Season's Greetings!

A couple of weeks ago, we revisited Nandi Hills. It is the perfect place for the lazy birder. If waking up at unearthly hours is not for you, this is where you want to go.

Morning comes late to Nandi Hills, and on lazy weekends one can reach there comfortably at 10am and the dense cover and higher altitude will fool you and the birds that it is but 7am.
On this particular occasion, we didn't really go for any serious birding, more for a lazy stroll. The crisp cool air and gentle mist is wonderfully refreshing.

With the festive season approaching, offices and malls are all decked up with lights, wooden reindeer, Snow men and snow flakes of the styrofoam variety and plastic wreaths and trees.
Mother Nature, it must be said is not one to be left behind. The park was festooned with these glorious red fluffy flowers. ( To see the pink variety - head to Hebbal Lake )

These are Albizia julibrissin (red variety), also called the Persian Silk Tree.

Something new, that I had not seen on previous visits, most likely because I was concentrating on birding, was this flower. Growing in tall dense bushes, they hung down like tiny delicate Chinese lanterns.



Thanks to Arvind for helping to Id this for me as - Abutilon pictum. It is a native of South America and common as an ornamental plant in gardens.

Near the Nehru statue, along the walking path, I came upon a perfect spider web hanging on a low tree branch. Nearly invisible, unless viewed from a particular angle; it swayed gently in the breeze.



After waiting for 10 odd minutes and praying for the breeze to cease, I decided to just try a few shots. This isn't a good shot, but I assure you it looked so much better when I was there. Taken hand held, while Keshav attempted the impossible with the tripod. The two of us trying to photograph this nearly invisible thing must have looked strange, for we attracted a few curious onlookers who nudged each other wondering what the object of our interest was.

The variety of flowering plants is wonderful at nandi hills, and if you stop to ask the gardeners, you will find they are very knowledgeable too. No plants or gardening equipment is for sale though.



This little plant I really liked, more sober than most, growing under the shade of towering giants, it was a humble little plant. I liked it at once. Hypoestes phyllostachya, (polka dot plant). The muted colours and the greyish background reminded me of a Japanese painting.

With Christmas round the corner, one mustn't forget the all important tree. Christmas lights as nature intended - 100% eco friendly :) If you look closely, you can see the tiny decorator as well. There were dozens of these, and all the trees were covered. With the sun shining directly on them, the effect was dazzling.



The only birds of the day were a yellow wagtail, a small green barbet and a host of white-eyes. A chocolate pansy also stopped to be photographed.

The monkey population of nandi hills have grown in number and in courage. They now boldly approach people and snatch bags of food. Please do exercise caution. I also thought the butterfly population has come down, or perhaps it was just that I only saw one.

On our way back to the Car, this little beauty caught my attention, a small wild flower ( i wont call it a weed), growing among the grass, untended and ignored, it was elegant in its simplicity.



This will be the last post for the year, Im off on holiday. Should be back with some interesting photos in the new year. I shall leave you with my attempt at rhymes.



Greetings People, it is time to cheer,
We are heading off for the new year.
With bags packed full like Santa Claus,
praying we don't violate the baggage clause!

It is the season to be jolly,
Of Styrofoam snow and plastic holly.
A time of beautiful misty morning sights,
and people stranded by fog delayed flights!

The prices are high, the markets low,
But if you looked around, you'd never know.
It is the time to keep the spirits high,
to look at winter wonders and let out a sigh.

While at work, a sudden idea shone,
I quickly typed this on my phone,
A desire to wish my near and dear -
a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!






If cold winter mornings leave you feeling like this, not to worry, you are not alone. :)

Cheers!
Rohini

Highway Wanderings

The good weather is upon us people, bringing with it long aimless drives and impromptu photography expeditions. We have been taking full advantage of it. Driving out of Bangalore, leaving behind "Namma" dust and "Namma" potholes is a real joy.

We have 8 little Ferrari models from Shell (you get one when you do a full tank)
that bear testimony to the amount of fuel that has been consumed recently.


This panorama is by keshav, click to see a bigger image on his site

At almost every turn the scenery is breathtaking, Karnataka is a beautiful state. The period after the monsoon is my favorite. Here's a small sampling of some of what we have seen so far. There are times when I want to stop every few meters to capture it all.



Some of the snaps were taken with my Motorola Milestone because I couldn't be bothered to get the camera out of the boot. Ive also borrowed some from Keshav.


Taken with Motorola Milestone

Having a pocketable camera phone that takes fairly decent photos is a nice experience. I have also tried taking photos through the windshield, and while the vehicle is at higher speeds - quite interesting effects can be achieved. And I get to upload them instantly too! Waiting for 3G.


Taken using the Milestone

Ofcourse, quality of camera and skill makes a huge difference. Compare with Keshav's version of the same field below, achieved after 20 minutes spent squatting in various yogic poses in the mud that had the farmer beginning to look concerned.


This one is by keshav, click to see a bigger image on his site

Sometimes though with luck and prayer, even the careless and the impatient can chance on a nice frame. I like the one below as well.



So get out there, with camera and a map (my phone has MotoNav GPS turn by turn directions, so we skip this). Charge your phone, carry some change for the toll gates, take a bottle of water along ( you wont really need it ).
For bathroom breaks stop at the A2B outlets near petrol bunks. Coffee days are also great for this, but the food is awful, so just buy water, use the loo and head to a Kamat upchar. :)

Diwali Wishes

Everyone is preparing for Diwali, even the spiders. :) The owner of this art work is a large signature spider who had put this up on a nearby tree. She must have been at it all night and the gentle drizzle in the morning made it very festive. Her photo is present at the bottom of this post.

This blog post is to wish you all a very happy and prosperous Diwali from K and myself.

For those wondering where Ive been the last few months, given the silence on both Flickr and Blogger, Im alive and kicking. Drowning in a stream of endless work; both professional and personal.



Since our short trip to Chennai and Mahab. in Aug ( photos are on Flickr, trickling out slowly but surely. ) I haven't found much time to process or post, and as a result there has not been much to blog about.

The photos featured in this post are from last year's diwali, and were taken with my old Canon S3. After using a DSLR, there is no way Im going back to that, I can tell you. Makes a world of difference not only to the quality of the shot but also the experience of shooting the subject, whatever it be.



K has been working very hard on revamping his new website, my only contribution being the design of his logo and a few photos. Do check out some of our recent snaps from Somnathpura,KA at the site. More photos as time permits.



The artist herself. Im guessing that this is a female, since the males are very puny and this was a large spider. Signature spiders are called so because they have a large X like signature in the center of their webs, the X is added to warn larger animals and birds so that they don't accidentally walk/fly through the web. They keep their legs in pairs so that they appear to have only 4 legs. Their venom is harmless to humans. The live on wasps and other insects.

Source and read more: http://scienceray.com/biology/zoology/the-signature-spider/

Birds of Ranganthittu

Over the years, I have often visited Ranganthittu and with growing familiarity I've become quite fond of it. Its a must visit spot if you're into birds and even though its rather small ( around 60 odd sq km ) it does boast of a nice variety of bird life, if you know where to look.

The park consists of little islands on the banks of the river Cauvery, and is near Srirangapatna town.

Some history that I became aware of only recently - the islands were artificially created when a dam across the Cauvery was built in the 1700s. It was ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali who persuaded the Wodeyar royal family of Mysore to convert the area to a bird sanctuary in the 1940s.

If you time your visit to the sanctuary in the nesting season, you will be treated to quite a sight ( if you can tolerate the pungent odor of bird droppings )

The birds are seen from boats ( human powered with oars ) or by walking along the banks or from a watch tower. The park also has gardens, lawns and artificial ponds which host other little birds.



Black headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)

Being large birds, these are usually the first to be seen from the boat ride.
These birds breed in South Asia and Southeast Asia from Pakistan to India, Sri Lanka east up to Japan. They build a nest of twigs and lay 2 to 4 eggs.
They feed on fish, frogs and other water creatures, as well as on insects.



Spot Billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis)

They breed in southern Asia from southern Pakistan across India east to Indonesia. They can be identified at close range by the spots on the upper mandible. It is a colonial breeder, often breeding in the company of other waterbirds. The birds nest in gregarious colonies and the nest is a thick platform of twigs placed on a low tree. Breeding season from October to May.



Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)

This is a very large wading bird. Its range extends from wetlands and plains of tropical Asia south of the Himalayas in South Asia to Southeast Asia. Being very colorful birds, identifying them couldn't be simpler. Their distinctive pink feathers near the tail give them their name.

Regrettably I always have very poor luck with these birds, I never seem to be able to capture them photogenically. I'm not happy with my photos of it, so I'm including one of Keshav's as well.




They forage in flocks in shallow waters along rivers or lakes. They immerse their half open beaks in water and sweep them from side to side and snap up their prey of small fish that are sensed by touch. As they wade along they also stir the water with their feet to flush hiding fish. They nest colonially in trees, often along with other waterbirds.
In northern India, the breeding season begins in mid-August while in southern India the nest initiation begins around October and continues till February - April.


Juvenile Asian Open Bill

Asian Open Billed Stork (Anastomus oscitans)

It is a resident breeder in tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Southeast Asia.

Graceful in flight, this a broad-winged soaring bird, which is not particularly attractive or photogenic at close quarters. It can be seen flying overhead with its neck outstretched. Not as large as the painted stork, it can be easily identified by its unusually shaped beak, which only meets at the tip, leaving a gap between the upper and lower mandibles. They breed near inland wetlands and build stick nest in trees, typically laying 2-6 eggs.



Breeding adults are all white except for the black wing flight feathers, red legs and dull yellow-grey bill.




Eurasian Spoon Bill (Common Spoonbill - Platalea leucorodia)

Breeds in southern Eurasia (Spain to Japan) and in North Africa. Most birds migrate to the tropics in winter, with European breeders mainly going to Africa, but a few remaining in mild winter areas of western Europe north to the United Kingdom.

The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season. Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immature birds have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched.

The Eurasian Spoonbill can be differentiated from the African Spoonbill by its crest. The African species also has a red face and legs which are absent here.



Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea)

This is among my personal favorites, since its not often seen and is painfully shy. It breeds in Africa, central and southern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. The European populations are migratory, wintering in tropical Africa; the more northerly Asian populations also migrate further south within Asia.

It breeds in colonies in reed beds or trees close to large lakes or other extensive wetlands building a bulky stick nest. It feeds in shallow water, spearing fish, frogs, insects, small mammals, reptiles and small birds. When spotted, it will often be waiting motionless for prey, or slowly stalking its victim. It tends to keep within reed beds more than the Grey Heron and is therefore less often seen, despite its large size.

It has a slow flight, with its neck retracted. This is characteristic of herons and bitterns, and distinguishes them from storks, cranes and spoonbills, which extend their necks. The long neck of Purple Heron looks particularly snake-like, with more of an S-shape in flight. Its call is not melodious, a loud croaking "krek".

In the next parts of this series, I hope to cover :
Cattle Egret, Eurasian Thicknee, Kingfishers, River Tern, Blyth's Reed Warbler and the Streak-throated swallow

Thank You!

Article and Photo


If you follow my blog, you'll notice that all my posts are about me, presenting my (often flawed) opinion. This post is not about me. This post is to extend my gratitude to friends, family, colleagues and subscribers who have supported and encouraged me in my crazy (often obsessive) hobbies.


Index with my pied kingfisher

A couple of days ago I saw some of my photos in print for the first time, I thought I'd share these and my joy with you all.

A Bengali wildlife magazine (BON - means Forest in Bengali) kindly printed my Gir lion photos with a accompanying article based on my blog post. It appeared in the 3rd Edition.

Article

Contd

Many thanks to Mr. Goutam Biswas, Mr Hironmoy Maiti and Mr. Sibbrata Basu for making this happen. The print quality is fabulous, and print articles on forests, conservation, birds, insects, endangered species and fauna with generous space for photos ( I cannot appreciate the writing since I cannot read Bengali, but those who have read it speak highly of the written content)

If you can read Bengali and are passionate about wildlife, this magazine is definitely for you. If you want to know how to subscribe to this magazine, please drop me a mail / comment and I will put you in touch with them. They dont have a website yet.


BON Cover Page, 3rd Edition

If you're wondering how my photos came to be printed in a Bengali magazine, the credit goes to Amalesh Dasgupta Uncle, who is our family friend, who befriended me one day as I was taking some photos on our terrace. Many many thanks uncle!

Many thanks also to my friend and colleague Ayan Kar who took the time to go through the Bengali article and read it for me :)

Gir Part II : More than Lions

Keshav's gorgeous photo of Gir's gem.

In all national parks that have big cats, they tend to attain super star status. They dominate the conversation between guides, trackers, tourists and hotel staff. Be it tigers, lions or leopards.

When your jeep drops you off at your hotel, the hotel staff greets you with a drink, cold towels and the question " How many lions did you see? ". It is easy to get carried away by all the cat mania and count the day as lost if a feline was not glimpsed.

Gir is a birders paradise, and particularly so in summers. The brush is tinder dry and so drab, the more brightly coloured birds stick out like sore thumbs. Ive seen a lot of peacocks, but never have they looked more beautiful than in Gir. Take my word for it, my photos probably do not do them justice, but they are simply breathtaking.

During the evening, large numbers of them like to sit high up on electric pylons - the light is too poor to take pictures, but the unmistakable silhouettes look beautiful against the evening sky.



As the jeep drives through the forest, the sound of multitudes of chirping birds rents the air. This can be experienced in most forests, but what really pleased me was that you can actually see little birds going about their activities even as you drive past, they are so easy to spot among the bare branches! Minivets, tickels blue fly catchers, bee eaters, magpie robins are present by the thousands. They are no longer nameless chirps in a sea of leaves.



Of course, being able to see and being able to photograph are two completely different things. We saw a lot of dancing peacocks thanks to a heavy down pour on our first day at Gir. Unfortunately, peacocks dance for peahens; not for tourists. So most of the time, we get a back stage view of the performance. Thanks to K for lending me his peacock photo that Ive featured at the top of this blog.



The birds were great, but the real bonus was yet to come.
As we tore through the forest in the quest for lions, our hawk eyed guide abruptly pointed out a movement in a tree. We backed up and stared in the direction he pointed and saw nothing.

A closer look revealed a large monitor lizard that was pretending to be a gnarled branch.



Fortunately it moved and gave a better pose, allowing us to see it better.
I'm glad that I was able to capture the leathery quality of its skin thanks to the sunlight and the new camera. It was a first for all of us, apparently they are not easily spotted.


Monitor Lizard

When not looking at lions, we saw :

Birds : Black Ibis Darter Purple Heron Painted stork Wooly necked stork Koucal Red Wattled lapwings at nest Brahminy starlings Small green bee eater Plum Headed parakeets at nest Eurasian thickknees at nest Changeable Hawk Eagle at Nest Honey Buzzard pair

More Birds White eyes Great tits Small grey un-identified woodpecker Tailor birds Babblers Paradise Fly catcher ( Male, female, juvenile male ) Tickels blue fly catchers Magpie Robin pairs Sunbirds Red vented bulbuls White Breasted KingFisher Small blue kingfisher Pied Kingfisher Yellow footed green pigeon Minivets Rose Ringed parakeet Spotted Owlets at nest

Non-Birds: Monitor lizards Mongoose Sambar Deer Spotted Dear Neelgai herd Langoors Crocodiles Wild boar

I embed my Flickr photos in my blog, I do this because I have a Flickr pro account that gives me unlimited storage, and Flickr has some magic that makes my photos look some how better, no matter what the size.

I recently learnt that Flickr is still not visible in CamelCentral ( it is banned by UAE, Orkut is also banned )

So I thought I'd upload the gir photos of the previous blog to picasa ( not full size ), here is a shot slideshow of those, more will be added as I shake off laziness. :)




This post was delayed by too much work and too little electricity. The electricity part has been dealt with by investing in an inverter, photos can now be processed fearlessly. God bless Sukam and Exide!

Gir Part I : Asiatic Lions

Gorgeous, isnt she?

Gir had been on our plans for a long time and we finally made a trip this summer. (1st May to 5th May 2010)

Given that Gir is the only home of the Asiatic lion in the world, it is surprisingly poorly marketed probably because Gujarat depends little on tourism to bring in revenue. I was also surprised that there are so few detailed trip reports from Gir visitors. Hopefully, with this post and perhaps a couple more, I will be able to rectify that. :)

Why to Visit

The last lion census concluded just days before we visited, the park has 411 lions. This includes 77 cubs, 46 sub-adult lions (23 males and as many females), 29 unidentified lions, 162 adult females and 97 adult males. Gir also has a healthy leopard population numbering around 300.
If being the only place in the world where you can see Asiatic lions isn't enough for you, we found that Gir is also great for birding.
Yes, gujarati food is fabulous too and if you are vegetarian, you will find plenty at the buffet table.

When to Visit

The best time to visit is Summer. Mind you, it will be hot; but if you can bear it the rewards are great! The forest is as dry as a bone; nearly all the trees are bare, giving very good visibility into the park. Leaf-less trees are also excellent for birding.

I learnt from the locals that the most popular and also unproductive time ( holiday rush ) is Diwali and Christmas - so if you want to avoid the crowds, keep that in mind. Park is closed during the monsoon (Mid June to Mid October).

Plan a trip of atleast 6 safaris (3 days). We had planned 7 safaris but unseasonal rains confined us to 5. I feel at least 8 safaris should be done to get a real feel of things and to see the park at leisure.


Male cub in front, his sister behind

How to Reach Gir

Fly to Ahmedabad or Rajkot ( there are fewer flights to Rajkot ). From Rajkot the drive to Sasan Gir is 1hr 15 min on very good roads. From Ahmedabad it is 5.5 hrs to Sasan, the road is excellent.

Sasan also has a railway station, the train route is through the forest, its a meter gauge and will be slow. The chances of spotting wildlife on the train route are quite good. We first saw one of our male lions while he was crossing the track.

We hired a AC Tavera with driver for the entire duration of the trip. Handy if you want to see other places around Gir.

Mr. Ajay (Cab Service) - 09824066862

Where to Stay

Some amount of planning ahead is needed as the accommodation options in Gir are not as plentiful as you may find in kanha/ranthambore/bandhavgarh. Booking ahead is advised, I would recommend making as many payments as possible online since the ATMs are quite far away (1 hour drive).

We stayed at Gir Birding Lodge - a charming little property inside a mango orchard and shares a boundary with the national park. We really liked it. The birding in this lodge is just fabulous, food is great, service courteous. Just as important - rooms, esp. the bathrooms are particularly good ( We took AC deluxe cottages ) If you are visiting in Summer you will need the AC, trust me.

Mr.Pradeep (Manager of Gir Birding Lodge) : 09723971842

Another option which was recommended is Wonderland Resort - choose this if you have companions who aren't as into the animals or birds as you are.


Posing for photos is so boring :)

Guides

If you are in Gir for some serious birding or are very particular about getting good photos you will need to get in touch with a Guide who understands your requirements. The much famed and highly recommended Lalit Bhai was our guide, and he did not disappoint.

In all my trips so far, we had relied on our resorts arranging the guides/drivers (Kanha/Bandhavgarh/Bharatpur), or on the forest dept to provide them (Ranthambore/BR Hills); so this was different for us.

All about Safaris

Hiring the safari vehicle must be done in advance, either through your resort or by other means.

Each vehicle (the vehicle is an open top Gypsy) seats 6 thin passengers + 1 driver + 1 guide. If you have a tripod and gear, assume no more than 4 passengers. It is best to keep your gypsy to yourself and like-minded companions. Its more expensive obviously, but very worth it.

Once the permits are made ( they have to be made fresh each day ) the forest department allots a guide and a driver to each Jeep. Its a rotation basis allotment and you'll never get the same people again. ( This new system was introduced this year )



The department allows only 30 vehicle permits, so book ahead. You will need to carry one ID proof ( I used drivers license ) to get the permit made the first time.

Safaris are of 3 hours each, morning safari starts around 7am; evening safari 3:30 - 4pm. The timings are not written in stone and tend to vary.

The core park area is closed for tourists, so one only gets a glimpse into around 15% of the park area.

The park has lion trackers who station themselves near a lion sighting and keep a wary eye on the tourists and ensure that the lions are not harassed. The bonhomie between the trackers and guides is delightful to watch and a pleasant change from most of the parks Ive visited.


Adult Female walking towards our jeep, Tracker behind her

There are 8 Routes into the park, the routes tend to overlap in many places. People say 1,3,2, and 6 are the best routes. Personally, I also liked number 7. These are the only routes we got, so I cannot comment on the rest. Routes are also decided by the forest department.

Lalit Bhai took care of all of the above and was our single point of contact, making things so much easier. He also understands that you just aren't after lions and took us to a lot of bird hot spots. It helps to have a guide who knows your bird's favorite perch, nesting site and who is intimately familiar with its habits.
He was recommended to me by Misha Desai and to Keshav by Yogendra Bhai.

Lalit Bhai - 09879118283 ( Lalit bhai speaks Hindi very well and a little english )

How Asiatic lions differ from African lions

1. Asiatic lions are smaller with sparser manes than their African cousins. This means that the Male Asiatic lion's ears will always be visible. The largest Asiatic lion on record measured 2.9 m from nose to tail-tip.

2. Male Asiatic lions weigh between 160-190 kgs, while females weigh between 109-165 kgs. On the other hand, male African lions weigh between 150-227 kgs but the females weigh about the same as their Asiatic cousins.

2. Asiatic lions, have a longitudinal skin fold running along the belly in both sexes, while the skin fold is rarely seen in their African counterparts.

3. Asiatic lions have thicker tuft of hairs on their elbows and tail to distinguish them from African lions. I can vouch for this, the tail tufts were extremely bushy in all the lions I saw, compared to what we are used to seeing on Discovery channel :)

4. The skull difference - Fifty percent of Asiatic lions have two small apertures or holes (bifurcated infra-orbital foramina) that allow nerves and blood vessels to reach the eye, while there is only one infraorbital foramen in African lions.


The Pride of Gujarat

5. Average pride strength in Asiatic lion is usually two or three, while African lion pride starts from 5 to many. Asiatic male lions do not form social group with females and they associate with female lions only when mating or sharing food. In fact, male Asiatic lions group together to defend their territory against rival males.

The last point is particularly significant, having seen so many African lions in huge numbers on TV, the pride size which we saw in Gir was of 3 adult females and 4 cubs. We also saw 2 different pairs of Male lions, both were brothers who jointly defended their territories.

The Experience

Compared to seeing tigers, this is a totally different experience. The animals are huge and very adorable, not to mention friendly. They exhibit excellent temperament and are happy to lounge around for extended periods of time and let you click photos. Compared to the female tigers Ive seen these lionesses were much larger.

The cubs provided endless entertainment, never sitting still and with plenty of funny facial expressions. The displays of affection between them were particularly lovely to watch.

The lions in the park are very used to the presence of humans and tend to be very comfortable in their company. Only one 3 year old Male whom we saw was edgy because he had just fought with his brother and was alone in another male's territory. He was the only one who did not give a seated audience, instead he dashed across the road, behind our jeep and vanished into the thickets.


Tree Hugger - Adult Male refused to move from his beloved tree

It must be mentioned though that it isn't as easy to sight lions as one might think. I guess since we are brought up on a steady diet of Discovery channel documentaries on African lions, we tend to expect the same from Gir. Do not expect them to sit in the open on golden grass with the nearest tree a kilometer away. Photos uncluttered by branches, twigs, leaves are not easy to come by.

The Gir forest is quite dense, unlike the african savanna. In the summer, the lions are well camouflaged and we nearly missed one female who sat right next to the road under a tree, as we drove past. Only my Mom's hawk like eyes spotted her and we reversed to where she sat.

Asiatic lion Facts Source:
Asiatic Lion
Asiactic Lion.org

First shots with Canon 350D

This blog post is to say goodbye to my companion of many years - my beloved Canon Powershot S3 IS.

My better (bigger actually) half has upgraded his equipment and I decided to finally take the big step and get into the big bad and very expensive world of DSLRs with the Canon 350D

One small step for me, a giant hole in my wallet

Currently I'm using a Sigma 70-300mm lens. I'd like to say that the choice of lens is a result of careful planning and extensive research. But, no.. its actually the only one I could comfortably hold. Since it also has a bit of macro capability it also helps me chase my butterflies and other little-er critters.



This one of a little blue insect particularly surprised me. The focus is on the insect.



When it comes to birds, its quite sufficient in my opinion, since I don't like to use a tripod ( especially if I have to carry the damn thing about ). True, I cannot look deep into the bird's eyeballs, but then if that's what you want to do, you're better off being a bird optician.



Keshav and I spent a weekend making friends with the friendly neighborhood swallows and wagtails, to try out the new equipment, in preparation for the upcoming trip to Gir. ( Yes, finally, we're going )



These shots came out quite well in my opinion, comments welcome as always.. The only issue I'm having currently is with the exposure settings - I think its a matter of getting the hang of it.

Btw, a purple sunbird male made a flying visit to our balcony. I'm now thinking of ways to make him come back again, preferably with friends in tow.

The Hanging Gardens

Stokes Aster - recent addition (more on this in next)

When we moved, I had to leave behind my rooftop garden with most of its plants, flowers and all the birds, butterflies and other little critters.
Sad though it was, its been 2 months since the move and the lazy gardener is now officially back.

My problem ofcourse was not unique. In the region of Iraq, in 600BC (then called Babylon), queen Amytis was going through a similar problem. She missed her trees, flowers and gardens. Her better half King Nebuchadnezzar II found a solution by creating for her the hanging gardens of Babylon.

Faced with moping queen Rohini, king Keshav too applied his mind and came up with a simple solution for a 9th floor garden. Combining a need for security from monkeys(will discuss this in another post), saving floor real-estate and aesthetics.


Our version of the Hanging Gardens :)

While moving, I took with me a baby chrysanthemum, my blue veronica, mexican heather baby plants and oregano. The black tulsi and the kadipatta did not survive the move. I also took a small cutting of a baby sun rose that was growing in our old building.

Im happy to inform that all are well and growing quite happily. I have also acquired a few more recently, here is the list:

1. Rain lily (White)
2. Tulsi (Green) my mom took a black one before we moved out.
3. White Alder
4. Stokes Aster (lavendar)
5. Star Cluster (Red)
6. Moss Rose ( really large variety - dark pink )
7. Portulaca Yellow and Pink
8. Chrysanthemum (Pink)
9. Rose (Red)
10. Song of India
11. Asparagus Foxtail fern

My parents just got back from a trip to Katpady (they were there for the Rath Festival).

Imagine their surprise when they see that the backyard of the house has been colonized by passion flower vines! I asked Mum to get me a cutting. I potted it this morning, and its blooming! ( Yes, I feel like shouting from the roof tops - but I cant obviously.. so I Twittered instead )


when you wonder if there is a god, just look at this!

Urban gardening is an art and it comes with its own problems and advantages. This is my first experience with container gardening and I have a lot of new plants too, some that I'd never even seen or heard of. I will share my learnings in subsequent posts. Wish me luck!