Malshej Report

Introduction:
As a part of Leadbiodiversity Course curriculum a two day Nature trail was
organized at Malshej Ghat on 09th October 2010 and 10th October 2010. Malshej
Ghat is located at a distance of approximately 154 from Mumbai and we went to
Malshej ghat by road from Mumbai, took NH3 to Bhiwandi and turned towards
Murbad and took state highway via Kalyan, Murbad, Saralgaon and Vaishakhare to
reach the ghat. It was a picturesque road journey to Malshej Ghat and as we were
reaching closer to the Malshej ghat the view out of our bus window was getting
more picturesque.

Malshej ghat is situated in Pune district near the borders of Thane and Ahmednagar
districts and is nestled in the lofty rugged hills of the Western Ghats. Malshej Ghat
is a popular tourist destination, especially in monsoon, when it gets covered with
dark clouds and heavy fog and there are Waterfalls all around.

The habitat is largely tropical and grassland type with forests, hills and a dam. The
forests surrounding the Malshej hill station are rich in flora and fauna. The animals
that can be seen in these forests include tigers, leopards, rabbits, peacocks,
etc.Malshej Ghat is also a bird watchers paradise and the ghat is also rich in the
avian population such as quails, rails, crakes, flamingos and cuckoos.

We reached Malshej in the afternoon and after taking break for an hour we went for
a round of the neighbouring area of the MTDC resort and in the evening we went
for anature trail to the table top of the hill in near to the MTDC resort and sighted a
lot of insects, wild flowers and birds.

In the late evening we put a light trap to study Moths and we prayed that we would
be able to sight ATLAS MOTH that night. And it seemed that luck was on our side
that day and we were able to sight the World’s biggest Moth the ATLAS MOTH and it
was a sheer delight to sight the biggest Moth. In the Light trap we were also able to
sight a lot of other Moths and insects.

In the morning of day two we went for a trail near Dam and sighted a lot of Birds
mainly Bee eaters , Shrikes, egrets etc. We also did pond dipping exercise and laid a
butterfly trap.

All these activities made us experience the beautiful Flora and fauna of the Malshej
Ghat.

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Flora & Fauna:

During our two day visit we were able to witness and study the beautiful flora and
fauna of the Malshej Ghat . The various flora and fauna which we sighted are listed
below.

• Insects-

1. Fruit piercing Moth

2.

• Butterflies

1. Common Crow

2.

• Wild Flowers-

1. Wild Brinjal

2. Wild Ladyfinger

3. Common Hill Borage

4. Marsh Star

5. Rock Balsam

6. Donald Duck Wild flower

7. Silver Spiked Cockscomb

 8. Hedge Glory

9. Sensitive Smithia

• Birds-

1. Sykes Lark

2. Kingfisher

3. Duck

4. Green Bee Eater

5. Blue Rocked Pigeon.

6. Cuckoo

7. Cattle Egret

8. Indian Robin

9. Blue Jay/ Indian Roller

• Water Creaters

1.

Some of the flora and fauna found in the surrounding area of Malshej are tigers, leopards,
rabbits, peacocks, quails, rails, crakes, flamingos, cuckoos, etc. The destination also serves
as a popular haunt of the exotic Flamingo birds, especially during the months of July to
September.

Large numbers of migratory birds from Siberia come to Malshej during the mating season.
Among the birds, you will find Alpine Swift, Pied Crested Cuckoo, Purple Moorhen, Green
Pigeon, Pitta and Whistling Thrush and several other species.

If there was any link missing then mating dance of pink-legged flamingos completes the
picture perfect spectacle of Malshej.