The right pecking order

Besides its forts, traditions, culture and rich history, the desert state of Rajasthan is full of wonderful surprises, writes Mike Pandey.

Besides its forts, traditions, culture and rich history, the desert state of Rajasthan is full of wonderful surprises. Winter turns the entire state into a beehive of activity.

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Early one wintry morning we set off for Jaisalmer in our fully-loaded landcruiser. We drove on effortlessly till we hit the desert road just after Jodhpur, where the loose, furrowed sandy road slowed us down.

I had been driving for almost 20 hours and Jaisalmer was still a few hundred kilometres away. We decided to halt at night on the outskirts of a village in Keechan. We parked our car in the compound of a farmer’s house and hit the sack.

I was roused out of my deep slumber by a cacophony of shrill, piercing cries. Thousands of Demoiselle cranes were flying around, some flapping, some gliding. Bathed by the golden rays of the rising sun, they looked magical. The hospitable farmer, at whose house we were staying, took us to the ‘feeding area’, where other farmers were busy scattering grains of bajra. Hundreds of cranes had clustered around, cackling away. Turned out, Keechan is their winter refuge.

Demoiselle cranes are almost three feet tall and look like delicate ballerinas. Their light grey plumage, with tufts of soft feathers on the cheek, distinguish them from other cranes.

In spite of their frail form, these cranes are resilient. They face some of the toughest obstacles in the world to make it to Keechan from Siberia and parts of Western Europe every September/October. They traverse the lofty peaks of the Himalayas, riding on thermal currents that take them as high as 25,000 ft, over some of the world’s highest mountain passes. They return by February-end, just before it gets too warm.

Nearly 200 kg of grain disappeared within half an hour, as pigeons and peacocks joined the cranes in the feast of grains the villagers had set out for them. In the evening, we saw the cranes roost in the nearby fields.

Without the extra feed, these birds would not have been able to survive in this arid area. The crops in this region are usually poor and the farmers barely produce enough to support their own families. However, they still arrange food for these gentle winter guests.

Mike is a wildlife filmmaker and conservationist.