Black-naped Monarch welcomed in Lalbagh

Lalbagh is always an awesome place for birding. Today we witnessed Black-naped Monarch.Some pretty low light condition shots. And a battle of snake, egret and cormorant.

Black Naped Monarch

Black Naped Monarch

Battle of Snake, Egret and Cormorant for a fish

A crab

Looking closely the fish was quite bigger and snake was not able to gulp it

Asian Koel Female

 

Post-birding drama, 111211

Hi everyone,

I’ll be writing about the very enjoyable 2nd Sunday birding outing, especially with the children and teachers of Sri Vani School of Magadi Road….but before that, I have to tell you about events that unfolded just after we dispersed.

When going back, I realized that the “birding bag” I carry (binocs, bird book, water bottle, camera, sketch pad) had been mislaid, and we narrowed it down to the area where we had seen the Spotted Owlet (near the Bamboo thicket). When we went back there, we found a group of people clearing up the dead leaves. We asked them if they had seen a bag, and they shook their heads…but something about their denial made us suspicious. On pressing further, they said they did have the bag, and while Dr Sanjeev Managoli quickly phone the police, they produced the bag.

 I just returned from Coorg yesterday evening, so my purse containing all my credit cards, driving licence, and a fair amount of cash, had been in the bag. I found that the purse was missing.  My bag was full of dead grass….and the credit cards and driving licence had been taken out of the purse and put in the bag.

We told the cleaners this, and said that we would not move from there unless they produced the purse. When an inspector and a constable arrived on their Cheetah bike, things started getting interesting, with the contractor telling us that if we “did not make a scene” he was responsible for the recovery of the purse. One man then got into the lorry, and magically produced the bag from the pile of dead leaves. Relieved, I gave him Rs.100, which I was carrying in my pocket, as a reward…and then opened the purse.

It was fortunate that I knew exactly how much money was in the purse, because I found that about Rs.3000 was missing from the purse. We told the police this….I was really scared by this time that they would start beating up the man who had been talking in great and unnecessary detail, about how the bag had been open, and so on. But a little threatening, followed by a period when we let the contractor talk to the group, worked wonders. The money, folded just as I had kept it, was brought out from the waist pouch of one of the ladies. As I had withdrawn the amount just the previous day from the ATM, I knew the serial numbers and they matched. We did not press charges….after all, I felt, we had been careless ourselves, and such money would be a temptation….and we left. The police refused to take any money from us, and we thanked them profusely.

The whole process…took about an hour and a half of, alternately, waiting and conversation.

So…if you happen to leave your belongings behind….DO ask the people around, without hesitation. And do call 100 on your phones….the “cheetah” police do arrive, and are very effective in recovering the lost articles/currency.

I am deeply grateful to Dr Sanjeev Managoli, who acted so promptly in both making the phone call, and who also insisted that we must stay until everything was recovered (when I saw that my credit cards and driving licence were in the bag, I was willing to write off the money and leave)….and who made sure that these people got the message that dishonesty might have bad consequences.  Without his determined course of action, I do not think I could have even got the bag back, let alone the cash. Thank you, Sanjeev! Thank you also to Apoorva, Kannan, and Bhavita, who ignored their hunger pangs and stood by me throughout.

OK, I’ll write about the delightful morning we had, with the children of Sri Vani School,   experienced birders like MBK , Subbu, Swamy, Ranjini, and others, the shutterbug brigade of Wide Angle who sort of  came along, too……and new people like Rohan-the-bird-cartoonist who joined the BWFC outing for the first time….after I post the photos to Facebook!

Cheers, from a relieved-at-not-having-been-relieved of cash

Jigani Birding and Buttering

Some beautiful bird of Jigani Lakes:

When we reached Jigani

Crested Lark

Golden Fronted Leafbird

Paddy Field Pipit

Black Shouldered Kite

Blue Pansy

Yellow Pansy

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Puttenahalli Lake – Fight for nature survival

Puttenahalli Lake – A beautiful lake now crowded with multi-floored building from almost 4 sides. Usha, one of the great nature lovers is fighting high to save the lake.. and I personally believe she will, if we are going to help us as well. Some of the pictures here from lake and a mini-forest nearby.

Common Coot and the love

Shikra - Female. People have spotted it commonly there

Juv. Bronzed Winged Jacana

Through this blog, I will request more people to visit this lake and try to put a sense of importance of nature in people around.

Spotted Billed Ducks

Grebe Family

Great tit

Brahminy Kite - At flight

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Pale billed Flowerpecker

Magpie Robin

Small Minivet

Some small creatures and butterflies…

Glassy Tiger

Palmfly

Luna Moth

The Baronet

Common Four-ring

Bamboo Treebrown

Common Castor

Common Rose

Jewel Bug

My attention to write is clear. I just want to tell, there is an amazing life existing because of a small lake which people like us want to finish. So, please have little concern and have a visit of lake. Important links: More picture sets:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150412527131281.408683.569911280&type=1 (Vaibhav and Deepu)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150325638368878.355992.587058877&type=1 (Deepa)

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.206795052721777.47299.100001738515620&type=1 (Sushil)

http://puttenahallilake.blogspot.com/2010/07/puttenahalli-lake-is-ready-and-waiting.html – By Usha.

Some true color display

It was a great day for birding. Some birds at action and some new migrant at work.First of all we have started in different direction for a change :). Some birding clips from Bannerghatta Zoo area.

Green Bee eater tossing the prey

Warm welcome to Grey wagtail

Eclipse Plmaged Purple Sunbird displaying the color

Pied Kingfisher - The best flight maker

Spotted Owlet - Eye to eye

Rufous-tailed Lark

Long-tailed Shrike - After ages

Small blue kingfisher - Small beauty

Black headed Cuckooshrike - Down view

Bay Backed Shrike

Ashy Prinia - though the color looks faded

Golden-fronted Leafbird

Indian Robin - Beautiful Lady

Common Kite fight

Brahminy Kite flight

Scaly Breasted Munia's

White bellied Drongo

Booted Warbler - Acrobatic Move

Lady Gaint Wood Spider

Golden silk orb-weaver - Another variety

Lemon Pansy - Displaying the true color

Red Rumped Swallow - I will name them Wire Bird

Birding, Buttering at Valley School

Chandu, my birding partner came home on Wednesday night with an excitement that we will go somewhere tomorrow. Yes, it was holiday but I was tired. Tough to peruse him and we decided to go all time favorite Valley School. Reaching around 6.30 AM, again a cloudy morning. Decreased our chances of butterflies and even birds. Though I put camera on a high ISO and said “lets take whatever is coming on the way”.

Deepu and Chandu searching insect, butterfly, bird and anything whatsoever was available. Most of the pictures will have a high noise but I want to share our work for the day and yes reporting is important.

Thanks to Deepu for most of the butterflies picture and Chandu for searching birds.

Common Wanderer

Pea Blue

White eye Buzzard

Common Pierrot

Indian Grizzled Skipper

Blue Faced Malkoha

Fire bug

Glory Lily

Black headed Munia

white browed bulbul

Common Picturewing

Scaly Breasted Munia - Family

indian robin juvenile

Red-wattled Lapwing

Choco Pansy 🙂

Green Bee eaters

Immature Grasshopper

Golden Silk Orb-weaver

Rufous Babbler

UnID Bee

Last but not the least 🙂 [I guess this is a old dialogue now], new chaps of birding :

Chandu at focus, Deepu with Camera

Nrityagram Dance Village – The best

It was Mohan(one of our bangalorecaptured blogger) and he had invited us at his home. A beautiful home with lots of Flora and Fauna. Plan was to celebrate the birthday at Nrityagram Dance Village – a killer place to watch classical dance. Informally photography was prohibited inside the classroom which makes sense. Some of the beauty outside the place, I am even adding some of the pictures taken at Mohan’s Land.

Pea Blue

Great tit

Loten's Sunbird

Old Asset

Symbol of Dance Village

At her home - Purple Sunbird

The Baronet

Black Rumped Woodpecker

Patterned Flower

Grass Demon

China Rose

RedGarden!

I happen to reach lalbagh at the slightest excuse and every time end up walking around with a child like joy of having reached a toyshop! It opens up a pandoras box of opportunities to enjoy nature in its various forms, shapes, hues and colors…Some photos which i had taken here during my various visits have been attached below.

Bright and Sunny morning!

 

The lone companion

 

Panoramic lalbagh

 

Serendipity strikes! I was capturing the Tortoise and lo behold the indian pond heron comes into the frame!

 

Spotted Owlet

 

Purple swamphen

 

Pheasant tailed Jacana

 

Squirrel and its arch enemy - The rat snake

 

Black Kite

 

The forbidden fruit!

 

 

Cubbon Park – Flora and Fauna

Cubbon Park is in the center of the city. Expecting it to provide a flora and fauna of jungle kind is not possible. I roam around 2- days near this park and I believe it has lot of potential. Here I am  going to post some of the pictures near Cubbon Park.

Beautiful Central Library

chocolate pansy - butterfly

Rose Garden at the back of Library - Hybrid Rose

Hybrid Red Rose

Flowers

Gaint Beautiful trees

magpie robin - juv

Chestnut Bob - The Skippers Butterfly

Seasonal flowers come on the roadside

Part 3 – Lalbagh Show Rocks…

After two awesome posts by Prathima and Priyanka, there is not much to write about Lalbagh flower show. But on the base line, I will say everyone should see it, specially for children and one who has interest in nature.

Tailed jay on Zinnia flower

Common Grass Yellow on Zinnia flower

Moving forward, I can see the crowd and excitement in people towards flower show.

One more flavor of Peruvian Lily. A true color of nature and this species exists in 90-120 colors across the globe.

Here is the red color flavor of the same.

Red Flavor of Peruvian Lily. A true color of nature and this species exists in 90-120 colors across the globe.

Cineraria - Exists in 50 different species

One more flavour of Cineraria

The forever flowers of Lalbagh(I mean when season allow) are Grand Crinum Lily and Orange Cosmos.

Grand Crinum Lily - Always in Lalbagh

Wasps at Orange Cosmos

Some of the flowers specially for Flower show.

Flower show special

Flower show special

A seasonal flower - Seen at lalbagh and Cubbon Park - Don't know the name

Red Rose embedded with Yellow Rose

Marigold growing up 🙂

China Rose - evergreen beauty 🙂

Celosia - A siiky Feel

🙂

Sultan's Balsam - Lots of flavors.

I am not done but considering pictures, I am stopping here. For more, you can visit : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150349715871281.394368.569911280&type=1 (My facebook album)