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Routing for the Skylords
While enjoying the summer flying at Shelar, some of us ‘Nirvana Paragliders’ have been keenly watching the Long-Billed vulture roosting site conveniently located a hundred odd feet above take off. We observed at least two young ones. This is great news for birders and environmentalists as the decline in vulture numbers and failure in egg hatching rates have been pretty alarming. Astrid reported the vulture roosting site to the Peregrine Fund an NGO working to saving the Asian Vultures from threatened extinction.
Check http://www.peregrinefund.org/vulture/
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End of Season party
6th June the designated last flying day of the season arrived and many pilots and students turned up to celebrate and fly together. Large mighty cumulus clouds looming over the site as well as a timely shower put paid to our hopes to get airborne but the outdoor celebrations went on even with the dampener. Pilots, Students, families, local kids and all partied. Nirvana Adventures sponsored Shelar’s (the local resident farmer) annual pooja ( prayer) on the hillside to the local ( mother ) goddess that evening. It is their traditional practice to appease her in the hope that she sends good, timely rains and ensures a bountiful harvest.
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Special Entertainment Shows
All of us present were treated to a mass exodus of our resident flock of vultures. As the rains descended on us we saw the entire flock take off from their perches in the cliffs and rise above. All of 17 skylords took to the skies at exactly 5 pm. They circled over the ridge, magnificent flying gods now on the brink of extinction throughout the Asian continent and then set off southwards as if to let us know that the season was officially over.
It was a magnificent sight to watch the skylords now on the brink of extinction throughout the Asian continent turn into dots in the sky and disappear on the southern horizon amongst the clouds. Then the skies took over by putting on an amazing color and light display for us - the most beautiful and humbling one we’ve seen in ages
We danced about excitedly after this great experience, welcoming the first monsoon showers and breathing in the intoxicating smell of wet earth. Had a blast all of us. Unbelievable skies, good food and happpppppppppppppy people.
Magically the full moon showed itself through the clouds lighting our way back to the vehicles. We got back home to Native Place our guesthouse by the lake to find the fireflies the fire flies, harbingers of the monsoon were up late treating us to an impressive display in synchronized lighting an event that had been on all through the month of May. Those of you who missed this amazing site write in to us and we will send you a mail this year announcing their arrival.
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Astrid is a member of the BNHS and a contributor to the Perigrine Fund a US based NGO that is committed to saving the dwindling Asian vulture population. Her interests vary from paragliding, to nature education, bird watching, trees & gardening.
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