Trekkers watch out for bird nests

Several species of birds lay their eggs during the monsoon. Some of them get destroyed when trekkers tread on them, or birdwatchers handle them without due care.

Lapwings, whose call is like a loud alarm, is known to lay its eggs on the ground. Its main breeding season is from June to August.

Trekkers are advised to not stray from the official trails for fear of crushing the eggs. “I have friends who visit forests for trekking, photography or nature walks. I always advise them to follow the official trail or else they might crush the eggs unknowingly,” said Mr Ravi Jillapalli, a nature enthusiast.

Mr Srikanth Bhamidipati, a birdwatcher, said, “Many species of birds lay eggs during the monsoon like stilts, pratincoles, lapwings and others. I do see many nests cropping up during the monsoon especially around the Gandipet area.”

Many often wonder if it is safe to touch a bird’s egg. “In dire circumstances, if you see an egg displaced from the nest due to winds or so on, you can place it back without disturbing the nest. If a nest is blown away, shift the eggs from within the nest by holding the nest and not touching the eggs. The problem of touching the egg too many times is that the mother bird might abandon them,” said Anirudh Suresh, a nature club member.

Most birds like the weaver build their nests about a month before the monsoon.

Nature enthusiasts say that birds build their nests not only on high branches but also on lower branches, inside wooden boxes and others.

“Birds try to find shelter during the rain and some species also build their nests after the rains start, so we should try to keep a lookout for nests and be cautious about children finding them and playing with them,” said Mr Srikanth.