Monday, May 2, 2011

Bio-diversity inside factory premises.

For the past few months I am working at a machining plant at Jamshedpur, India. The duty time consumes almost the whole day. So, when I joined the plant, I was a bit sad because I wont get as much time as I had before for observing the nature. But things don’t always happen as we thought it will be.

For the first few days at the plant, I didn’t see anything other than House Crows. But it is also true that in the first few days I didn’t have time to observe, I was busy familiarizing with my work. After the first few days, when I got the time to see things other than my work, the wildlife started to unfold itself in front of my eyes. The plant area is quite big and it contains a good number of trees. And these trees are what are supporting the wildlife. The trees have all been planted after the plant has been set. Mango trees, Ucalyptus, akashmoni and teak trees are the main constituent. There also is a propane gas storage facility which supports low bushes and also the trees that have been mentioned. It is like a small garden outside the noises of the machines.

As I have said earlier, I found house crows in there. Large-billed crows are also a frequent visitor. House sparrow is very abundant species in here. You will find them in every corner of the plant. They are most amusing when they quarrel and fight with each other before finally settling on the brunches of teak trees for the night. They are very comfortable in the factory environment. I have watched those making nests inside the machining sheds. Another bird that I have seen nesting inside the sheds is spotted dove. Spotted doves are not too much abundant. There are probably 2-3 pairs in the factory premises. Red-whiskered bulbul is numerous but they never enter the factory sheds. They roam from trees to trees. They even made nests on the mango trees. Oriental pied starlings are very common. They move about in groups. But they rarely come to trees in front of the machining sheds. They roam the trees at the propane storage area. They don’t nest in here. I have seen a pair of oriental magpie robins just out side the factory wall. They always stay there, but never cross the wall and enter the factory. Another bird that can be seen inside the factory is black kite. Only if we assume that the airspace above the factory belongs to the factory because they never land inside the factory. They just fly in circles above it. Sunbirds are seasonal visitors when the trees are in full bloom.

In the butterfly world it is a tiger country. You will always find a plain tiger gliding in the pathways. Some times it is the Stripped Tiger. Blue tiger is also a frequent flier. The few lantana bushes inside the factory always attract one or two Common Immigrants. Chocolate Pansy and Peacock Pansy can be found on the walls basking in the morning sun. Common Evening Browns hover around lights in the evening. Two types of very tiny blues, namely Indian cupid & Grass Jewel can be found anywhere among the grasses. Only once a Peacock glided past me. I just caught a glimpse of it. So I couldn’t specifically identify it. Common Mormon is not numerous but not very rare either.

The herpeto-faunal world in the factory is very rich, not in diversity but in numbers. Practically every tree, every bush supports a lizard. The main competitor is Common Garden Lizard. You will find them almost on every tree trunk and on every bush. In the propane storage area where some workers spend time during the lunch time, the Garden Lizard got so brave that they even come on ground within two feet of people to eat ants and other insects. They have become accustomed with human presence. The workers also don’t disturb the lizards. Another numerous lizards are Peninsular Rock Agama. They adjust with Common Garden Lizard beautifully. They have different character and needs than the Common garden Lizards. Common Garden Lizards are more aggressive, Rock Agamas are timid in nature. They are shy creatures in nature. They like to stay hidden in the crevices of walls or in rocks and bricks lying in the factory. Rock Agamas have such cryptic coloration that when they are hard pressed on the rock walls or on the tree trunks, from a moderate distance they are completely invisible. Brahminy Skinks are also present in the factory. But due to their nature of staying below the leaf litter, they are met only occasionally. Among geckos, there is Northern House Gecko, Frilled Gecko and Brook’s gecko.

Overall I would say I am very much impressed by the diversity that I found in the factory. Frankly speaking, I never ever thought that I would find so many different species in the factory.