"Uran has a vast wetland ecosystem and a naval base near Mora
Gaon. It is known for fishing and the bird life that exists there – and all of these are at stake due to the SEZ that falls under 10,000 hectares of this wetland ecosystem."
Introduction
The day was not so perfect for any sighting, we presumed, since it had been raining on and off for few days but I guess I underestimated my luck. Uran is a place where, if you go during any time of the year, will see many birds. And they will make sure you see them too! It is a place with excellent birdlife and others associated with the wetlands.
Uran is exclusively known for fishing, thanks to the abundant water sources, whether fresh or creek. It is also known as the infamous SEZ that is going to literally wipe out all the ecologically significant wetland habitats.
I was reading a newspaper one morning, and in the readers’ feedback section, somebody had written in favor of SEZ. I am not against those who speak in the likes of SEZ, but that person also spoke of environmentalists in a harsh way, that they are always against development and are never in favor of the city (Mumbai). He was so straightforward, that I thought environmentalists are corrupt politicians, and they do what want to do.
I’d like to tell him that environmentalists are not dumb to stage protests against development. I’d suggest him to step out of his concrete walls and walk in the wild. I’d advice him to open his eyes and look out him self. I’d shove the pictures of destruction done at Uran on his face. I wouldn’t get agitated now for it’s worthless.
It is sad to see people ignore the wild, so much so that they get blinded by development. Raigad district has 17 SEZs and one of it is Uran – closest to Mumbai. It is said that around 10,000 hectares of land will be used for industrial development. All at the cost of villagers, their fishing spots, mangroves, reptiles, mammals and the resident as well as migratory bird life.
2.
It has been in picture for past 5 years, and NGOs are doing their best to protect these wetlands, mangroves especially seem to be paved and buried in heaps of dirt and wastes. Reliance, the “pioneer” of wetland destruction, seems to be a deaf ear and a blind eye towards this, even today.
"We sent the British packing, but they seem to have come back in the guise of Reliance," said one, who made a special placard for Martyrs Day, asking the company to go away. - SEZ: farmers plan satyagraha, The Hindu
Farmers and landowners have been protesting against forced acquisition of land in the Raigad district. Some of them have expressed apprehension that official documents may be manipulated to show that their land has already been sold. – The HinduHowever, following the pressures from the villagers, the government asked Reliance to scale down the size of its proposed multi-product Maha Mumbai SEZ from 10,000 hectares to 5,000 to avoid dislodging farmers and villagers unwilling to relocate in 2007. – Economic Times
3.
We saw huge garbage dumps – where once existed vast mangroves. We saw mangroves burnt and chopped, chemicals from a nearby factory running into waters, a man building a wall of mud to contain water in it so as to use it as an aqua culture (that is illegal) – thereby suffocating the mangroves and letting them rot. We saw huge debris spread over a shocking vastness, all to build factories upon it.
I remember reading on reports by Adesh Shivkar, best birder in town, speaking his mind out about Uran, a nigh two years ago. Now it is vastness of nothingness, save a little area with scattered mangroves and inlets of industrial effluents.
4.
Mangroves are important to us and the wild. They are the lungs of our planet. They are known to absorb largest amount of CO2 – a greenhouse gas. They are known to keep the water at bay, thereby helping as a buffer against sea water from coming in – and saving the mainland from flooding.
Mangroves are a haven for wildlife – aquatic, terrestrial as well as aerial. It is a shelter for young fishes, a place for birds to eat and nest and for wild animals such as Wild Boar, Jackal and a variety of reptiles to stay. All this, 10,000 acres of this, will be gone. It isn’t coming back.
The destruction is fast proceeding, with tonnes of wastes thrown in the mangroves everyday. We were startled to see medical waste lying near mangroves, along the roads in heaps. Medicine bottles, syringes, injections, so many other things that should have been incinerated and vanished. But it is here, in the middle of wetlands contaminating it! We thought twice before stepping in the mud barefooted.
Medical waste lying on the roadsideAmidst this pitying landscape we saw flocks of flamingoes, many in numbers. Other water birds were present in lesser numbers. We also saw some mangrove associated animals, living on the brink of extinction. The overall diversity was lesser than expected and I would like to do something about it! Stop development! Stop encroaching in the mangroves! (Pokes the reader I spoke about earlier).
For more reading on Uran and SEZ:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uran
http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/28/stories/2006092808341200.htm
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/05/18/stories/2007051802422300.htm
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=RVRDSC8yMDA3LzAzLzI5I0FyMDAxMDE=&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-custom
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_uran-mangroves-fast-disappearing-greens_1104283
http://www.accommodationtimes.com/freesection/sez.htm
LIST OF SIGHTINGS
P – Plenty, A – Abundant, Numbers elsewhere denote exact figures, M – Male, F – Female
Birds
1. Brahminy Kite – 2
2. Black Kite – 2
3. Cattle Egret – 2 M Breeding Plumage
4. Common Kingfisher – 2
5. Lesser Flamingoes
6. Spoonbill – 7
7. Lesser Whistling Duck – 3
8. Asian Pied Starling – 6
9. Spot billed Duck – 1
10. Oriental White Ibis – 2
11. Ashy Prinia – P
12. Eurasian Marsh Harrier – 1 Pair
13. Red Wattled Lapwing – 2
14. Great Egret – 2
15. Purple Heron – 1
16. Purple Rumped Sunbird – 2
17. Pond Heron – 2
18. White Cheeked Bulbul – 2
19. Night Heron – 1
20. Cinnamon Bittern – 1
21. Black Winged Stilt – 2
22. Cormorant
23. Little Grebe
24. Purple Moorhen – 2
25. House Crow
26. Little Egret
27. Plain Prinia – 2
28. Red vented Bulbul – 3
29. White breasted Water hen – 1
30. Oriental Magpie Robin – 1 M
31. Black Drongo – 1
32. Plovers UNID – 2
Insects
1. Pigmy Dartlet Ischnura pygmaea – 1 M
2. Camponotus compressus - A
3. Black Crazy Ant
4. Tiger Beetle – 6
5. Ischnura senegalensis – 2 F
6. Small Salmon Arab – 5
7. Green Marsh Hawk – A
8. Ruddy Marsh Skimmer – 2 M 1 F
9. Ditch Jewel – 2 F
10. Black Marsh Trotter – 1
11. Glassy Tiger – 1
12. Ground Skimmer – 3 M
13. Grass Yellow – 1
Reptiles
1. Glossy Marsh Snake – 1
2. Dog Face – 1
Mammals
1. Indian Gray Mongoose – 1
Black Marsh Trotter: Tramea limbata – A dragonfly hard to miss, prefers perching high over a water body to get a better view, scanning for prey. It is known to be active throughout the day. Only one individual was seen far off in the marshes.
Senegal Golden Dartlet: Ischnura senegalensis, female – A female damselfly, seen with a broken abdomen. I. senegalensis has many morphs in females, this one being one of them.
Tiger Beetle – The fastest and quickest beetle, belonging to Carabidae family of Coleoptera, is predatory in nature. Many Tiger Beetles were seen on mud lined by dried as well as green grasses.
Camponotus compressus – A big ant, seen throughout Uran, several colonies were located in tree holes. These workers were seen feeding on Prosopis sp. inflorescence. It is a specie that indicates a disturbed habitat.
Painted Lady: Vanessa cardui – A nymphalid that has global distribution. Only one individual was seen sitting on the ground and had a weak flight. It is commonly seen pre-monsoon and monsoon.
Small Salmon Arab: Colotis amata – A pieridae butterfly, associated with the mangroves. Many individuals were seen near mangrove swamps. This individual was seen laying eggs on a mangrove sapling.
Glossy Marsh Snake: Gerarda prevostiana – A small snake, associated with wetlands is also common at Uran. It feeds almost exclusively on crabs. It is slow and lethargic on land, however swims swiftly in water. It is mildly venomous and not aggressive.
Typha sp. – It is a monocotyledonous plant, growing exclusively in wetland areas. It is commonly called Rambaan (Ram’s arrow) in Marathi and Cat-tail in English. It is a tall reed and provides shelter for various fauna.
Rambaan is an area good for birding. The kuchha roads here are lined by Australian Acacia.
Conclusion
A short walk at Uran was an eye opener. With fast vanishing wetland habitats that are needed to be conserved during this age, naught can be done but develop an eco-friendly strategy to sustain this region along side the growing industries.
The wetlands are the largest conservators of water other than main water sources, and landfills in these regions will only contaminate the groundwater – the effects of which will surface only years later. It is wetlands that are most biologically diverse than other ecosystems – and that makes Uran a special place.
To conserve Uran, the best means would be sustainable development. Uran has a potential of having industries working side by side with flamingoes doing their daily chores. By keeping the industrial effluents under strict control and leaving a breathing space for nature, one can work side by side with nature.
A vast expanse of land lays dried under the cover of monsoon clouds. What will be the future of this area?
Camponotus angusticollis: A fairly large ant, common at Yeoor, seen foraging on the forest floor among the leaf litter. 
Camponotus sp. (compressus?): Another large common ant, hard to miss.
Anoplolepis gracilipes: Commonly called Yellow Crazy Ant or Red Crazy Ant, is an opportunistic ant and well known for its devastative nature. Some research says that these ants are capable of wiping out entire small habitats. It is an indicator of a disturbed habitat, and unfortunately, these ants have a "super colony" at Yeoor Hills. I saw a massive colony of these on two trees, they were all over the path in that area, spread roughly 15 m. I located a nest amongst leaf litter in this area. There really wasnt much on the forest floor in that area except these ants. Need to check again!
I managed really bad images of these ants.
Crematogaster ants: They were seen everywhere, as usual, and this time they were busy feeding on sap of a certain creeper, whose picture is given below.
A creeper abundant at Yeoor. Tortoise Beetle grub ants were seen feeding on its sap.
Cockroach: A roach (Blattaria) seen in the leaf-litter. This is probably the least photographed creature at Yeoor! It show's bristles on its legs, which aide it in walking, possesses long antennae - good for sensing its surrounding and the two thick protruding structures at its bottom are ceri (singular Cercus). They are sensory in nature, or may help in copulation, or simply be vestegial. In cockroach, it acts as a sensory organ, warning cockroach of the approaching danger (through vibrations in air/land) so that it runs in the opposite direction.
Horned Treehopper - Centrotus sp.(?): A bug from the Membracidae family, known for their "thorns". They live off by feeding on plant sap. They are often seen in association with ants - that get a sugary excretion form the Treehopper and the ants in return protect them.
Cicada: A loud insect, and also one of the most long lived. The larva lives underground - feeding on plant-root sap - for several years depending upon species. The longest living Cicada spends its life as a larva for 17 years, feeding off on pine-root sap. The adults are short lived, often for weeks to months, and their sole purpose is to mate and lay eggs. The male Cicadas are loud and make a chirping sound to attract females. The Cicada Song is the loudest "noise" in the Insect world.
A Hempiteran "true" Bug, the commonly called Leaf Bug, is a common insect at Yeoor. This fellow had just moulted it's exoskeleton (look at top left of the above image) and was sitting on the dried leaf until it's exoskeleton hardened again. When arthropods moult, they are very vulnerable to attack since the new exoskeleton is very soft. So they usually undergo ecdysis (moulting) at night and prefer hiding in some place.
These are the nymphs of a Hemipteran "true" bug, most probably of Leaf Bug. The Hempiteran bugs undergo hemimetabolous metamorphosis, the nymph resembling an adult to a certain extent. The only exception in nymphs are the underdeveloped wings (as seen in this picture, there are no wings developed) and immature sexual organs. The size of these nymphs was hardly a centimeter.
Tortoise Beetle - Placed in the family of Leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae), they are small and the elytra resembles a tortoise shell. Many adults and grubs were seen feeding on the creeper (picture posted earlier). This fellow was feeding on its leaves.
Another glistening tortoise beetle.
A Beetle, memeber of the Buprestidae family of Jewel beetles, this fellow was roughly 1cm in length. The white hanging structures are the eggs of Lacewing (Neuroptera). This beetle was not seen feeding on the eggs, but resting on the small dried bush. There was one more individual present on the bush. 
Another Longhorn Beetle, pretending to be dead when it sensed me (first picture). After several minutes he tried to get up (second picture) and finally was standing on its feet (third picture). This behaviour is termed Thanatosis (commonly, pretending to be dead). In the above picture, the Longhorn beetle displays Thanatosis to evade my attention or, in nature, a predator's attention. 
Wasp-mimicking Fly: Several flies at one place were seen at the base of the tree, feeding on sap. These flies sort of resemble Paper Wasps, if looked closely. This is Batesian Mimicry, where a less-threatning species (such as this fly) mimicks the stinging Paper Wasp. 
Hoverfly - Simosryphus grandicornis: A beautiful fly belonging to Syrphidae. These flies are well known to mimic wasps and bees. 
Robberfly (Asilidae): This fly is a superb predator, and is seen everywhere. This fellow was perched high on a dry bush for a long time. 
Attatha sp.: A moth belonging to Catocalinae, a large subfamily under Noctuidae.
Fodina stola: A medium sized moth of Catocalinae, resting on leaf litter. The larvae of this moth feed on Cassia fistula.
Spot Swordtail: A beautiful Papilionid with a long sword-like wing projection. It is commonly seen pre-monsoon and during monsoon. 
A Jumping Spider of Salticidae, they are easily recognized by their two big ocelli (eyes) out of the six. They are generally small in size and come in myriad of colours. 
Another curious Jumping Spider. Jumping spiders are very expressive, and give interesting poses - hence are a good subject for macro photography. 
Another rather tiny Salticid, with amazing set of colour combination!
Same spider showing the colours and the patterns.
It was basking on the top of a shrub, stretching out its head as seen in this photograph and laying completely still, as if invisible.
After it sensed me watching and photographing, it decided to go back into the forest, its home. And I decided to go my home.
Wild Grapes - Ampelocissus latifolia: Inflorescence of this wild creeper common at Yeoor. There were several Scale Insects on this vine. These flowers were full of a liquid secretion, which was not seen on many other flowers. This secretion also did not tend to attract any insects.
Cicada Nymph - moult: Adult Cicadas were plenty at Yeoor, with an occasional chirping that started with one Cicada followed by many others and fading slowly.
Giant Honey Ant - Camponotus (irritans?): A fairly large ant, not very aggressive, staying on the ground, was seen 6 feet above ground sitting behind this Scale Insect/ Mealy Bug, awaiting for it to excrete sugary dropping. I observed several independent individuals scouting the forest floor.
Crematogaster Ants: These ants were seen tending to another Mealy bug. 
Crematogaster Ant: One of the many individuals seen feeding on the sap of Morinda citrifolia fruits. A difference between the first two Crematogaster Ants images is the position of their gaster (the abdomen). In the first Crematogaster Ant pic, the gaster is not raised as seen in the latter picture. They tend to raise their gaster when they are disturbed.
Crematogaster Ants: This is the fruit of Morinda, and the Crematogaster Ants feeding on its sap. They were present on every fruit. These ants were more commonly seen outside and far from their nest than inside (or around) their Pagoda Nests!
Weaver Ant - Oecophylla sp. (smaragdina?): One of the many individuals of the Weaver Ants in a defensive pose on their nest on Carissa carandas.
Robber Fly: A frontal shot of this Robber fly feeding on a winged ant. Robberflies pierce their prey with strong sword-like mandibles and inject digestive juices into the prey, which gets internally dissolved and the fly then sucks out the bodily juice out of its prey. 
Golden Angle - Caprona ransonnetti: A hesperiid, this is a Dry Season Form. Only one individual was seen. I expect to see many during Monsoons.
Common Cerulean - Jamides celeno: A single female was observed laying eggs on Butea superba. She laid about five eggs on the budding leaves.
Spot Swordtail - Graphium nomius: A beautiful swallowtail butterfly, seen commonly during pre-monsoon and monsoon months. Several individuals were seen.
Ant-mimicking Spider: This spider mimics ants perfectly. I have no idea of the species, but this one belongs to Salticidae. A wonderful example of mimicry! The first pair of legs mimicked the antennae of the ants. The size was a little less than 10mm.
The above image is of the same spider, showing clearly the typical Salticidae Eye Pattern and four pairs of legs.
Crab Spider: This spider belongs to Thomisidae, the infamous Crab Spider known for its typical Crab-like-posture. This yellow bigger individual is actually a female, carrying a male on her back - rather abdomen. I wonder if these spiders show any Breeding Pattern, since I had seen a couple back in September 2008 too.
Forest Calotes - Calotes rouxi, Male: This is their breeding season. Many of these were seen, displaying their colours - either to the well-camouflaged females to attract them or to other males to warn them. 
Another male Forest Calotes, hides from me in the buds.
Introduction
An Account
List of Sightings
Procession Ants - Leptogenys processionalis: These ants are so called because of their habit of walking in a procession. These were common throughout the reserve, in all sorts of habitats. They were active during day as well as night hours. This photograph was taken at Kulgi Nature Camp in Dandeli WLS.
Common Golden Ant – Camponotus sericeus : These ants are so called because of the golden hair on the gaster. These were also common throughout the reserve. These ants show a variety of morphs, where the golden color is either absent or present at a greater extent. The ant, if disturbed, has a tendency to freeze for a moment, and then run rapidly for cover.
Weaver ants – Oecophylla smaragdina: A common ant of the reserve, known to weave leaves together to form housing for the colony. These ants were seen in all sorts of habitats including dry riverbeds, much away from any plant.
Black-winged Bamboo Tail – Disparoneura quadrimaculata: A medium sized damselfly, seen at Kaneri Nursery. It was the only damselfly amidst a swarm of dragonflies at the pond. The damselfly perches on emergent boulders and prefers flying low on the ground. 
Black-tipped Forest Glory – Vestalis apicalis: A large flutterer of the rainforests. Prefers thickly covered patches, always seen near a stream. This damselfly was seen in abundance at some pockets of the forest.
Fulvous Forest Skimmer – Neurothemis fulvia: A conspicuous dragonfly preferring wet forest habitat. It was seen near a stream at Anshi National Park.
Cicada – Moult: Cicadas are very common throughout the reserve. The calls are shrill and can be heard at a great distance. They are amongst long living insects in the world, the nymphs (as seen in the picture) living for several years underground, feed on plant root sap. The adults emerge in mass numbers, and their only purpose is to mate.
Macrobrochis gigas: A moth seen at Anshi National Park belongs to a large and diverse family of moths called Arctiidae. A distinct feature of this family is the presence of a tymbal organ on metathorax (that bears the third pair of legs and hindwings) which when vibrated, produces an ultrasonic sound. These sounds are used in defending against predators as well as finding a mate. 
Orb Weaver – Leucauge sp.: A brightly colored Orb-weaver seen commonly through the reserve.
Fungoid Frog – Hydrophylax malabaricus: An endemic frog common throughout the reserve. The sightings were at moist streambeds as well as stagnant pools. A large number of small adults resided in the leaf litter, under stones and fallen boughs in wet patches.
Skittering Frog: I am unsure of its identification.
Countless frog eggs were seen at pools in Kaneri River at Kaneri Nursery. In this photograph, many mosquito larvae are also seen besides the eggs.
Forest Calotes – Calotes rouxi: A common lizard of the reserve. Males show bright red color on proximal sides, generally to attract female or to warn other males of its presence. Post-monsoon days are the breeding season of Forest Calotes, where males as well as females usually seen in close proximity.
The Southern Flying Lizard – Draco dussumieri: A lizard that is capable of gliding through the high canopy, Draco is very common in the reserve. It is an endemic lizard, males often seen flashing its brightly colored yellow gular sac. The “wings” to assist in gliding are actually modified ribs that can be stretched out. They are covered by skin and scales.
Bombay Leaf-toed Gecko – Hemidactylus prashadi: It is found in Western Ghats only. This one was seen in Baargada (Anshi Range) at the Anti-poaching Camp.
Long-nosed Vine Snake – Ahaetulla nasuta: A beautiful arboreal snake, preying on lizards, geckos and sometimes even birds, is commonly seen at the reserve. It is one of the commonest snakes to die under the vehicles on the roads.
White cheeked Barbet – Megalaima viridis: An endemic of the Western Ghats, also commonly called Small Green Barbet. The calls of this bird can be heard throughout the forests, more common during monsoon season.
Chestnut-tailed Starling – Sturnia malabarica blythii: Also called Grey Headed Myna, they are seen in flocks, and are omnivorous. This individual is from a flock of 9 others seen at Kulgi Nature Camp.
Malabar Whistling Thrush – Myophonus horsfieldii: It has a lovely human-like whistling tune, commonly heard in the reserve at dawn. They prefer dense forests and can be sighted at riverbanks. 
Racquet Tailed Drongo – Dicrurus remifer: A beautiful bird common at the reserve, capable of mimicking calls of other birds. It is larger than a Black Drongo, prefers staying high up in the canopy.
Lesser Yellownape – Picus chloropsus: A common woodpecker of India, the peninsular subspecies of which shows a grey, duller head. A pair of these was seen at Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary pecking bamboo.
Eurasian Golden Oriole – Oriolus oriolus: Kundoo race or a juvenile male?
Gray Langur – Semnopithecus sp.: There are seven species of Langurs in India. These are the most common mammals at the reserve. They are seen near human settlement as well as in isolated pockets of forests – in all kinds of habitats.
Elephant Pods – Entada sp.: These are the largest pods seen in India. It is actually a woody climber (Liana) that grows in massive proportions. The seeds are commonly called Sea beans or Sea hearts since they are found “riding the ocean currents of the world” and their heart-shape. The seeds are tied to the neck of the cattle since they make a sound when they hit each other – a substitute to cattle bells! This woody climber is fairly common at the reserve and can be easily seen due to the obvious pods. The pods are seen lying on forest floor during summer months. 
Conclusion
