Crown of Clouds

Of Tadpoles and Frogs....

Two tadpoles, of the many in this small water body. They have developed their tiny feet, and are yet to lose their tails...

And the picture below is of the Mother Frog.... in the same water body....

Reading this News Article, a few days back : Croak Croak no more... KARWAR: The sudden disappearance of frogs from the coastal areas of Uttara Kannada district has left environmentalists and health department officials worried. Environmentalists are concerned about many varieties of frogs being on the verge of extinction, while the health department officials are fighting a lone battle against chikungunya, dengue and malaria. The spurt in cases of chikungunya and dengue in the coastal taluks has highlighted the importance of amphibians like frogs that played a major role in controlling the mosquitoes, which spread the aforesaid epidemics. Also at http://frogsaregreen.com/651/frogs-natures-bug-zappers/

During my Sunday travels I found the Reports may be be wee bit exaggerated, cos I found plenty of frogs at the Kadwad village, living, thriving and multiplying... Took some pictures, of which only these two are clear, as it was twilight. However, we ought to take care of the Frog species as the Frogs of neighbouring Goa are fast dwindling, as per this Report (Malabar Gliding Frogs) and this Report (Bull Frogs) which made the Goa Government start a Save the Frogs Campaign. The Goa Government hasurged the poeple of Goa to refrain from catching Frogs for making them a part of their palate.....(uuugggghh!!!) as per the Report here :-

Concerned over the drastic decline in population of frogs, Goa government has urged the public to refrain from catching them for commercial or other reasons during the monsoon, the mating season of many species of croakers.

The Indian government had banned catching, killing and export of frog legs under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, thus entitling violators, including those serving frog meat at eateries, for stringent punishment like fine and imprisonment. The indiscriminate killing of frogs for their meat have been the cause of decline in their population, also disturbing the food chain and the ecological balance of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

I am delighted to say that both the above Frog species - Bull Frog and the Malabar Tree Frog are living and thriving in my neighbourhood, even now...

For all about Frogs go to http://allaboutfrogs.org/

Landscape at Kadwad, Karwar

View of the Landscape from the Highest Point at Kadwad village. The water body is the Kali River, and its Backwaters that extend upto Kadwad. The Arabian Sea is also visible on the horizon, along with the Kurumgad Island. This was taken a day before yesterday (sunday), when the Rains had receded for the day...

SUNLIGHT UPON THE LANDSCAPE

---------------------

Light on the landscape -- one effulgent ray

Scatters the shadows of the night away,

Lights up the mountains, robed in living green,

Lights up the valleys, nestling close between,

Discloses pit-falls, deep and wild morass,

The dizzy precipice, and dangerous pass,

And warns the traveler, wending on his way,

To fly the peril while it yet is day.

Continued here (Source)

Monsoon lashes Karwar....

The 14 days of non-stop monsoon rains have lashed Karwar town, caused quite a bit of erosion, and water logging eveywere.... The Clouds had descended over Karwar to personally see to it that Karwar recieved its fair share of Monsoons... A hydro-powered dam about 200 kms from Karwar recorded 25 feet deep water in just 9 days !! And other dams near Karwar have gone from Empty to Near Full withinthis period.... And thats why I couldnt post pictures here on my Blog !! :-)