Migrations-Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home

The other day I was watching this new series called Migrations on national geographic and I was rather intrigued by it. I wondered why man traveled from the African continent to other parts of the world - shortage of food, adverse climate or just an adventurous impulse? But eventually, after years of traveling and migrating from one place to another , he chose his home and continued to live there.

Imagine if we like animals, birds and insects had to migrate annually from one place to another without planes, or trains or buses but on foot, in search of food and a suitable place to live for that particular season, were hunted down by predators or had to hunt down our own prey. Agreed, we evolved… But isn’t it amazing how these creatures travel such great distances; no matter what they are faced with, they keep moving.

Of all migrations by small tiny creatures, very few are as astonishing as the one performed by the Monarch butterfly. Danaus plexippus is the only insect which migrates and is the longest migrating creature on earth that travels nearly 3000 miles as a group over several generations. They have orange reddish wings, with a wingspan of only 3-4 inches and weigh not less than half an ounce. Their larvae feed on the milkweed and the latex of which makes the adults poisonous to their predators. Their journey is often considered evocative of the flight of the daughters of the King of Libya who fled from Libya to Greece to avoid marrying their cousins. Their migration is of due importance as these butterflies pollinate many plants on their route.

Like several species of birds , bats and other animals, the Monarch of Canada and United States migrate to warmer places in Central Mexico and California as the winters in Canada and Northern America are very severe. Owing to their inability to survive such extreme snowfall and the lack of food, they head southwards each winter so that they can return to favorable sites in north America to reproduce.

What is most remarkable is that the Monarchs, which arrive at their hibernation sites in Mexico, are actually the great-great-great-grand children of those that started the journey from the north. There are nearly 3-4 or even more generations, which live for only four-five weeks but a unique generation is born which performs the migration from the northern region to Mexico which lives for nearly 6-8 months.

These tiny little creatures have an internal biological clock in their tiny little brain which functions along with the position of the sun and the earth’s magnetic field to guide them during their journey. The antennae of these insects function similar to a global positioning system in a car and the 24-hr clock actually resides in the antennae itself. The insect’s ability to sense magnetic fields was linked to two forms of a photoreceptor protein cryptochrome, which is similar to proteins found in migratory birds. Recent research has also found that butterflies’ migratory instinct to orient themselves to the sun is linked to 40 different genes passed along from generation to generation.

The whole episode of migration of these insects is very fascinating but they are faced with many difficulties too…predators , climate change and the biggest danger of all - humans. Yet these creatures migrate and they migrate in millions, but survive as one.

Kuch K-h-aas din

Honors seem interesting at first but turns into a pain in the backside as soon as u get into the nitty gritty of things'.... the botany trip to Kaas plateau was my ticket to getting one step closer to the honors finish line… so there was no way that me and my friends were gonna miss this one What started off as a know-your-flowers trip turned into something magical, or even spiritual.

Kaas, a lateritic plateau 30km to the west of Satara on Pune-Bangalore highway enjoys the status of being the valley of flowers of the Sahyadris. The ephemerals, herbs, bulbous, tuberous plants and orchids bust into abundant flowers in monsoon months. Each species dominates the landscape for a week and another carries the show to the next. More than 300 varieties of wild flowers, herbs, orchids, shrubs, insectivorous plants etc. can be seen here in August, September and October.

On the 2^nd of October 6.30 our journey began from Chandu Halwai shop at Dadar TT circle. We stopped at Talegaon for breakfast and sightseeing .Amidst concretized roads who would have thought that there can be still so much greenery. But I guess we all know the prize the greens would have to pay.

The trail near the breakfast point had variety of plant species to offer ,few which we also found in Kaas ,we also spotted a signature spider and some other creepy friends.

                         
 The milkweed plant provides a habitat for the monarch butterfly. The larvae feed on this plant which makes them very distasteful to insect eating birds and other predators.  

Datura has a number of medicinal uses..used in malaria, asthma, impotency, secretion of breast milk etc.

Govinda and Anu Malik got us through hours of bus travel until we reached our hotel.. Hotel Suruban, where we were to spend the following 2 nights offered us surprising luxury while maintaining a certain oneness with the nature around. After a yummy lunch, all we could think of was sleep. Even Adesh’s motivating voice was of no use. But we left to explore the eye catching species of plants on the Ghats...

cant remember the name of this one

Senecio bombayensis

Stylosanthes hamatus

Indigofera linifolia-this flower grows like a wreath on the ground..

Each time we analyzed one stretch of the way, got into the bus, sat on our seats, moved a mile and there u go and another halt. And we would hear Adesh scream some Latin names...Finally we   relaxed on a beautiful stretch of bare ground with a soothing & pleasant picturesque to stare at & mediate .Well our idea of meditation was a little eccentric.

The next day we set out early to the plateau with packed breakfast (upma,sheera,poha and tea). This place seemed as if GOD himself came down to paint it in its vibrant hues...!! The beautiful carpet of flowers not more than feet high stretching across the entire plateau was indeed a marvelous sight.Carpets of Utricularia,Impatiens,karvi,Smithia  coloured the plateau in shades of purple,pink and yellow.

                                                  

Drosera burmanni and indica and Utricularia are insectivorous plants. The soil of the plateau is deficient in nitrogen which these plants obtain from the insects. 
The Kaas lake is beautiful but beware of drunkards and couples on the way. The latter wont trouble or disturb you, well for obvious reasons, you might in turn though. But the former can be very scary.

The cooling breeze, the fog & mist covered the hills & it was freezing cold but again the sight was splendid. And after the chilliness the best way of warming yourself was a glass or 2 of the local lemon tea.

Visitng the Thoseghar waterfalls and Chalkewadi windmills and halting on the way for more flowers, we returned to the hotel for dinner with a night full of singing, dancing and gossiping and more gossiping. That night I made friends which I will treasure throughout my life

All in all the breathtaking scenery and with the company of the bestest and nicest people, the whole trip was a major hit and one of those which i truly enjoyed .The trip was excellently organized and put into action, all thanks Nature India .The undulating hills, the shades of green, the snaking highway and the fields on both sides will never cease to amaze me. The beautiful carpets of flowers on the plateau as well the Ghats, the cool and serene climate, the Kaas Lake, the fierce and the calm waterfall and the eagle hovering over waiting to hunt its prey are sights that will be treasured for lifetime.