Egrets Nest in a Palace

Egrets Nest in a Palace. ... more

by Sue Jacobi

Title

Egrets Nest in a Palace

Artist

Sue Jacobi

Medium

Photograph - Fine Art Photography

Description

Egrets Nest in a Palace.
The Jal Mahal palace, built in red sandstone, is situated in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake in Jaipur. It is a five storied building out of which four floors remain under water when the lake water is filled to capacity, and only the top floor is exposed. Imagine that!
The palace is considered an architectural beauty built in the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture (common in Rajasthan) providing a picturesque view of the lake (from the Man Sagar Dam on the eastern side of the lake that acts as a vantage point for viewing the lake and the valley), and the surrounding Nahargarh (abode of the tigers) hills.
Well now, coming to these birds in the picture... the lake attracts many kinds of water birds, including egrets, storks, herons, cormorants etc... and of course the obligatory pigeons too. Interestingly, besides the Jal Mahal palace itself, a couple of other smaller arched buildings or structures � open on all sides but with ceilings and pretty archways on all sides � have been built in the lake, specifically to provide nesting areas for these birds! I found that pretty awesome. It was a sight to behold, in the middle of a bustling city.
The lake used to be a bird watcher's paradise in the past and was a favourite ground for the Rajput kings of Jaipur for royal duck shooting parties during picnics. The lake was natural habitat for more than 150 species of local and migratory birds that included Large Flamingo, Great Crested Grebe, Pintail, Pochards, Kestrel, Coot, Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff, Herring Gull, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail, but their numbers declined with the deterioration of the lake. Now, with restoration works undertaken, the birds have started visiting the lake again, though not to the same degree as in the past. In order to attract attention to the lake's condition, a private initiative of holding an annual birding fair was started in 1997. It is reported that the common moorhen, a resident species has started breeding in large numbers at the lake. The other birds seen now are the grey heron, white-browed wagtail and Blue-tailed Bee-eaters. The lake was also home for a large species of the aquatic ecosystem such as fish, insects, microorganisms and aquatic vegetation.
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AWARDS & RECOGNITION
This image has been featured in these Fine Art America Groups :
Context : Lake,lake palace,jal mahal,jaipur,rajasthan,india,egrets,cormorants,herons,storks,Indian pond heron,nesting palace,archways,water,pillars,castle,fort,man sagar lake,migratory birds,migrating,birds, Flamingo, Great Crested Grebe, Pintail, Pochards, Kestrel, Coot, Redshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Ruff, Herring Gull, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Grey Wagtail,common moorhen,grey heron,white-browed wagtail,Blue-tailed Bee-eaters,aquatic ecosystem,fish,insects,aquatic vegetation,bird-watching,micro-organisms

Uploaded

January 1st, 2015