Birder Profile—Lesemew.M

Please tell us a bit about yourself. What do you do, and where do you live?

My name is Lesemew. I grew up in Pungro Village, in the Kiphire district of Nagaland, which is near the Mt. Saramati border with Myanmar. I am currently staying here in Dimapur. I am part of the organisation called ‘Eco Warriors Nagaland‘–an organisation committed to wildlife conservation across Nagaland.

When and how did you get interested in birding? 

Me and others from Eco Warriors group were introduced to birding by Mr. Lansothung Lotha in 2021. He gave a talk on the birds of Nagaland and how important it is to conserve them. Soon after that, I participated in GBBC, and from then on I continued participating in other birding events, including the Campus Bird Count, Tokhu Emong Bird Count.

 Do you have a favourite bird or birds? Why is it/are they your favourite?

Great Barbet is my all time favourite. I love the colours on it. It’s a joy to watch them feed on fruiting trees.

Do you have a birding partner or a group you enjoy birding with? How is birding alone different from birding with others?

Birding started with our team, Eco Warriors, and we enjoy identifying species that we were not aware of earlier. Birding alone is much more fun because the level of concentration is higher than in a group, where it can be distracting

Members of Eco Warriors Nagaland.

What is your most memorable birding experience?

I once saw a warbler collecting leaves and building a nest. I had never seen a bird engaged in nest building, especially one so small. Viewing this behaviour through binoculars is a memory that will stay with me for life.

Anything on the birding bucket list? (Doesn’t have to be a bird, could be a place, witnessing a phenomenon, etc)

I would like to visit Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary near Mt. Saramati, which is a restricted area and requires permission from the Forest Department. I would like to explore the bird diversity there.

Which of the two do you enjoy more and why: a) regular birding around your house/local patch/district, or b) widespread birding in different landscapes across different districts and states?

I prefer the second-widespread birding in different landscapes across different districts and states.

How has your approach to birding changed over the years?

Yes definetly. I realised that birding is so much fun after you learn some interesting facts about each species.

Have you set any birding goals for the coming months?

My birding goals include training all members of Eco-Warriors in birding and eBirding so that they can participate in various birding events. This will contribute to improving bird documentation in Nagaland.