Date: 05th October, 2024
Location: Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (ABWLS)
Walk expert: Abhishek Gulshan & Ashir Kumar
No. of participants: 5
Theme: Spider and Macro Photography
Abhishek Gulshan & Ashir Kumar led this wonderful walk on Saturday, 05th October.
Abhishek Gulshan is a Delhi-based naturalist, Nature Educator, birdwatcher, professional travel specialist, and the founder of the Nature Education and Awareness Initiative "NINOX - Owl about Nature", specializing in on-field experiential programs. His goal is to bring citizens closer to nature and sensitize them towards the environment. The initiative's founder established "NINOX - Owl about Nature" in 2017 and since then, it has partnered with several student bodies and teacher associations from Schools and Universities.
Ashir Kumar - or ‘1-Frameman’- is a nature photographer with macro photography as his chosen field of specialization. Over a professional course of 4 years and counting, his work captures insects and spiders in a detailed and minute way - one macro at a time.
The participants arrived by 08:30 am at the entrance gate of ABWLS. The walk started with a brief description of the sanctuary. Abhishek and Ashir explained the crucial role of ABWLS for Delhi NCR; it serves as a major carbon sink for the city. They also provided a review on the biodiversity of the sanctuary. The Indian Leopard holds the importance of being the topmost predator and an umbrella species. They also explained the interesting history of ABWLS, how once a mining site turned into a safe and beautiful escape for the wildlife.
After introducing ABWLS, Abhishek and Ashir turned towards the theme of the day. They explained the role spiders play in the ecosystem. Then, the discussion shifted toward macro photography. The participants got to learn about various macro cameras and techniques to capture smaller insects, including spiders.
The walk began at the serene butterfly park, capturing not just spiders but participants also other tiny creatures such as beetles, bugs, ants, butterflies, moths, etc.
People captured the sights of these species beautifully with the help of Abhishek and Ashir.
We thank Abhishek Ji and Ashir Ji for their valuable guidance and a super fun and informative session for all the participants. Participants enjoyed walking in the lush green landscape of ABWLS. It was a walk full of adventure, and thrill and filled with wonderful learnings.
List of species spotted during the walk:
We observed species of trees, butterflies, and birds during the walk. Some notable species during the walk were:-
Spider:- Carpenter Ant mimicking Spider, Slender Ant mimicking, Neoscona sps., Two-tailed spiders, Decorative spiders (Orchard spiders), Phintella spiders,
Floral species :- Acacia Sp., Vilayati Kikar, Siris, Kaner, Karanj, Ficus sps. Jungle Jalebi, Inermi hedge, Senna alata, Castor Plant, Crotalaria retusa
Butterfly: Common castor, Plain Tiger, Blue tiger, Common Silverline, Common Jay, Yellow-orange tip, White orange tip
Other Insects: Crane fly mating, Looper Moth, Coromandal damselflies