A majestic travel across the mangroves of Sundarbans, a native of Bengal Royal Tiger. Some of the shots around. 4000 km sq. in India and 6000 km sq. in Bangladesh. We were traveling across the border of India and Bangladesh.
My location while traveling.
Suruvials of Mangrove Tree. Tree which can surive in Saline and Fresh water both.
Golden Plover
Redshank
Common Sandpiper
In the middle of river voyage, we got the person who delivers the real honey.
Red Crab
Lesser Adjutant
Asian Pied Starling
Lalbagh being in the center of the City, it is quite accessible and always crowded. Even Government is trying to increase the ticket costs and the current cost is:
1. Person Entry : 10 Rs.
2. Camera Entry: 50 Rs.
No fees, before 9 AM and after 6 PM. Camera case is quite ambiguous before 9 AM and after 6 PM.
Now, what to do in Lalbagh. First of all, its a botanical garden and if you are not interested in plants, trees, lakes, birds, flowers, its merely a place to sit and talk.
1. Enjoy Flowers. It has a rose garden and other flowers like Dahlia, Cosmos will be available in the summers.
You can enjoy some of the blogs on flowers day.
Pink Rose
White Rose in Lalbagh
Red Rose in Lalbagh
Pink Rose collection in Lalbagh
Flowers at Lalbagh
2. Enjoy Hunting – Its a very rich place with lot of fishes. So, you can often see a good killing/hunting scene around it. Snakes, Pelicans, Kites, Cormorants are often can be seen in action.
Checkered keelback water snake with a Kill at Lalbagh
Checkered keelback water snake with a Kill at Lalbagh
Keelback Snake gulping a big fish at Lalbagh
3. Enjoy Birding:
A Spot-billed Pelican flying
Pond Heron with a kill
4. Enjoy Nature/Photo shoot – Its a great place to witness sunrise, sunset and the transformed clouds. Provides all kind of background for good photo shoot.
Sunset in Lalbagh
A beautiful view of the lake
5. Butterflies – If you are interested in shooting butterflies or gaining knowledge about it. Great place again !!
Common Yellow Grass on Dahlia
Green Tailed Jay on Dahlia flower
Have Fun, Do Visit. Highest no. of people use it for running/jogging/walking and worth a place to do exercise. It provide one of the coolest stretch to do so.
Do, drop us your comments and anytime you want to join us for Lalbagh trail.
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!
Preserving nature and wildlife has always been a priority of Karnataka government. I am grateful to the Karnataka government because they care about nature and its species. I and my husband are a nature lover and enthusiast. We always find time to be close to nature. Bengaluru is centrally located to many major spots of biodiversity which are within a range of 300 km. We have a hobby of bird watching and photography. Bengaluru is close to Western Ghats, so lot many migratory birds can be found in locations at the outskirts of Bengaluru. Karnataka government has preserved the biodiversity by keeping a check on the poachers and people who are trying to destroy wildlife and nature.
Karnataka government has been very supportive in making wildlife, a major tourist attraction. The people who are staying in and outside Bengaluru can’t miss the safari ride in Bannerghatta National Park followed by a visit to the zoo. The most wonderful thing about this place is to find a variety of reptiles, birds and animals which people usually don’t know.
Tigers
Lion
Red Eared Tortoise
One of the major spots for birding and wildlife is Nagarhole National Park and Tiger Reserve. It has an excellent count of carnivores, herbivores and birds. The ecosystem cycle is well balanced because Nagarhole has major number of Herbivores. Nagarhole National Park is very near to Western Ghats and so we can find the highest count of birds in Nagarhole and places near to it. All avid bird watchers must visit Nagarhole followed by a Safari ride in the morning or afternoon.
Peacock
Wild Boar
Hill Myna
Grey Langur
Spotted Deer(male)
Every weekend is a time for us to explore something new and different. Nature is like a puzzle. We learn more by exploring it. Nature has its own secrets which we are trying to unravel by going closer and closer to it.
I personally believe one of the best marshy lands in India. Mangalajodi provided me a list of 101 species. More than types of species, I was surprised by the no. of one species. It is a great birding spot and should be a “Must visit” list of Orissa Tourism.
Enjoy some of the shots.
Brahminy Shelduck
grey headed lapwing
Whiskered Tern
Peregrine Falcon
Cinnamon bittern
Glossy IBIS
Godwit fight for food
Greenish Sandpiper
Ruff
Kentish Plover – Juv
Black winged Godwit
Marsh Sandpiper
Black winged Godwit – Fligt
Greenish Sandpiper
Streaked Weaver
Openbill Stork
golden plover Juv
whiskered tern
Northern Pintail – Pair
Northern Pintail in flight
Northern Pintail in flight
yellow bittern
Purple Moorhen rushing for building nest
yellow wagtail
northern shoveler
Northern Pintail – Male group
Northern Pintail – Why it is called “Pin” tail
Northern Pintail
Northern Pintail – Female Gang
ID required
ID required
Pheasant Tailed Jacana
clamorous reed warbler
Asian Pied Starling
brown crake
Purple Heron
clamorous reed warbler
Common Snipe
black tailed godwit
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Some of the snaps from the Hessarghatta grassland. Must be worth to visit again in winter.
Shrike
Shrike
White eye buzzard
Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark – Female
Singing Lark
Montagu’s harrier
Scaly breasted munia
Ashy Crowned SparrowLark – Male and Female
White cheeked Barbet – Making nest
Ashy Crowned Sparrow lark – Male and Female
White cheeked Barbet – Making nest
Red Wattled Lapwing
Black Kite chase to Marsh Harrier
Spotted Owlet
Black kite chase to Montagu’s harrier
Plain Prinia
Crimson Rose
Blue tailed bee eater
Shrike – Need to see to identify it :P.
Pied Wagtail
Black kite chase to Montagu’s harrier
This is the first time I have noticed black eagle around Ramnagaram. Indian Vultures were 10 in count. Egyptian Vultures were 3 in count. 2 short toed Snake Eagle.
I can see a board calling it Ramanagara as “Vulture Sanctuary”
Enjoy some of the shots. Do drop comments.
Egyptian Vulture in flight.
Indian Vulture
Short toed Snake Eagle
Black Eagle and Brahminy Kite acrobat
Black Eagle
Black Eagle
Tailed Green Jay
Tailed Green Jay
Indian Vulture and Black Kite
Indian Vulture and Black Kite
A delight to see Jungle Nightjar (though not able to manage the shot of this lovely guy) and Plum-headed Parakeet. Enjoy some of the pictures taken.
Ashy Prinia
Flameback Woodpecker
Golden Fronted Leafbird
Laughing Dove
Male Plum Headed Parakeet
Plum-headed Parakeet – 2 females and 1 male
Red Vented Bulbul
Pair of Spotted Owlet
White throated Kingfisher
Zitting Cisticola
common iora
Misty at jog falls
Cotton pygmy goose
Flame-throated Bulbul
Hill Myna
Malabar Grey Hornbill
Purple rumped Sunbird
Racket tailed Drongo
heart-spotted woodpecker
bicolored frog
Hill Myna
Asian Paradise Flycatcher – Female
Juv. Orange Minivet
This question is person dependent but I compiled this top five places for birding in and around Bangalore for the new bird watchers. Please visit the complete list of birding place around Bangalore. For any further query, please drop me a mail at vaibhav.kumar@gmail.com
1. Lalbagh Park – In the middle of the city, Lalbagh is the biggest botanical garden of India. If you are interested in flowers (Flower show, happens two times in a year), trees and birds, Lalbagh will never upset you. And if you have knowledge of all these three, probably a week will also be not enough to understand Lalbagh.
Directions: Ask anyone in Bangalore, he/she will tell you where is Lalbagh. It has 4 gates and entry is allowed from all 4 gates. No charge for early birder, joggers till 9, after that a nominal charge of Rs 10 per person.
 Green Tailed Jay on Dhalia flower |
 Spot-billed Pelican gulping fish |
You will often see Spot-billed Pelican (nearly threatened species), Booted Eagle, Flycatchers, Spotted Owlets and many more.
View of Lalbagh on a beautiful day
The morning view from Temple gate and evening view from Lake is admirable and the best of nature. Even you will often see snakes in the mouth of kite and pelican, and fishes in the mouth of snakes. Overall a very dramatic action place.
White throated Kingfisher with a glazing light.
2. Valley School: Full of excitement. Valley School sometimes provide amazing result. Since, the place to cover is too much, it is always unexpected. A home of Oriental Honey Buzzard, Peafowl, Junglefowl. You can also sight Indian Pitta, White rumped Shama, Orange Thrush, Indian Blue Robin and many more.
Oriental White eye finding breakfast.
Spectacled cobra
Mottled Wood Owl
White rumped Shama
Coppersmith Barbet
Pale billed Flowerpecker
White throated Woodpecker
3. Â Nandi Hills – 60 Kms away from Bangalore. This place provides the most amazing site and a great offer to birders. I just put the place on no. 3 because it is 60 kms away from Bangalore. Nandi hills claims a completely different set of birds than rest of the Bangalore. Most of the Thrushs, Flycatchers and some of the scavengers are easy to spot at Nandi Hills. Not only the birds, Nandi hills also provides an excellent sunrise and majestic mountain view.
Blue Capped Rock Thrush – Female
Cloud View of Nandi Hills
Egyptian Vultures
Sunrise view of Nandi
4. Bannerghatta Area: Â Bannerghatta area in itself is Infinity. There are many sub-forests inside Bannerghatta national park. Some of the birding places are Ragihalli, Kagalipura, Bannerghatta Zoo Area and many more. Please be disciplined with the restricted area. Rules are meant for our good. We have our best time of birding in Bannerghatta national park and we have seen the worst time accidents in this area.
Pied Kingfisher
Brown breasted Flycatcher
Blue bearded Bee-eater
Blue Capped Rock Thrush
Black Eagle in flight
Asian Brown Flycatcher
5. Hoskote Lake – Actually its tough to tell which Lake or place to put on 5th place. But then, by seeing the dying lakes in Bangalore, I guess Hoskote is much better than other lakes. Hoskote lake claims all kind of ducks, waders and provides a pretty good sight of raptors. Place is little confusing, though birders have made it a famous place now.
Migrated White Storks
Black Eared Kite
Black-breasted weavers
Flock of Garganey at fight under the attack of Marsh Harrier.
Brahminy Kite – The killer
India - Nature, Travel And Birding 