An opportunity to work amidst the birds and the bees

Last week, Madhurima, who regularly tracks the birds at Puttenahalli Lake had lots of “good news” for us.

“We had a babies’ day out at the lake. First the Coots brought one of their babies out. A Brahminy Kite spotted it and dived towards it, but unsuccessfully. So no casualties. Later the Coots brought out both their babies. Then the White-throated Kingfishers brought out two juveniles and the Wagtails also presented,  what looked like a juvenile.  And then, an Ashy Prinia brought out a tiny little Ashy Prinia! It was so tiny that we could not see it with our naked eyes.”

The previous day, she had other exciting sightings. 
“When I walked into the lake premises today, I saw a pair of what I think are Black-winged Stilts flying out. Then I saw 2 Purple Herons, followed by a flock of 12 Scaly-breasted Munia and then the Oriental White-eye showed up with the missus. And that was not all, after coming home and zooming into the photos of some Little Grebes that I had taken, I realized that they weren’t Little Grebes at all. They were baby Coots. The Pheasant-tailed Jacanas are still here. Hopefully we will have some Jacana chicks soon.”


Bird babies at the lake (Pics: Madhurima Das)


Black-winged stilts and Oriental White-eye (Pics: Madhurima Das) 

Are you interested in spending a few hours in such an environment and getting paid for it? PNLIT is looking for a Manager for Puttenahalli Lake, near MLR Convention Hall, J.P. Nagar. This is an exciting, unique and deeply fulfilling assignment. As Manager, you become a partner with the trustees to not just maintain the lake and its premises but to complete its transformation into a rich thriving eco-system – an achievable dream.  
 
Requirements – an open mind and love for nature with some fluency in spoken Kannada. The job would include, but would not be limited to the following: assign work to the staff, supervise them, follow up with officials, help with organizing events, run small errands as needed, work together with the trustees. 
 
The right candidate can expect a reasonable remuneration/ honorarium. To know more about PNLIT visit the website http://www.puttenahallilake.in. If you are interested in exploring this opportunity, drop a mail to puttenahalli.lake@gmail.com.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Similar Story

Bengaluru lakes can be maintained only with local community support: Usha Rajagopalan

On June 28th, the Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust celebrated its 15th anniversary. Usha Rajagopalan, founding trustee and chairperson, talks about the journey.

On June 28th, Puttenahalli Neighbourhood Lake Improvement Trust (PNLIT), the first citizens' collective in Bengaluru to formally maintain a lake, celebrated its 15th anniversary. Puttenahalli lake, also called Puttakere because of its relatively small size, was waste-ridden and nearly dry in the 2000s. In 2008, Usha Rajagopalan, writer and resident of an apartment near the lake, launched a campaign to revive it. Other interested residents in the area soon joined in, and they formally registered themselves as PNLIT. Their first major success came in 2010 when BBMP started reviving the lake in response to their campaign. The next year, PNLIT…

Similar Story

Saving Kavesar Lake: Citizens campaign against beautification plans for Thane wetland

Locals are opposing cosmetic upgrades to Kavesar Lake, Thane’s last natural wetland, fearing ecological degradation around the lake habitat.

Nestled within the sprawling 350-acre built-up township of Hiranandani Estate lies a 2.46-hectare (approximately six acres) gem. The Kavesar Lake, the last remaining “natural” wetland in Thane, is an ancient freshwater body formed naturally due to surface undulations and lies near a saltwater creek.   A single visit to Kavesar Lake is enough to leave one mesmerised by its natural beauty, biodiversity and inexplicable positive energy which soothes the body, calms the mind and uplifts the soul. The villagers who have lived in its vicinity for generations have revered the Kavesar Lake habitat as a ‘Devrai’ (sacred grove). The lake is…