Kabini Explored

Aishwarya Belliappa, an avid traveller and NTP participant shares her experience from the recent visit to JLR Kabini..

As always the case, it had been a while since my visit to the jungles and when a trip to Kabini JLR was suggested I quickly agreed. Luckily  the tents were available as it was a weekday.I had vague memories of Kabini JLR, from my visit here in my teens, but the property looked prettier than what I remembered.  

I was famished and so deposited the bags in the rooms and headed for Lunch. In true JLR style, the food was simple yet delicious.  Contented, i then went around exploring the gardens that were in full bloom. Also managed to capture a few butterflies, spiders and bees buzzing about.

Common Wanderer

Northern Spotted Grasshopper

Common jay Butterfly

As the day progressed, i looked forward to the Jungle safari... Infact, encounters with wildlife started right in JLR campus as we watched the gardeners hand over snakes captured in a bottle to be released into the forest.

Gaur

With great expectation we boarded the jeeps. Of course as always we hoped to see the cats, but I had also requested for bird watching. The naturalist, Shivanand who came along on the safari was quite a bird watching enthusiast who spotted quite a few birds that i had not seen before.

A lone Elephant

Beautiful Peacock

Crested Serpent Eagle

As we drove around, there were quite a few Spotted Deer/Chitals and Langurs. We also noticed a lone guar near a watering hole who posed for a shot. And then there was the elephant crossing the road ahead of us. As we drove along, another jeep from the forest department mentioned spotting a Leopard going for a drink at GK bunk. 

Langur

We quickly headed in that direction, drove around for sometime, but with no luck.  We returned to the resort exhilarated with the safari and hungry for more.. Back in the resort,i put my feet up with a book and hot pakodas & coffee.

The next day dawned bright and early with the morning safari at 6.15, we spotted quite a few birds. As we got closer to the waters, we got to see some elephants and even the elusive stripe necked  mongoose

A stripe necked  mongoose

The highlight of that safari was seeing the Crested Hawk Eagle at close quarters. It was a beautiful bird that let us watch him for good 5 mins. The other bird I was excited about was the pygmy woodpecker. It was so small it mistook it was a warbler till Shivanand pointed it out.

Flame backed Woodpecker

Back from the safari took a short boat ride and once done with breakfast, I was ready to leave. Since the sun was out there were a lot of butterflies around so spent time chasing them. And then I was back on the road to Bangalore. So ended a peaceful trip into the wild.

Daroji Wild Life Sanctuary - a photofeature

Nikhilesh Mahakur, Bangalore based IT professional and photographer shares this photofeature on sloth bears from Daroji Wildlife Sanctuary . Nikhilesh is an avid traveller, wildlife enthusiast and has travelled all over the country, capturing Life and its wonderful moments . His blog, titled Life is a "journey amongst people, places and wilderness " and you can see some of his wonderful photo essays and posts out there .

You can see more photographs from Daroji in Nikhilesh's journal here. Please click on the photographs here to appreciate them better

A trip to the wilderness of Bandipura

It was time again for a visit to the jungles of Karnataka. This time I decided to go to Bandipur National Park from May 23rd to 25th. Bandipur NP is located in the Chamrajnagar district of southern Karnataka.  After completing all the arrangements for my accommodation at JLR, Bandipur, I called my friend to check if he would be interested in joining me during the weekday for Bandipur. Without hesitation the answer that I got was “Yes”.

We were discussing on what are the locations that we can visit enroute Bandipur. We both were interested in capturing the Blue Tailed Bee Eaters as this was the perfect season to watch them. After few minutes we finalized our trip plan and came up with a different agenda.

 Bangalore (5:30 am)-> Ramnagara (Watch Vultures) -> Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary(RBS) -> Bandipur (2 nights and 3 days, 4 safari’s in total) -> Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary -> Bangalore.

As we reached Ramnagara around 7am, we found 7 LBV (Long Billed Vultures) perched on the rocks quietly.  It was an overcast cloudy day. The weather was chill and windy. We hanged around there for an hour, took some shots and landscapes of Ramnagara.

Had a good time in RBS. Tried to shoot some against the light but didn’t succeed. It was too hot and we decided to proceed to Bandipur so as to not miss our lunch there  We had our formalities done, pushed ourselves in the room and quickly charged our batteries.

We kept our expectations on the sightings to near zero as the weather was cloudy and we expected rain. We took our first safari on May 23rd which was evening safari.

Saw this Blue Beard Bee Eater beautifully perched on the blossomed bamboo tree.

Saw the other common mammals like Langur, Indian Boar, Spotted Deers, Sambhar Deer. Suddenly it was too windy and a unique call emerged from the top of the tree. It was first time for me to hear that call. It was a call of Changeable Hawk Eagle. We couldn’t photograph it. We moved on as it started raining and within 10 mins it stopped. I thought its going to be a no-sighting day even for birds, but was happy that we can see the lush green forest after a shower.

As we were proceeding on a steep road, I got to see a Leopard crossing the road in a jiffy. I spotted it first due to the vantage point that I had in the jeep. I immediately informed the driver about the Leopard and asked him to go slow and stop. It crossed the road so fast and didn’t fail to stop before vanishing. It was looking away from us and thats when I got this shot.

It just went inside the bush and I told myself ‘Oh God, What a sight it was’. My first Leopard sighting. Our jeep driver did an excellent tracking and he went ahead, we all were confused on his sudden move. He went to the end of the road and waited there for few minutes. We couldn’t see the cat, driver said, we are going to wait here for sometime. By the time two other jeeps came in one ahead us and other behind. They sensed we are waiting for some big cat. 5 mins past, 10 mins past, slowly we could see something moving in the bush.

This huge male was very careful in taking each step, couldn’t hear any kind of sound when he moved. He then slowly popped out of the bush just to see those three jeeps. He quickly climbed the tree and gave good 2 mins for us. Marked his territory , rubbed himself against the tree trunk and jumped to next tree and got down in a flash. It was an amazing sighting we had in Bandipur.

We were happy to spot a cat during such conditions, again we were proved wrong by the nature, you never know what you are being offered. Its pure luck.

We started our next morning safari with same kind of situation. It was pretty much calm, silent safari that we had. I would rather say, it was a Peacock safari. We saw so many Peacock’s than anything else. I tried against the golden light few shots.

We saw few jeeps waiting and got to know about the alarm calls, our same jeep driver, didn’t stop anywhere and went ahead. Same confused look on our faces, but this time with a confidence that he knows what he is doing. We stopped at a place with good vantage point.

Our friend Chirdeep was shooting some warblers on the near by bush and suddenly from the view-finder he saw a tiger entering the frame. I will leave it to your imagination of what kind of experience that would be. He slowly said, Gowri .. A tigress who had given birth 5 months ago. She has a litter of 4.

I was searching for her as she walked behind our jeep. It should be less than 15ft distance, we started clicking, she didn’t care to look at us. Her cubs were not to be seen.

Our luck continued. We came back happy and was thinking whether to go to GS betta or to drive on the Bandipur -> Masinagudi road to try our luck.

We decided to go on the Bandipur -> Masinagudi road and kept the GS Betta visit for next day after the check-out from JLR on the way to Mysore.

We got to see only Langurs on the side of the road.

The first two safari’s it was raining cats and but not dogs. The remaining two safaris it literally rained. We wanted to use this to shoot some Chital’s shots.

Our safari’s were done and we packed for Mysore. As per the plan, we decided to visit GS Betta. It was windy, after rain and cloudy. As we reached the top and parked our vehicles, we were stunned by the beauty of the grassland forest in front of us with Elephants grazing happily. What more you can ask. It was a real heaven’s corridor. We kept clicking with different perspectives and one here for your eyes.

I dedicate the above image to my wife and my sweet son, with out their support, I would have not gone out and experienced the same.

We left GS Betta full of images and memories. Had lunch at Kamat in Mysore and did a quick stop again at RBS. Light too harsh, tried some flight shots.

Reached Bangalore at around 7:45pm with loads of pictures and fresh memories in mind. What a delightful trip it was!!

Posted by IT professional, wildlife photographer and NTP member, Kesavamurthy on his recent trip to Kabini.Keshava blogs at Vignettes of the Wild and you can see more pictures here

Birding in Ganeshgudi

Radha Rangarajan, photographer and NTP participant from Banagalore describes her trip to Ganeshgudi


A sleepless night. Departure at 3.15AM. The highway mostly empty, except for huge trucks. Brightly lit up toll booths. Fleeting lights from villages and towns. 120 kmph on the speedometer. Trance and house music to keep up with the momentum. A well-laid out NH4. The journey to Ganeshgudi had only begun.

Considering the number of people who'd told me that Ganeshgudi is to a birder what Disneyland is to a 10 year old, it had been on the 'must visit' list for a long time. When Alexis and Neha graciously offered to take me along on a trip they had planned, I finally had the opportunity to check Ganeshgudi off the list (and add it to the 'visit again' list of course). At around 500 kms from Bangalore, Ganeshgudi is insanely far. While researching on the route and traveling options, we decided that driving would be the best choice. Since it would be a very long drive, Alexis decided to get his driver along. 

National Highway 4 is in excellent condition and is well suited for a long drive. The landscapes on either side change by the second. Cotton fields and open barren land alternate with sunflower fields. A lush green Davangere kicks in out of the blue, brick making units convert the landscape to a bright red here and there. Ranebennur has the typical arid dry grassland habitat, Chitradurga is brown and rocky. The highway doesn't have good pitstops, there are very few places to eat or rest. 

After a failed attempt to get 'benne dose' at Davangere - apparently none of the restaurants there serve breakfast before 8:30AM - we stuck to tomato sandwiches prepared by Neha for breakfast. Luck struck twice and we were caught at two railway crossings, trucks lined up in order next to us. If only city-folk could learn a thing or two from them.


Birding was effortless, it began as soon as the Sun came up and we were well past Chitradurga by then. A Black Shouldered Kite being chased by a perky Crow, rows of Laughing Doves on the wires, Drongos busy finding their first meal, Peafowl pecking at the soil in a field - they all gave us company in the long drive. As we turned off the NH4 into SH1 towards Tadas, a lake bustling with birds came into sight - Cotton Pygmy Goose, Lesser Whistling Ducks, Spot Billed Ducks, Great Egrets, Painted Storks, Pond Herons, Coots, Swamp Hens.

As we photographed a pair of hovering Pied Kingfishers, a very curious Spotted Owlet couple kept a watch on us. They jumped up and down the branches, with bobbing heads, bulging eyes, extremely wary, yet, very eager to befriend us. The scene was so delightful that I can play it out entirely in my mind even now.

A Crested Serpent Eagle hovered over the fields by the highway.

With some excellent navigation by Alexis, who referred to the route mentioned on the Jungle Lodges site and Google Maps on the phone, we reached the resort by 11AM, 8 hours later. From Bangalore, we took the NICE Road towards Tumkur and then drove through Chitradurga, Davangere, Haveri, Tadas, Kalghatgi, Haliyal to reach Ganeshgudi. The Old Magazine House resort at Ganeshgudi is a property run by Jungle Lodges and Resorts. Surrounded by a thick moist deciduous forest, it is located on the Londa-Dandeli road. There are 5 cottages and a dormitory that can accommodate up to 20 people. The dining area is located on the roof of a charming bungalow, the Old Magazine House, in which ammunition was once stored during the construction of the nearby Supa dam.

As I got off the car, a Malabar Tree Nymph floated past, with its tantalizing flight, as an indication of the exotic birds and butterflies we were to sight in the next two days. This beauty had eluded my camera in Valparai and had just managed to do that again, for my hands were full of bags! I had only dumped my bags in the room, Alexis called out, he'd spotted a Rat Snake behind my cottage and Neha had just spotted a Scorpion scuttling away. It was a wild world there.


There are many birding spots in the resort, the best spots being the dining area and the bird baths below. A group of noisy Dark Fronted Babblers make their way to the bird bath.

A shy pair of Chestnut Tailed Starlings await their turn, slowly hopping down the bamboo. White-bellied Blue Flycatchers, Oriental Magpie Robins, Blue-capped Rock Thrushes and Emerald Doves, all followed suit.

Malabar Pied Hornbills flew about, high up in the canopy, an occasional one perching on one of the tall trees.

In the evening, the naturalist at the camp Joma, led us on a steep, exhaustive walk up the hill. We trudged up, gasping for breath and saw a sight that literally took our breath (or whatever was left of it) away. Sepia toned still waters kissed the edges of hills. Thick clouds enveloped the Sun, creating a haze that obscured most of the hills in the distance.

Everything was aglow in the evening light - the Brahminy Kite that drifted along, its flight taken care of by the strong wind; Langurs on top of the canopy; Malabar Pied Hornbills finding that perfect perch to roost before the night ahead - they were all lit up.

We settled down to watch the sunset, quite a spectacular one it was. If not for all the haze, I think I would have been able to make better images.

As the Sun went lower, the Brahminy Kite glided past. A mix of white and golden brown one minute and turning into a pretty silhouette in the next. And then it kissed the Sun goodbye.

We walked back downhill, the leaf litter making the entire path very slippery. My mandatory slip-and-fall happened too. A male Sri Lanka Frogmouth called out and we began to track it with our torches. We followed its call and spotted it in the dense foliage, five minutes later. Back at the resort, we sat at the bonfire, listening to male and female Frogmouths calling out to each other with their distinct, loud calls. Dinner was simple and tasty. The cook had prepared the yummiest tomato soup in the world, I am not joking when I say that!

While you are in the Western Ghats, you don't need an alarm clock, a Malabar Whistling Thrush will wake you up, which is what happened the next morning. One started whistling right next to my cottage early in the morning, it woke me up and then soothed me back to sleep. I remember, there were three Thrushes on the second morning, each one sang a different tune, interspersed with each other's songs. Oh, how I love this bird!

While birding activity was relatively quiet in the evenings, a flying frenzy took place in the mornings, there were birds everywhere. This was the peak of the mating/breeding season and all birds were as active as they can be. A Heart Spotted Woodpecker called out as it whizzed past; White Browed Bulbuls sang their garbled songs; Puff Throated Babblers sang aloud; Malabar Grey Hornbills gave a fleeting glimpse of their flying finesse; Scarlet Minivets and Bronzed Drongos were busy in their mixed hunting flocks. A Barking Deer made a brief appearance one morning near the resort gate.Nearby, a Malabar Giant Squirrel clucked loudly, busy feeding on everything in sight.


An Asian Fairy Bluebird sat pretty, though we saw it several times we never heard its lovely call during the trip. A male Malabar Trogon made a rare appearance on the second day, so did a very shy Orange Headed Thrush. One sight I will remember for a long time is how three Racket Tailed Drongos chased a Common Kestrel. Other flagship Western Ghats species we saw were Ruby Throated Bulbuls, Little Spiderhunters, Forest Wagtails, Crimson Sunbirds, Vernal Hanging Parrots and Chestnut Headed Bee Eaters. A courting pair of Emerald Doves were a delightful sight, they would strut around on the ground all day long. 

Apart from Blue Mormons, Southern Birdwings and many other butterflies, we saw Chestnut-Streaked Sailers quite often. We spotted several Tarantulas, Wolf Spiders, Scorpions and a certain exotic looking red colored spider of which I only have a mental image. We also saw a Deccan Ground Gecko which is quite a looker. Unfortunately, we didn't have our cameras handy.


When I commented about how this trip wasn't very fruitful from a photography perspective, I was told by the staff that this is not the best season for photography and I should go back there in November to make good images. It was time to head back and we decided, a second trip must be made here, hopefully in winter later this year. The long drive back on a very hot day took us 8 hours again. From Ganeshgudi, we drove towards Dharwad and then on to Hubli (bypass road), Haveri, Davangere, Chitradurga, Tumkur and reached Bangalore - the end of another memorable trip and a beginning to new memories.


There are many things I'll remember for a long long time from this trip... waking up to the songs of the Malabar Whistling Thrush, Neha's innovative bird names, the sunset, the Forest Wagtail behind my cottage, the Emerald Dove that almost hit my head as it whizzed past, the tomato soup, the bad coffee, the Drongo - Kestrel chase, the hoot of the Owl we never saw, the graceful float of the Malabar Tree Nymph, the bobbing heads of the Owlets... but one thing I'll remember longer than all these is a tree that wore its heart on its sleeve. Salut! 

 


To see more of Radha's photographs visit her Flickr page.  
    




  






   






 

More than sloth bears in our Sloth Bear Hampi Resort

When Ashish Tirkey went to the Sloth Bear Resort in Hampi , he was surprised by what he spotted in the wilds. And he describes his encounter in his post , "Gala Meal "

 

I took my camera and was birding in the campus as all of a sudden I saw some movements into the bush. Rat snake…I whispered!! I moved further close to see and  realized that it was a spectacled cobra having a gala meal of an Indian bull frog. Wow…what an amazing sighting it was!

I immediately laid down on the ground and clicked some pictures. I had heard a lot about snakes in the camp, right from vipers to cobra from my staff  but it was incredible to spot one!! The bull frog was massive (that’s why it is called bull) and was really big for a snake 4-5 feet long. And it was already into the jaws of the slayer!!

A snakes jaw is not rigid and can move both its upper and lower jaw independently. It moves it head back and forth to swallow its prey.

I was really hoping to document this entire action in my camera but  it soon realized my presence and dragged its meal to the bush.

Ashish did spot another cobra and many birds in the campus and here are some photographs he shared with us 

 Spectacled cobra

 Common Babbler

Painted sandgrouse

 Ashy crowned sparrow lark

 Pied kingfisher

Pied cuckoo