A wildlife camp at Doddamakkali

Jungle Lodges and Resorts conducted a camp for students aged between 8-15 at Doddamakkali in September, 2009. Lohith, a participant sent in his feedback on the camp.

"I found that the camp to be awesome and very informative.At the camp we had many activities, like fishing,raft making, bird watching, trekking and it was a great learning experience. Karthik Sir, the Chief Naturalist gave us an understanding of the vegetation & we learnt about biodiversity and the various kinds of forests in India.He also taught us about animal behaviour & their habitats.

We learnt about photography from Avinash who also explained some important rules of photography and we learnt the difference between a photo & a snapshot. Narayan sir is an excellent bird watcher, and he showed us several birds and how to identify them in the jungle.

The resort staff made our stay in the camp comfortable and they made us play many games like volley ball, etc. Preethi of Jungle Lodges & Suma who was volunteering organised and planned all activities of the camp.They were very friendly and very co-operative in all the aspects.Our stay amidst the silent forest was so peaceful and cozy that I almost forgot my home.When it was the time to return we couldn't believe that 3 days passed so quickly."

For Lohith's pictures, click here.

K Gudi - A Wild Orchestra

It was dark and I was guided by a series of hurricane lanterns hung at regular intervals on wooden stakes driven into the ground. I found my way to the tent, that I had checked into earlier in the day. But for the light emanating from these lanterns, it was pitch dark. The lights of Chamrajnagar glimmered in the distance. The night was very pleasant, considering that it was the peak of summer. It was a perfect setting to hit bed after a day of extensive travel. I was visiting the K.Gudi Wilderness Camp in the famous Biligiri Rangaswamy Wildlife Sanctuary.

I was very tired and quickly fell asleep. I had but slept a couple of hours when I was woken up by a curious sound. I lay on my back hoping to hear it once more. There it was again - ‘one more bottle’ … … ‘one more bottle’!. It was indeed the call of the Indian Cuckoo. From this point onwards, I was kept awake for most of the night by the pleasant but incessant calls uttered a few times every minute. In the silence of the night, the call was loud and clear. This, to me, also suggested some sense of well-being. The sweet sounds of the night kept me awake and excited right through. All my tossing and turning with the hope of falling asleep were in vain.

When a wee bit of light trickled through the curtains, I checked the time. It was early in the morning; my watch indicated 5.30 am. It was about this time that the Common Hawk Cuckoo with its ‘… brainfever, brainfever …’ call joined in. I finally decided to get out of bed and get ready for the safari into the forest.

The morning was very still. There was a hint of mist and all else quiet but for these two birds calling. There was enough light to discern the outlines of the trees that surrounded my tent. Just when it was getting brighter, the Jungle Owlet came up with its lengthy raucous call, which increased in tempo as it progressed and ended abruptly, as if it were handing over charge to the diurnal birds until sunset later in the day.


At this point of time the Malabar Whistling Thrush seemed to take over eagerly. Its long string of mellow, fluty whistles that sounded almost human was a treat to the ears. It was such a surreal experience that I will not even venture to describe. All descriptions would fall short and not do justice. It would be best to personally listen to and experience this call. However, I think it is only right to mention that Salim Ali – father of Indian Ornithology has aptly likened the call to a school boy whistling joyously when returning home from school.

When I was enjoying the song of the Malabar Whistling Thrush, the Crow Pheasant pitched in with its booming ‘whoop, whoop, whoop …’ call and soon, several other birds joined in. The Small Green Barbet came up with its guttural ‘kutroo, kutroo, …’ call which it continued for a good part of the morning. The little Tailor Bird added the ‘tuwee, tuwee, tuwee, …’ call for a short while.

Then the Spotted Babbler burst into its morning song that consisted of a long series of short whistles before it trailed away. It later settled down to its usual monotonous ‘I beat you’ call. The shy and secretive Slatyheaded Scimitar Babbler decided to make its presence felt as well. The hollow sounding ‘hut huhuhu’ call of the male repeated three or four times was very characteristic.

Albeit a little late, the Grey Junglefowl, ushered in dawn with the ‘kru kooo kurru kuk kuk’ call and went silent after calling a couple of times. The male Koel added its loud ‘kuoo’ repeated several times. From a nearby tree, a Quaker Babbler gave out its melodious ‘daadee give me toffy’ joining the seemingly ever-growing list of birds announcing daybreak.

I got ready and came out of the tent only to be treated by a Magpie Robin sitting pretty on the wooden stake outside my tent and uttering the shrill ‘sweee, sweee, …’ call. The mist slowly lifted and the Magpie Robin flew away too!

All the birds were out there announcing their presence and location to members of their own kind and perhaps to others too. It seemed as if they were playing their little part in the orchestra played without a conductor. Nevertheless, what an orchestra it was! It was perfect - a symphony that I will never forget for a long time to come.

Written by Chief Naturalist Karthikeyan- this article was published in The Hindu, Metro Plus, Bangalore Edition recently.

Doddamakkali - Pristine Wilderness

Tucked away amidst the rolling hills of the Cauvery Valley lies the beautiful riverine beach called Doddamakkali. The Cauvery flows deceptively calm here - just a few metres away, it forms rapids. A few kilometres upstream lie the mighty Shivanasamudra falls. If you float downstream by around 6 km, you would reach Bheemeshwari.

Doddamakkali is a small camp run by Jungle Lodges and Resorts. The camp has 10 tents and the trademark Gol Ghar for dining.

We set off on a 2-day trip to Doddamakkali in the last week of July. Enroute birding was minimal as we set off pretty late in the morning. The highlight was a bridge off Maddur where we saw House swifts in frenzied activity. Investigation under the bridge revealed nests! And it was the first time ever that I saw a House swift completely (usually its only a fleeting glimpse in flight).


We were welcomed at JLR with puzzled faces. The camp was not informed of our arrival (possibly due to erratic telephone connectivity). Then they swung into action. Within 10 minutes, our tent was ready. In half an hour, we were treated to a simple yet sumptuous lunch. This JLR camp definitely has 10/10 service!

Doddamakkali is a treat for the nature-lover. An amazing array of flora and fauna greets the visitor there. The grandest of them, for me, was the Grey-headed Fish Eagle that seems to be resident in the camp. Perfectly camouflaged in the leaves of the tall trees it usually sits on, this beautiful bird can be seen flying all along the camp and crossing the river both sides throughout the day.



Many other birds made frequent appearances around the camp. The resident Grey Hornbills' calls initially made us look out for Black Kites. A Brahminy Kite and Common Kingfisher competed with the Fish Eagle for food. We saw many Great Cormorants flying upstream. The resident White-browed Wagtails tempted us to photograph them, only to fly away at the last moment. A male White-naped Woodpecker showed himself just as we were leaving.


On the plateau above, we saw Jungle Bushquails on 3 separate occasions. And again, the first time I saw them for such a long duration. Common Woodshrikes, Eurasian Collared Doves, Black-rumped Woodpeckers and Streak-throated Woodpeckers were having a ball of a time. A few eagles (one pair of Short-toed Serpent Eagles; need to id the remaining) were scanning the countryside for food.

A great sight at the camp was the hundreds of Blue Tiger butterflies clinging onto the same tree, with some Common Crow butterflies amidst them. Tried my hand at photographing them but the light just wasn't right! We noted at least 13 different species of butterflies at the camp. I am sure there were many more...


Indian Grey Mongooses were a common sight around the camp. We didn't see any Giant Squirrels or Otters. Chital seemed to be rare, with 2 glimpses in the plateau. A wild boar ran within 50m of us on one of our treks. Bonnet macaques were plenty in the camp.

We were also witness to some very unfortunate poaching activity in the river. We were warily approaching the Fish Eagle in the photograph above to get a close-up shot. Suddenly, a huge "BOOM" ringed through the air. As I regained my senses, I saw poachers on the other bank pulling out dead fish from the river. We later got to hear from the JLR folks that this is a regular occurrence. When they tried to counter the poachers last time around, they were pelted with stones and dynamite.

Things to do:
1) Nature-watching - The best thing to do there!
2) Trek along the rocky shoreline, interspersed with beaches. It's very tiring. Remember to carry a bottle of water with you.
3) Trek up the hill behind the camp. Beautiful landscapes beckon on this trail. A bit slippery in the beginning.
4) Drive up to the plateau and nature-watch.
5) Beach volley-ball.
6) Coracle ride.

How to get there?
Drive to Maddur on the Bangalore-Mysore road. At Maddur, take the diversion towards Kollegal. Drive on the Kollegal road till you see a board on the left-hand side which says Shimsha Hydro-electric project. There is also a smaller board mentioning JLR. Drive down the road till the Shimsha project gate. There's another gate on the right hand side, leading to a mud road, that you'd need to take. Sign into the register there and drive through 8 km of mud road and descending ghat road to get to Doddamakkali.

Things to keep in mind:
1) The camp has limited electricity. There are a couple of electric lanterns and a fan that run at night. You can charge your mobiles and camera batteries in the extension cords there.
2) Very limited mobile connectivity. Airtel works in a couple of places around the camp, sometimes. There is a Reliance coin-operated telephone in the Gol Ghar.
3) The last 8 km drive is on a mud road, with rocks scattered. Please keep your spare tyre in good condition.

List of birds and butterflies here

Posted by MV Shreeram, a blogger , photographer and avid birdwatcher from Bangalore.

If you wish to contribute to JLR blog, do write in to us at junglelodgesandresorts@gmail.com

B R Hills - encounter of sorts

There is something inexplicably wonderful about going into the forest in the rains – the green is fresh and bright, and though the sightings of birds and animals are not as frequent and varied as in the dry season, the lush greenery soothes the mind and heart immensely. And when the forest is on a range of hills, like in BR Hills, it makes the trip all the more special.

Imagine shivering with cold in the middle of June! The sky was covered with clouds, and chill breezes accompanied our jeep rides through the undulating forest.

K Gudi

The K Gudi Wilderness Camp has quaint log cottages, with thatched roofs hanging low. One night, we awoke at 3 am to the sound of someone or something pulling at the thatch! Madhavi managed to photograph the culprit the next day. She has also got some amazing shots of the landscape at BR Hills.

The camp had some really interesting denizens – on the walkway outside the cottages, I saw this colourful character…


Our constant companions at K Gudi, especially during mealtimes, were very bold and fearless. One of them leapt onto our breakfast table as we jumped away, and another stole up to the buffet and made off with a stack of toast!! But most of the time, they were busy relaxing and bonding .

There were wild boars running around in the grounds, wary, but not frightened of people. And just outside the camp, we met someone as curious about us as we were delighted to see him!Look at his smile! Unfortunately this beautiful stripe necked mongoose didn’t hang around too long… he walked off leaving us beaming at this wonderful encounter!


We saw the usual suspects – a small herd of sambar that stood very still…Several herds of spotted deer, including a lone stag who decided that the lush grass around was not good enough to eat…We got caught in a sudden downpour and had to stop the jeep, and to keep us company, there was this herd of gaur, completely unaffected by the rain!


Of course, no trip to BR Hills can be complete without the elephants! In the dense forest, they are quite difficult to spot. One can come upon them suddenly, and then just as suddenly, they vanish into the greenery. We saw a little family for only a few seconds.

And no discussion of mammals in an Indian forest (except Gir!) can be complete without the tiger. No, we didn’t see one. A newbie couple (new to wildlife) – capless, camera-and-binocularless, the guy in a pink shirt and the girl in a colourful kurta, with a new JLR employee driving them, saw one – it ambled across the track in front of their jeep! That’s life! (We’ve resolved to wear pink shirts to tiger reserves from now on )We did, however, see fresh signs of a tiger on our morning trek. A pugmark…


We saw numerous birds, several lifers for me among them. But I couldn’t get good pictures, possibly because of the dense canopy and the cloudy weather. There was an abundance of orange-headed thrushes and Indian blackbirds, and the forest resounded with the song of the Malabar whistling thrush. Another bird that we saw fairly often was the Southern hill myna, flying around in rather raucous flocks!Having been used to shy, skulking rufous treepies, I was pleasantly surprised to see two of them sitting and preening for a long time on a bare tree!That brings us to my favourite category of birds – the woodpeckers! A lifer for me was when I saw the yellow crowned woodpecker and the brown capped pygmy woodpecker.


Some interesting trees…

A rather common yet fascinating sight; a strangler fig eating into another tree…


The tree that bleeds… the honne mara (Dalbergia ougeinensis) whose sap looks like blood…


And this strange tree with deformities on its trunk looking like carvings in an ancient temple…


…and creatures…

A very co-operative common toad, who allowed us to pick him up and did not jump away even after we put him down…


The largest crab I’ve seen – almost the size of a dinner plate!

And this tiny pond terrapin (just two inches long), alongside a minuscule pool of water in the hollow of a large rock! I wonder how he got there… and I wonder what will happen once the pool dries up. Narayan, the naturalist at K Gudi, said that he would most definitely become a meal for a bird of prey sooner rather than later…For a species reputed to be slow moving, this one was quite chipper – and was most glad to get back into the water, where he shot across to the darkest corner.

and the EVENTS!!!

Mother Nature is not exactly compassionate. We saw several instances of this on the trip.

Our second morning found an unfortunate stag near the camp’s lake, unable to get up. He had probably injured his spine in a rutting fight with another male. A vet was called for; but it seemed highly unlikely that he would be able to walk again…


On our trek, we came across a small water body where a life-and-death drama was in progress. A large crab had caught hold of a common toad, and held fast as the toad struggled to get free.The toad was almost as large as the crab, and for as long as we watched, both of them refused to give up.And just a couple of feet away, the production of new life was busily in progress…


Finally, the most exciting experience of the trip – while watching this black drongo busy collecting flies on the ground…And so, though we did not see a tiger, or leopard, or sloth bear, it was an extremely interesting and satisfying trip. Narayan, the naturalist at K Gudi, accompanied us on all our safaris and took us on a lovely trek. Thank you, Narayan, for all the time and attention you lavished on us! A ton of thanks to Garima for making the bookings, and to her and Jainy for driving us all the way to and from BR hills!


Needless to say, I’m looking forward to going there again – this time hopefully we’ll see a leopard!

Contributed by Uma , an avid birder, photographer and blogger . To see videos of her trip and more pictures visit her blog.

The Naturalist Experience

After hearing about the naturalist training from one of my friends, I was eagerly looking forward to attending one myself. And the opportunity presented itself earlier this month on July 17-19th which I grabbed with both hands.

So, come Friday July 17th, armed with my camera and some basic necessities, there I was in the Bannerghatta Jungle Resorts camp. BNP has several good bus connections to the city and I decided to use them and also in the process do my bit for the carbon footprint. The camp is a located in the herbivore campus which is nice and green especially after the recent bouts of showers. Several deer, antelopes and gaur roam around freely in the campus.

The level 1 training, conducted by Mr Kathikeyan, is a very useful start into the wonderful world of nature. It provides you with basic knowledge about eco-systems and gets you going into birding with a more organized and informed approach. Karthik’s energy, enthusiasm and knowledge is also very inspiring and interacting with him over couple of days was itself a training of sorts. Personally I was very enthused by some of his macro shots and tried my hand at it too. The little white spider was my first step into the macro world.

After some ice breaking introductions and a few class room sessions, we went for a field trip in the green and lovely herbivore campus. Rain and cloudy conditions did disrupt the proceedings a bit. But we did manage to get a few good sightings.

This beautiful pair of laughing doves sitting on the rock is one of my favorite images from the trip. Just the habitat around the birds made the scene worth clicking.

The Nilgai with its beautiful fur coat and a white “beard” entertained the group before disappearing into the thickets.

Next morning was a total washout – it kept raining continuously. So, we settled for the class room session, which was to happen in the later part of the day. After breakfast, the skies cleared and we decided to make a field trip in the middle of the day. We had good sightings of various birds but for me the Brown Capped Pygmy Woodpecker was the best sighting. The lighting was a bit disappointing but got a good enough shot…

Just down the road. the white-rumped munia was collecting material for the nest…

…and Karthik for his macro world.

Saturday evening turned out to be the best for birding. The swallows were playing around on a bush. I have always seen so many of them flying but it was an opportunity not to be missed to take a picture of one sitting from close distance

Next morning, the weather again played a bit of a spoil sport. With not many birds out & about, I tried my hands on some more close up macros. The Hover fly made a good cooperating subject (Thanks to Prashant and Vasanth for spotting it).

Rest of the day was spent in some more class room sessions and after a group snap and a quick lunch, we all headed back to our lives in the concrete jungle thinking about all the fun and learning we had over the last couple of days.

Contributed by Manish Singhal, who recently participated in the NTP . He is a keen follower of wildlife and bird photography, which he pursues as a hobby. He can be reached at manishsinghal.in@gmail.com.

For some more photographs of the visit, pl visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/whataurl/sets/72157621637605823/

Kabini Trip Report

Finally, after an entire year I made it back to Kabini. My usual collaborators were unavailable but when the office on Bangalore’s MG Road told me that a tent was available, I just had to grab the opportunity. And thus I left Bangalore at about 6.30 am and soon the Gypsy was screaming down the Mysore highway.

This was my first time in the tents and they are very nice. Unlike the Thattekad tents, these had a lockable door and a lockable chest of drawers.

There were some new faces at Jungle Lodges but most were familiar. Once the Gypsy was sorted out I quickly got down to doing some QTVR and HDR photography. It was good to be back, out of the city, and to smell the clean air.

The HDR images will be posted on my Fisheye site, and the videos are in my blog

Off for the evening game drive accompanied by fellow enthusiasts, most also armed with cameras. On through Karapura village waving back at the village children whilst the driver avoided the sundry cows, chickens, goats, and dogs. We were soon in the forest and welcomed by that characteristic sound of Kabini, the one-more-bottle call of the Indian Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus). In the back ground we could hear chital stags roaring challenges to rivals.

Light levels were fairly low but I managed fairly decent shots of our sightings, mainly elephants, in the forest and on the backwaters. The first lot of elephants were an excited group of females and a young tusker. I did shoot stock using the 28-70 mm L lens but here are some close ups with the 500f4 + 1.4 x converter.
We then chanced upon another nice tusker but he quickly moved off into the bushes. Our last sighting was of an old cross tusker. He would not emerge from the dip he was in, and here is an image that clearly shows the large hole in his right ear. He is a truly magnificent animal.

We also managed a pair of Stripe-necked mongooses. Lastly a small herd of gaur was sighted. A big bull was present but he hastened away into the undergrowth.

Later that evening when we left the forest we heard of a leopard sighting. We waited a bit but there were no alarm calls and so we moved on.

After downloading images and freshening up, I headed to the bar, a place I had not been since my first visit. After a couple of beers and some good chatter with my fellow enthusiasts, it was dinner and off to bed.

The next morning the bunch of us were up bright and early and were the first lot heading to the jungle. The first sighting was of a herd of gaur at a waterhole. There was a big bull present, but I went for tight portraits which you see below.


Later we heard of wild dogs that had made a chital kill near the backwaters. We drove there immediately but they had already polished off the kill. Here are the pictures of the pack which included juveniles.And now some images of langur, wild boar and a tusker before the excitement of the evening.


In the afternoon it started bucketing down and we merely had to enjoy the forest in the rain. I managed the shot of the myna bathing you see below at Tiger Tank.


And then it happened! At sixish we were parked near Tiger Tank and ‘Aaunghhh,’ we heard the roar of a tiger! We tensed and pulled out the cameras and he roared again closer to the tank. We also heard a sambar bell. We waited and he roared twice more, but alas he was moving away from us. But we continued to wait and we then heard him again ‘aaunghhhhhhhhh!’ He then stepped out onto the Power Line road roaring! He was on a patrol, calling out a challenge to any upstart male tigers who happened to trespass into his territory. He then flopped down in the middle of the road and shook his massive head shaking the water from it. He then got up, continued roaring and moved down the road.


Here is best of the pics, please understand that the shutter speed was 1/10 of a second at ISO 1600.

Oftentimes, after a rain, the sun will break out and all will be gorgeous and glistening in the jungle. Apparently the gods of the forest were smiling down upon us, for the next morning turned out to be one of those when everything comes together.

It was clear and at about 7.30 am the sun came out.

Our first encounter was with a herd of bison. Light levels were low and here is a shot of the massive bull which I managed with the 28-70 L-series lens that I had carried for stock imagery.

We then encountered one of the most beautiful birds to be found in Kabini, the White-bellied Woodpecker (Dryocopus javensis). There was a pair and we were able to photograph them at leisure. They are larger than most woodpeckers and handsomer too. Note the black jacket, the pied waistcoat, and the raffish red hat!


Then followed an encounter with a very co-operative Indian Roller which you see below. Photogs, be patient! You will find rollers with clear backgrounds.


News then came in of a pack of wild dogs and we drove to the area where they had last been sighted. Sure enough, we spotted them, again a pack with juveniles, and they were advancing upon our vehicle.


And now follows a harangue to naturalists, drivers, wildlife enthusiasts, and wildlife photographers. If a bird or animal goes into the undergrowth or past your vehicle, it does not mean that it has logged out for the day. Wildlife photography is about waiting, about being patient and waiting for the right shot. And constantly trying to get a better shot. And so, after the wild dogs ran past our vehicle, I noticed that they were gambolling in the jungle behind us and was even able to photograph a pair mating!

Another harangue: wildlife photographers must know their subjects. Wild dogs are social animals and you will get superb shots of social interaction if you are prepared to wait. The idea of moving away as soon as they settle down in the grass borders on the absurd.

In any event, I insisted that the vehicle be reversed, and then proceeded to get some of my best wild dog images ever which you see below.

I find the portrait below to be very poignant. This wonderful animal was once classed as vermin and if we lose our jungles we lose the wild dog as well.


We then drove on and parked near a herd of chital. I made a few portraits, one of which you see below but was happy to capture a stag marking his territory. Deer have several scent glands which they use to mark their territory, and a couple are located just below the eyes. Here the stag is rubbing his scent onto a bush to deter rivals.We then had an encounter was with a very handsome tusker.

Last but not the least, a Changeable Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus cirrhatus) and a peacock obliged us by posing nicely.One of my best trips, for a long time..


Posted by AB Apana , wildlife photographer and blogger from Bangalore. . His blog Wanderings in Wild India is all about Land of Trumpet, Roar and Song.

To know more about Kabini, click here.

Naturalist Training Programme - Level 1

We are pleased to inform you that the dates for the next Naturalists Training Programme has been finalised. The details of the programme are as follows.

Date : July 17-19, 2009
Venue : JLR's Bannerghatta Nature Camp, Bannerghatta National Park
Fee : Rs. 4250/- (incl. board, lodge, training, workshop material & kit)
Registrations : Will be on first come first serve basis as there are limited seats available. A passport size photograph is necessary for registration.
Last Date : On or before July 10, 2009

The application form to register for this programme is attached. Please download the form, fill in the details, affix you passport size photo and courier the same to me along with a cheque or alternately you can come by to our office to complete the formalities. In either case, make sure the formalities are completed on or before the last date. Those interested may kindly register or write back to me for any clarifications.

A tentative schedule for the programme is enclosed here

JUNGLE LODGES AND RESORTS LTD.

3-day Naturalist Training Program July 17-19, 2009

Day 1:

0900 – Reporting at Bannerghatta
0930 – Arrival at Campsite and welcome drink
1000 – Icebreaker
1030 – Introduction/Overview of Trg Prog : Who is a Naturalist? Role of a Naturalist, etc
1130 – Biodiversity in India
1300 – Lunch
1400 – Introduction to Birds and Birdwatching; Tips for Birdwatching
1600 – Tea
1630 – Nature trail
1900 – Film
2000 – Dinner


Day 2:

0600 – Tea
0630 – Nature trail
0900 – Breakfast and free time
1000 – Discussion on nature trail
1100 – Bird behaviour
1230 – Free time
1300 – Lunch
1400 – Introduction to some common birds
1500 – Plant-Animal interaction
1600 – Tea
1630 – Nature trail
1900 – Film
2000 - Dinner


Day 3:

0600 – Tea
0630 – Nature trail
0930 – Breakfast and free time
1030 – Urban wildlife
1145 – Why save wildlife?
1245 – Interactive feedback; Questionnaire
1330 – Lunch
1430 - Disperse

For details and confirmations, contact

S.Karthikeyan
Chief Naturalist
Jungle Lodges and Resorts Ltd.
II Floor, Shrungar Shopping Centre
M.G.Road, Bangalore - 560 001.
Tel:080-25597021 / 24 / 25 ; Mobile : 9449599777
Fax : 080-25586163
Email - palmfly@gmail.com