Do Join Us for the run for Cancer Kids.
Registration Page :
https://www.townscript.com/e/roadrunners
Donations will go to KIDWAI cancer institute and from KAAA :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3c0U623dNiwX09oTndSWlBGOTA/view?usp=sharing
Category: awareness
Bangalore… a city that outshines others Indian cities
Is Bangalore just an IT city? For many of us it’s just a city with many job opportunities for everyone. I came to Bangalore with the same perception. But gradually, as time passed, I realised what this city offers to one and all. This city is a mix of cultures and traditions. Bangalore has not lost its charm even after the development of IT sector. People like us, with hectic weekdays, find peace in some of the places that are within the vicinity of Bangalore.
Bird watching and photography is our passion. Many of us are aware about the famous birding spots in Bangalore. It is difficult to find such nice birding areas in other commercial cities. Thus people staying in Bangalore are keen to spend their weekend in the lap of nature. The birding spots found here can be marshy grasslands, mountains, dense forests, lakes etc. So, most of the birds can be spotted here. I leave my home at dawn with the hope of finding birds in their natural habitat. But still it seems to be a very small list of places where I have been and there is much more to see and enjoy. One of my favourite birding area is Hoskote lake. Hoskote is near to where I stay. Hoskote has different habitats for different birds. That is why it is an amazing place for all bird fanatics.
The wet grasslands in Hoskote are suitable for a variety of birds like Munia. Many winter migrants can be seen here. A large variety of Kingfishers are near the lakeside to catch a prey.
Tricoloured Munia (also called Black Headed Munia)
Common Kingfisher
Jacobin Cuckoo
Marsh Harrier
Indian Silverbill or White-Throated Munia
Siberian Stonechat (female)
It is a Winter Migrant.
I have given one of many reasons to love Bangalore. There are many such things that I wish to write. I am still trying to unravel the other side of Bangalore that is picturesque. My upcoming journeys would cover more of Bangalore city and places near to it. Stay tuned!
Everywhere, as people park wrongly, we find the police towing away the parked cars, but I find a refreshing interlude when I spotted this van outside IIM, Bangalore:
Perhaps they tow two cars at a time?
Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park is a zoo in Patna, Bihar. I tried to explore many of the birding places in and around Patna but no able to succeed more. Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park is one of the “good” birding place in Patna. With lot of trees around, this zoo provide some good bird sighting.
NOTE: Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park – Monday close 🙂
Though I find the zoo not at all fit for the real wild animals like big cats. And most of the time people will see these big cats taking rest or sleeping. I am not going into the details of zoo animals, here please go ahead and enjoy some of the birding done in Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park.
Some of the good sighting will be black-hooded Oriole, Brown headed Barbet, Tiaga’s Flycatcher, Woodpeckers, lot of Treepie’s and Babbler’s.
Jungle Babbler (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
black drongo (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
black hooded oriole (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
black hooded oriole (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
brown-headed barbet (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
golden flameback woodpecker (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
golden flameback woodpecker (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
rufous treepie (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
taiga flycatcher (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
oriental magpie robin (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
Indian gray mongoose (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
white throated kingfisher (Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park)
It was my family trip to Lalbagh sometimes around 1 o cock noon. Caught some of the actions and loved to see the battle of Pelican and Black Kite. 4 Black Kites attacked Pelican who had a big fish in the mouth. Attack was successful and Pelican left the big fish but none of the black kites were able to take that because of its heaviness.
Enjoy some of the pictures !!
Black Kite
Booted Eagle
Little Cormorant with catch
Red Breasted Flycatcher – Female
Grey heron
Lotus
Spotted Owlet
Spotted Owlet
Rose ringed Parakeet
Spot billed Pelican
Spot billed Pelican
Black Kite attack to Spot billed Pelican
Red Breasted Flycatcher – Female
Red Rose
Spotted Dove
tickells leaf warbler
ID please
Covering route – Hebbal Lake, Nandi Hills, Hoskote and then Valley School.
Both the places used to be the legendary for birding but I have seen the recent coverage of human race over it. Muthanallur Lake used to have small water blocks. Now, people are taking soil from there and there is no real place for waders to seat. Building construction started in Gulakmale (near T K Falls). I got very few birds, it was 2 upset trip. Enjoy the pictures. Nothing much to add that’s why I added 2 locations together.
common sandpiper, the only sandpiper i saw in Muthanallur Lake
Black Drongo
Yellow Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Peacock – Male
Oriental Honey Buzzard in morning shine
Peregrine Falcon
Paddyfield Pipit
Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is an ancient hill fortress of southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from the city of Bangalore.
Excellent place for birding and the nearest place to Bangalore if you want to see some different kind of birds. This place is famous for its thrush, flycatcher, raptors and many more. Enjoy some of the pictures. I have constraint of my 2 GB card, so not able to take more pictures 😦
Asian Paradise Male in flight.
Asian Paradise Male
Common Blackbird
blue-capped rock thrush
greenish warbler
Grey Wagtail
Common Kestrel Female
Nilgiri Wood Piegion
orange headed thrush
blue rock thrush female
verditer flycatcher
I was away in the foothills of the Himalaya, very far away (the journey from Bangalore to Guwahati alone was 2992 km, and passed through 8 states…Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam!) and came back with such a variety of experiences.
Just wanted to mention, in today’s world of plastic bags and cups, the biodegradable containers that are still being used in many places, that I saw on the train.
One is what is called, in Bengali, “bhAnd” (or matkA in Hindi)…the earthen cup that can be thrown on the tracks, or out of the window, or anywhere, because the mud will disintegrate again:
This one contained “mishti doi” (sweet yogurt), one of the specialities of Bengal.
It was covered by a bit of newspaper and a rubber band:
This was, after ages, a typical “bhAndEr chA” (tea-in-a-mud-pot)…it has a taste all its own:
As you can see, it goes well with the cryptic crossword (that’s from The Telegraph).
When the “JhAlmoodiwAlA” came by, I asked for some,
I got it in this “tongA”, which is Bengali for this kind of paper container:
It’s better than an ordinary folded paper bag, as when it opens out, it has some width, and sits well on a countertop:
The third container I liked very much was the “dOnA” (called donnai in Tamizh, and dOnA in Kannada, too), which is made of a certain type of leaf;they are stitched together, very expertly, and shaped into bowl-shapes:
Can you see the way the stick has been expertly used to “stitch” the leaves in place?
How I wish these traditional, “eco-friendly” (to use a hackneyed term) and full-of-character containers continue to be used, and are NOT replaced by Ghastly Plastic….
Online shopping still sucks in India. I don’t have idea about other country but sharing a small story on behalf of my friend – Shrawan.
Before starting that, I will just inform that online consumer case filing process can be started at : http://www.cercindia.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=195&Itemid=113
In his own words —
I am having quiet frustrating experience with Sanpdeal, I ordered Nokia lumia 920 on 31st Oct 2013. They said , they will be delivering the product by 5th Nov 2013. but I have not received my product by 5th Nov. So from 6th Nov 2013 onward, I started inquiry , they kept on saying that I will be receiving the product by next day, This thing went on till 12th Nov 2013.
On 13th Nov , I called Blue dart guys to inquiry about the shipment, After lot of argument, they accepted that they have misplaced the Item, Then informed this to Snapdeal and they said they will refund the amount. On 14th Nov I got the mail saying ” INITIATING the REFUND process and with in 5-7 working , I will get my money back”.
But till date I have got any refund. when I inquiry , they keep on saying same thing ” INITIATING the REFUND process and within 5-7 working I get the money back” . I am really disappointed with snapdeal, their customer care are very unsupportive. They do not understand the pain of customer.
They are holding my 25 thousand rupee till date and I have spent more then hundred rupee on just calling them all the time. I have suffered a lot and I would request all the internet user, please don’t fall on trap of snapdeal. their customer care really sucks. Remember guys “Sanpdeal is Bad deal” .
I will try my best to share my experience over the internet though social networking site. so other people will not have to suffer like I have to do.
On 13th Nov , I called Blue dart guys to inquiry about the shipment, After lot of argument, they accepted that they have misplaced the Item, Then informed this to Snapdeal and they said they will refund the amount. On 14th Nov I got the mail saying ” INITIATING the REFUND process and with in 5-7 working , I will get my money back”.
But till date I have got any refund. when I inquiry , they keep on saying same thing ” INITIATING the REFUND process and within 5-7 working I get the money back” . I am really disappointed with snapdeal, their customer care are very unsupportive. They do not understand the pain of customer.
They are holding my 25 thousand rupee till date and I have spent more then hundred rupee on just calling them all the time. I have suffered a lot and I would request all the internet user, please don’t fall on trap of snapdeal. their customer care really sucks. Remember guys “Sanpdeal is Bad deal” .
I will try my best to share my experience over the internet though social networking site. so other people will not have to suffer like I have to do.
—-
I will suggest all my friends that pls go ahead and file complaints and don’t take your complain back even if they will try to wrap your issue.
India - Nature, Travel And Birding 