm kit zoom that comes bundled with
many cropped-sensor Nikon digital SLR cameras.
~ and before
concluding, here is some excerpts from an article that appeared in
www.time.com.
Sandwich
generation moms need flexible work schedules and family leave policies more
than they need cards, flowers and jewelry. Last year, Mother’s Day spending on
brunches, jewelry, salon appointments, flowers and greeting cards topped $20
billion, according to the National Retail Federation. And no doubt retailers
hope to meet that amount this year too. Brands like American Greetings and Kay
Jewelers, a Mother’s Day advertising regular, portray the holiday, and
therefore motherhood, as an event for young women doted on by attentive
husbands and young children. But for many, both the holiday and the reality are
as much about being a mother as they are about having, and caring for, their
own mothers. And mothers taking care of mothers need more than mimosas and
manicures to cope with life in the sandwich generation. So while brunches and spa treatments are
certainly welcome on Sunday, May 11, a more meaningful way to honour mothers is
to recognize their multifaceted roles as parents, adult children and
breadwinners, and to advocate for workplace solutions such as flexible
schedules and family leave policies, and access to financial and career
planning tools. That’s how we keep mothers at work: allow their mothers to age
with dignity and raise the next generation of compassionate caregivers. And
what mother wouldn’t want that on Mother’s Day?
With regards – S.
Sampathkumar
11th May 2014.
~ and some collaged ...
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