Please read this account of my trip to this fantastic butterfly haven here.
Showing posts with label nature-watching. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nature-watching. Show all posts
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Nature Watch in Himachal Pradesh
Last week, I returned from a 9 day holiday to various parts of Himachal Pradesh with my family. An account of this trip can be found here. HP is a naturalist's paradise, and more so for the simple reason that its distinct climate gives it a completely different set of flora and fauna as compared to what one is used to in the tropics, for example, Mumbai and its surroundings, from where I hail. I had carried with me my Canon DSLR, and went near-mad shooting birds, animals and flora of all kinds. However, this post is not just about photography or an egoistic display of my photos. I wish to declare to the world that HP is a must visit state for all nature-lovers. Even if they are on a budget holiday and have to stay in imperfect conditions, one should keep this state on one's wish list if one wishes to see God's Mother Nature in its full beauty.
What did I see? I saw the magnificent plain at Khajjiar, a place that has been equated with the best in the world (Khajjiar means "meadow" in Gaddi language, and this place is called the Mini-Switzerland of India). The place has been unduly commercialised, I think, what with horse-riding, zorbing, para-gliding and the inevitable children's play equipment (the inflatable chutes and what not). In spite of this, we had a glimpse of what the plains must have been like before the commercialisation happened. We saw several sheep and cattle grazing on the small blades of grass with an air of complete indifference.
Next, the walk up a string of hills to reach a Shiv temple at Dainkund, popularly known as the Valley of Flowers of HP (there is another, more famous Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal). This walk, which was completely unexpected insofar as we weren't aware it would be a very loooong one, revealed Nature in all its Glory. The weather was cool, and as we walked on and on, climbing one hill after another, we saw vistas of Nature that thrilled us no end. The landscaped were amazing, with the snow-capped hills in the distant background, and the hills and dales undulating up and down right up to where we stood. Occasionally, we stopped to admire the distant views, but more frequently, we paused to see an unusually coloured moth or butterfly; to see grazing cattle or sheep with unusual skin/wool patterns; to see a flitting dragonfly or a smartly flying Red Kite; to watch a floral inflorescence that we had never seen before, or admire a tree that looked unique; to breathe in the breeze arising up from the valley below; to feel upon us, the drops of rain that seemed to materialise suddenly from a cloud that had just made its appearance above us; to soak in the rays of the sun as it continued its inexorable march across the heavens; to realise that the sand underneath us was indeed close in rewsemblance to the sand on a beach, thereby proving that the Himalayas arose from the sea in ancient times; to see an expanse of white, small flowers that grew all around us, and gave the place its name ... and many more things besides.
I must mention here that all along the highways that we travelled, the land patterns, the greenery and the obvious intrusion of Nature into Human settlements kept us pre-occupied and happy. However, there is one thing that I must make a special mention of. Water.
While the Ravi river stayed alongside most of the roads we travelled while in the Chamba valley, the Kullu valley saw us being a constant companion of the Beas. Both rivers made road travelling a pleasure. It was, for the most part, possible to stop the car, get down, walk a little to the bank of the river, and soak our feet in at any place of our choice, except when we were in the ghats.There were places where the rivers were torrential, and places where they were calm, but they were always interesting and always soothing for the body and the mind.
Finally, I must mention that it was in HP that I saw several unique birds ... I have put up the pictures of these here. Do check them out.
What did I see? I saw the magnificent plain at Khajjiar, a place that has been equated with the best in the world (Khajjiar means "meadow" in Gaddi language, and this place is called the Mini-Switzerland of India). The place has been unduly commercialised, I think, what with horse-riding, zorbing, para-gliding and the inevitable children's play equipment (the inflatable chutes and what not). In spite of this, we had a glimpse of what the plains must have been like before the commercialisation happened. We saw several sheep and cattle grazing on the small blades of grass with an air of complete indifference.
Next, the walk up a string of hills to reach a Shiv temple at Dainkund, popularly known as the Valley of Flowers of HP (there is another, more famous Valley of Flowers in Uttaranchal). This walk, which was completely unexpected insofar as we weren't aware it would be a very loooong one, revealed Nature in all its Glory. The weather was cool, and as we walked on and on, climbing one hill after another, we saw vistas of Nature that thrilled us no end. The landscaped were amazing, with the snow-capped hills in the distant background, and the hills and dales undulating up and down right up to where we stood. Occasionally, we stopped to admire the distant views, but more frequently, we paused to see an unusually coloured moth or butterfly; to see grazing cattle or sheep with unusual skin/wool patterns; to see a flitting dragonfly or a smartly flying Red Kite; to watch a floral inflorescence that we had never seen before, or admire a tree that looked unique; to breathe in the breeze arising up from the valley below; to feel upon us, the drops of rain that seemed to materialise suddenly from a cloud that had just made its appearance above us; to soak in the rays of the sun as it continued its inexorable march across the heavens; to realise that the sand underneath us was indeed close in rewsemblance to the sand on a beach, thereby proving that the Himalayas arose from the sea in ancient times; to see an expanse of white, small flowers that grew all around us, and gave the place its name ... and many more things besides.
I must mention here that all along the highways that we travelled, the land patterns, the greenery and the obvious intrusion of Nature into Human settlements kept us pre-occupied and happy. However, there is one thing that I must make a special mention of. Water.
While the Ravi river stayed alongside most of the roads we travelled while in the Chamba valley, the Kullu valley saw us being a constant companion of the Beas. Both rivers made road travelling a pleasure. It was, for the most part, possible to stop the car, get down, walk a little to the bank of the river, and soak our feet in at any place of our choice, except when we were in the ghats.There were places where the rivers were torrential, and places where they were calm, but they were always interesting and always soothing for the body and the mind.
Finally, I must mention that it was in HP that I saw several unique birds ... I have put up the pictures of these here. Do check them out.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Nature trip to Elephanta Island, 22nd May
After a longish period of no outings to fan my desire to see more of nature and specially birds, I finally went with the BNHS to Elephanta Island, where we went on a trail that cuts through the native village that is located on the island, looking for and hearing several birds and other living and non-living wonders of nature. This trip coincided with an important family function, but I decided to go anyway, mentally prepared to leave early if the trip lasted beyond half past eleven a.m.
I left home at half past six, reaching the BNHS office a little before 7 o'clock. There were very few enthusiasts when I reached, but they collected over the next half hour, and when we finally left for the Gateway of India (from where a ferry boat would take us to Elephanta Island (locally known as Gharapuri islands), the group of eager bird watchers and nature lovers had swelled to over 35 persons, some of them old faces, while the rest were new. Our guides for the trip would be Mr. Vandan Jhaveri and Mr. Vithoba Hegde. While the former is someone I have been with in many of the previous outings, Mr.Hegde is actually a taxidermist with the BNHS but today fulfilled the role of a field guide.
Within a few minutes of hitting the trail, we saw our first bird, viz. the red-whiskered bulbul. From then on, the next two hours saw us trying to spot, seeing and learning to identify many birds, the complete list of which is at the bottom of this post.
We started our return at about 11:30 a.m. and reached the jetty a little before 12 noon. We were quickly bundled into a boat, but the sea was choppy, and hence the return trip took a little over 1 1/2 hours. I touched the stones at Gateway a little before 2:00 p.m.
Okay, so I made new friends, among whom Meghna Kashte, Apoorva Rao, Amogh Wagh and Akshata Par are people whom I talked with and acquainted myself. And of course, I had my FIRST sightings of the Red-wattled Lapwing, Spot-billed ducks, Little Grebes, and some more feathered friends.
To see the photos, please visit this link.
Here is a list of the birds we saw: .
Oriental Magpie Robin
Red-wattled Lapwing
Spot-billed Duck
Black Kite
Little Grebe
Little Egret
Great Egret
Indian Pond Heron
Yellow sparrow (Petronia)
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Black-headed Ibis
Purple-rumped sunbird
Asian Hornbill (some of the others saw this, but I missed it)
Common Iora (only heard)
Common Tailor bird (only heard)
I left home at half past six, reaching the BNHS office a little before 7 o'clock. There were very few enthusiasts when I reached, but they collected over the next half hour, and when we finally left for the Gateway of India (from where a ferry boat would take us to Elephanta Island (locally known as Gharapuri islands), the group of eager bird watchers and nature lovers had swelled to over 35 persons, some of them old faces, while the rest were new. Our guides for the trip would be Mr. Vandan Jhaveri and Mr. Vithoba Hegde. While the former is someone I have been with in many of the previous outings, Mr.Hegde is actually a taxidermist with the BNHS but today fulfilled the role of a field guide.
Within a few minutes of hitting the trail, we saw our first bird, viz. the red-whiskered bulbul. From then on, the next two hours saw us trying to spot, seeing and learning to identify many birds, the complete list of which is at the bottom of this post.
We started our return at about 11:30 a.m. and reached the jetty a little before 12 noon. We were quickly bundled into a boat, but the sea was choppy, and hence the return trip took a little over 1 1/2 hours. I touched the stones at Gateway a little before 2:00 p.m.
Okay, so I made new friends, among whom Meghna Kashte, Apoorva Rao, Amogh Wagh and Akshata Par are people whom I talked with and acquainted myself. And of course, I had my FIRST sightings of the Red-wattled Lapwing, Spot-billed ducks, Little Grebes, and some more feathered friends.
To see the photos, please visit this link.
Here is a list of the birds we saw: .
Oriental Magpie Robin
Red-wattled Lapwing
Spot-billed Duck
Black Kite
Little Grebe
Little Egret
Great Egret
Indian Pond Heron
Yellow sparrow (Petronia)
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Black-headed Ibis
Purple-rumped sunbird
Asian Hornbill (some of the others saw this, but I missed it)
Common Iora (only heard)
Common Tailor bird (only heard)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Some interesting photos with my new Canon 550 D camera and 18/55 lens
Here are the photos: These were all taken from the garden in my colony.
Hope you like them!
Hope you like them!
Monday, February 21, 2011
An Old Hobby Rejuvenated
I am, basically, a Nature Lover. If there is a God, Nature is It. Nature teaches, repairs, rejuvenates, delights, and humbles any one who may choose to look at it with an eye full of wonder. I have loved Nature in all its forms - geographical wonders, flora and fauna, geology, marine biology ... you name it, and I have oohed and aahed at its multifarious revelations.
Through childhood, however, most of this was second hand information, i.e. obtained through books, encyclopediae, short or long films, and later, television, where the serials made by David Attenborough, and the other stalwarts stand out, in their ability to enthrall and entertain the viewer. I have done all this, and yet, the person in me wanted to experience all this at FIRST HAND.
During my teenage and college years, I have gone on many nature treks with college friends or Nature clubs, and some of these were simply excellent. I haven't forgotten my first look at a kestrel, albeit behind a cage at Karnala, or a golden oriole at a Powai trek.
) and "The Trees of Mumbai". So, here I am, and I hope to be able to share with my readers my Nature Journeys. And yes, here is a link to a book on the only wildlife park located within a metropolitan city anywhere in the world: The Borivali National Park, located inside Greater Mumbai. Look at this book, if you can, and you will be left wondering ... I am beginning this blog with my first ever birding expedition to Nerul Mudflats in the month of February 2011. So, sit back, read, and enjoy.
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