Garden and Backyard Bird count : 65 and counting ...

 

Couple of years back around this time after lazily procrastinating it for much time I finally got myself to compile a Bird list of the Winged Beauties seen in my Garden and Backyard. 

Back then I had hit a half century at the first try itself !!!!!!! 

Doing this exercise regularly again now as some awesome sightings have recently occured. 

So here goes the list and with it some Photo Highlights:

1.Indian Pond Heron 

2.Little Egret

3.Cattle Egret

4.White Throated Kingfisher

5.White Breasted Waterhen

6.Shikra

7.Black Kite

8.Brahminy Kite

9.Spotted Owlet

10.Long Tailed Shrike

11.Common Myna

12.Bank Myna

13.Asian Pied Starling

14.Purple Rumped Sunbird

15.Purple Sunbird

16.Ashy Prinia

17.Plain Prinia

18.Orange Headed Thrush

19.Blyth’s Reed Warbler

20.Jungle Babbler

21.Asian Brown flycatcher

22.Little Green Bee Eater

23.Scaly Breasted Munia

24.Indian Silverbill

25.Red Vented Bulbul

26.Red Whiskered Bulbul

27.White Browed Bulbul

28.Eurasian Cuckoo

29.Common Hawk Cuckoo

30.Indian Cuckoo

31.Black Drongo

32.White Browed Fantail

33.Asian Paradise Flycatcher

34.Black naped blue Monarch

35.Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

36.Indian Golden Oriole

37.Rose Ringed Parakeet

38.Oriental Magpie Robin

39.Baya Weaver

40.House Sparrow

41.Common Tailorbird

42.Coppersmith Barbet

43.Zitting Cisticola

44.Common Iora

45.House Crow

46.Asian koel

47.Greater Coucal

48.Common Hoopoe

49.Pale billed Flowerpecker

50.Barn Swallow

51.Brahminy starling

52.Indian Roller

53.Asian brown flycatcher

54.Banded Bay cuckoo

55.Pied Cuckoo

56.Rosy Starling

57.Indian Cormorant

58.Green Warbler

59.Barn Owl

60.Grey-bellied cuckoo

61. Indian Grey Hornbill

62.Oriental Honey-Buzzard

63.Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher 

64.Brown-Breasted Flycatcher  

65. Eurasian hoopoe or common hoopoe

Garden and Backyard Bird count : 64 and counting ...

About Six years back around this time after lazily procrastinating it for much time I finally got myself to compile a Bird list of the Winged Beauties seen in my Garden and Backyard. Then I had hit a half century at the first try itself !!!!!!! Doing this exercise again now as some awesome sightings have recently happened. 

So here goes the list and with it some Photo Highlights:

1.Indian Pond Heron 

2.Little Egret

3.Cattle Egret

4.White Throated Kingfisher

5.White Breasted Waterhen

6.Shikra

7.Black Kite

8.Brahminy Kite

9.Spotted Owlet

10.Long Tailed Shrike

11.Common Myna

12.Bank Myna

13.Asian Pied Starling

14.Purple Rumped Sunbird

15.Purple Sunbird

16.Ashy Prinia

17.Plain Prinia

18.Orange Headed Thrush

19.Blyth’s Reed Warbler

20.Jungle Babbler

21.Asian Brown flycatcher

22.Little Green Bee Eater

23.Scaly Breasted Munia

24.Indian Silverbill

25.Red Vented Bulbul

26.Red Whiskered Bulbul

27.White Browed Bulbul

28.Eurasian Cuckoo

29.Common Hawk Cuckoo

30.Indian Cuckoo

31.Black Drongo

32.White Browed Fantail

33.Asian Paradise Flycatcher

34.Black naped blue Monarch

35.Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

36.Indian Golden Oriole

37.Rose Ringed Parakeet

38.Oriental Magpie Robin

39.Baya Weaver

40.House Sparrow

41.Common Tailorbird

42.Coppersmith Barbet

43.Zitting Cisticola

44.Common Iora

45.House Crow

46.Asian koel

47.Greater Coucal

48.Common Hoopoe

49.Pale billed Flowerpecker

50.Barn Swallow

51.Brahminy starling

52.Indian Roller

53.Asian brown flycatcher

54.Banded Bay cuckoo

55.Pied Cuckoo

56.Rosy Starling

57.Indian Cormorant

58.Green Warbler

59.Barn Owl

60.Grey-bellied cuckoo

61. Indian Grey Hornbill

62.Oriental Honey-Buzzard

63.Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher 

64.Brown-Breasted Flycatcher  

 

Magical Corbett - Junior Paarwali

 

Around the hallowed white stoned river banks of Dikhala in the Corbett Tiger reserve a bold tigress named Junior Paarwali had been trying to hunt for herself and her four cubs. Named after her famed mother Paarwali she would walk these paths and recall the lessons her mother had taught her on countless Nights and days. Gifted with some keen hunting skills she had been unable to hunt for the past few days and had made many unsuccessful attempts at making a kill. As the searing hot sun started making its way towards the horizon she stalked a lone Sāmbhar deer blissfully grazing near a green patch adjacent to the waters of the Mighty Rāmgangā River.

She moved gracefully and with utmost stealth, eyes locked on her prey she almost hugged the earth as she inched through the tall grass. She knew that even the slightest rustle of the surrounding grass would be enough to alert her target and send it scrambling out of her reach. As she readied herself with tense anticipation and flexed her powerful leg muscles, a pair of deer’s casually grazing nearby picked up her scent and immediately raised the alarm call. The lone Sāmbhar deer was off on its feet in an instant and disappeared into the Forrest to live another day. Our tigress stopped dead in her tracks and watched as her meal fled. Another failed attempt. Another day to fight. Another prey to search and kill.  

Junior Paarwali seemed untouched by this failed kill attempt, almost philosophical in her reaction, I watched mesmerized as she simply raised her head and started walking gracefully towards the waters of the Rāmgangā. She drank deep and hard from the cold flowing river and strutted back like a proud warrior into the cool environs of the dense Jamun forests. She would have to make a kill soon not only for herself but for her four hungry cubs eagerly waiting for their mother to return. Every hunt reminded her of the lessons learned during hunting with her mother – Paarwali. In the next hunt she will have to adapt and ingrain all of them while at the same time relying heavily on her instincts. Learning and adapting is how you survive in nature. The circle of life goes on, you take and learn from it or perish.         

Vlog Link : LeonardoDaFotoGravinci

Corbett : The Magical Land 

Start of a Vacation ©Leonard Rebello

Me and my family are waiting eagerly to get into our AC coach while standing on the platform in the burning summer heat for our long distance train. Our train is running about half an hour late. 

©Leonard Rebello

Yes I am irritated . Irritated by the delay, by the terrible heat,by the dusty platform we are standing on,by the noisy surroundings, irritated by the bag on my shoulders carrying my camera,lens and other gear which seems to get heavier as the minutes pass.My face wears a scowl and frustrated at not being able to do anything I bang my leg on the platform floor...

My young son senses something amiss and gives his father a sudden hug and my daughter looks at me with concern and lovingly hands me her cold thermos and urges me to take a sip.I accept the flask thankfully and take a long sip of the cold orange drink. 

©Leonard Rebello

Then in all this mess my wife nudges and with only her eyes points me to a family, three tiny kids, almost infants,with their father... sitting on the platform,in the dust,in the heat,all of their clothes are dirty and torn and hungrily they are nudging their father towards the food and drink stall. The father counts and recounts the change that he has in his hands and gently and painfully nudges his head negatively.

I definitely know what my better half wants me to do but I abhor attention and hate being seen to be patronizing specially to the less fortunate in front of my two young and impressionable kids.

 ©Leonard Rebello

I gently slip off and lay down my heavy camera bag from my shoulders and step up towards the food stall. As I reach for my wallet in my cargoes I notice and touch a soft hand clutching and trying to unzip the pocket. I look down into two innocent eyes of my son who smiles shyly and hands me my wallet. 

I pay for four milkshake cold drinks and two big water bottles and some biscuits and request the shopkeeper to pls share it alongwith the remaining change with the family. 

©Leonard Rebello

I quickly get back to my waiting family and noticing the train arriving slip on the heavy bag once again on my shoulders. As we get inside the chilled envirns of the train my heart skips a beat as I look out from the sealed window I see the family enjoying the drinks, but for the father who is now kneeling down hands raised in thanks to heaven, tears streaming past his happy face.... Besides me my son looks and smiles at me.... It's a Lovely beginning to an amazing vacation... 

©Leonard Rebello 

Garden and Backyard Bird count : 63 and counting ....

About Six years back around this time after lazily procrastinating it for Ages I finally got myself to compile a Bird list of the Winged Beauties seen in my Garden and Backyard. Then I had hit a half century at the first try itself !!!!!!! Doing this exercise again now as some awesome sightings have recently happened. 

So here goes the list and with it some Photo Highlights:

1.Indian Pond Heron 

2.Little Egret

3.Cattle Egret

4.White Throated Kingfisher

5.White Breasted Waterhen

6.Shikra

7.Black Kite

8.Brahminy Kite

9.Spotted Owlet

10.Long Tailed Shrike

11.Common Myna

12.Bank Myna

13.Asian Pied Starling

14.Purple Rumped Sunbird

15.Purple Sunbird

16.Ashy Prinia

17.Plain Prinia

18.Orange Headed Thrush

19.Blyth’s Reed Warbler

20.Jungle Babbler

21.Asian Brown flycatcher

22.Little Green Bee Eater

23.Scaly Breasted Munia

24.Indian Silverbill

25.Red Vented Bulbul

26.Red Whiskered Bulbul

27.White Browed Bulbul

28.Eurasian Cuckoo

29.Common Hawk Cuckoo

30.Indian Cuckoo

31.Black Drongo

32.White Browed Fantail

33.Asian Paradise Flycatcher

34.Black naped blue Monarch

35.Tickell's Blue Flycatcher

36.Indian Golden Oriole

37.Rose Ringed Parakeet

38.Oriental Magpie Robin

39.Baya Weaver

40.House Sparrow

41.Common Tailorbird

42.Coppersmith Barbet

43.Zitting Cisticola

44.Common Iora

45.House Crow

46.Asian koel

47.Greater Coucal

48.Common Hoopoe

49.Pale billed Flowerpecker

50.Barn Swallow

51.Brahminy starling

52.Indian Roller

53.Asian brown flycatcher

54.Banded Bay cuckoo

55.Pied Cuckoo

56.Rosy Starling

57.Indian Cormorant

58.Green Warbler

59.Barn Owl

60.Grey-bellied cuckoo

61. Indian Grey Hornbill

62.Oriental Honey-Buzzard

63.Grey-headed Canary-Flycatcher 

माणुसकी.....

गेल्या रविवारी काही मित्राबरोबर एका प्रसिद्ध अश्या  दूकानात लस्सी पिण्यासाठी  गेलो होतो.ऑर्डर देऊन आम्ही सर्व मित्र  बाहेर खुरच्यावर बसून चेष्टा मस्करी करीत होतो‌. तेवढ्यात ७५-८० च्या वयाची एक म्हातारी आजी पैसे मागत माझ्यासमोर हात पसरवून उभी झाली.वाकलेली कंबर,चेहऱ्यावर सुरकुत्यांच जाळ पसरलं होतं, डोळे पाणीदार पण खोल गेले होते. खांद्यावरून एक झोळी लटकत होती.कपडे जुने पण स्वच्छ होते. 

त्या आजीला बघून न जाणो मनात काय आलं की मी पैसे काढण्यासाठी खिशात घातलेला हात परत घेऊन विचारले "आजी लस्सी पिणार का?"माझ्या अश्या विचारण्यावर आजी कमी आणि माझे मित्र जास्त अचंभित झाले.ह्याला अचानक काय झालं अश्या नजरेने माझ्याकडे बघू लागले. 

आजी ने मानेनेच होकार दर्शवला व आपल्या जवळ जमा झालेली नाणी आपल्या कापऱ्या हातांनी माझ्यापुढे धरली. मला काही समजले नाही, म्हणून मी तिला विचारलं, "हे कशासाठी?"

"हे मिळवून माझ्या लस्सीचे पैसे द्या दादा !"

मी तिला हातानेच रहुद्या म्हणून बोललो व दुकानदाराला एक लस्सी वाढविण्यास सांगितले.आजीने आपले पैसे परत आपल्या मुठीत बंद केले व ती जवळच जमिनीवर बसली.आता तिला खुर्चीवर बसायला सांगायचं विचार होता पण मी लाजलो.मित्र काय म्हणतील,बाजूला बसलेले वा दुकानदार तिला खुर्चीवर बसून देतील का अश्या विचाराने मी गप्प बसलो.

पण आजीला जमीनीवर बसलेली पाहून मला परत खुर्चीवर बसवेना म्हणून मी तसाच उभा राहिलो.आपल्या आधुनिक जगात माणसाची काय किंमत आहे व ती कशावर अवलंबून आहे ते न कळण्याइतका मूर्ख मी नक्की नव्हतो.माणुसकी फक्त पैश्यावर अवलंबून राहीली आहे की काय अश्या एक ना अनेक विचारांनी मनात थैमान घातल होत. मिनिटा मिनिटाला मनात वादळं उठत होती. 

"साब लस्सी"... दुकानातील पोर मला ग्लास देत सांगत होता...माझ्या तंद्रीतून मी जागा झालो व पोराच्या हातून दोन ग्लास उचलून म्हाताऱ्या आजीच्या हातात एक ग्लास देऊन मी तिच्या बाजूला जवळच जमीनीवर बसलो. आता हे करण्यास मी स्वतंत्र होतो व त्यावर कुणाला आपत्ती असण्याचे कारण नव्हते. तिथे हजर असलेल्या माझे २-३ मित्र काही सांगण्यासाठी पुढे आले देखील.....

.. पण ते माझ्यापर्यंत पोचण्या वा काही बोलण्याच्या आगोदरच दुकानाच्या मालकाने पुढे येऊन आजीला उठवून खुर्चीवर बसवले आणि हसत माझ्याकडे बघून, हात जोडून म्हणाला,

"वर वर बसा साहेब! माझ्याकडे  गिऱ्हाईकं तर भरपूर येतात परंतु माणूस कधीतरीच येतो !

आपण आज थोडस माणूस बनण्यासाठी प्रयत्न करू या का.... 🙏

केएरटेकर

 

आमच्या एका मित्राने काही दिवसापूर्वी वसईतील एका जिल्हा परिषद शाळेच्या पुरातन अश्या वास्तूच एक छायाचित्र इथे फेसबुकवर पोस्ट केले होते. खूप वर्ष्यापुर्वी मी ती वास्तू बघितलेली मला पुसटशी आठवली.म्हणून मी फोन करून त्याला त्या जागेच नेमक स्थान विचारून येत्या रविवारी फेरी मारायचा विचार  केला.रविवारची सुट्टी असल्यामुळे शाळेत कोणी नसेल व मनसोक्त फोटाग्राफी होईल अशा आशेने मी तिथे पोहोचलो. पोहोचल्यावर बघतो तो कंपाऊंडच्या दोन्ही गेटला भली मोठी कुलुपं लागलेली होती. बाइक वळवली व दुसऱ्या ठिकाणी बघूया म्हणून निघालो पण मन मानायला तयार न्हवतं व कंपाऊंडवरून उडी मारून आत शिरु असा विचार करून एक चक्कर मारून परत तिथेच पोहोचलो. रस्त्याच्या कडेला बाइक पार्क करून आतमध्ये कसा काय शिरता येईल ह्या विचारात असताना लक्षात आले कि छोटा गेट फक्त कडी लावूनच बंद केला आहे.कडी सरकवून आत शिरलो व सवयीनुसार खाली बसून एखाद दोन फोटो काढले असतील तोच  इमारतीच्या एका कोपऱ्यातून मागच्या बाजूतून एक माणूस बाहेर आल्याचा जाणवल. हातात एक प्लास्टिकची  बादली घेऊन तो झाडांना पाणी देत होता. मी उठून त्याला नमस्कार वगैरे करून विचारल "तुम्ही इथले केएरटेकर वगैरे आहेत का ?" त्या गृहस्थाने बारीक स्मितहास्य करून मला एक परतप्रश्न करून गुगलीच फेकली.म्हणाला भाई  ह्या पृथीवर आपण सर्वजण केएरटेकरच नाही का ? त्याचा उत्तर ऐकून मी तीन ताड उडालोच . ह्याला आता काय बोलावे तेच मला कळेना. शेवटी तोच पुढे बोलू लागला...." मी इथे  समोरच राहतो... मला झाडं खूप आवडतात...कुलुपाची चावी माझ्याकडेच असते... दररोज मीच ह्या झाडांना पाणी देतो .....आपण आता जी काही फळे खातो ती कोणीतरी लावली असणार, पाणी देऊन त्यांची काळजी घेऊन संगोपन केल असणार...त्यांच्या मेहनतीचीच फळे तर आपण सगळे खातो..मी पण माझा खारीचा वाटा उचलायचा प्रयत्न करतो .... तुम्ही निवांत फोटो काढून घ्या.. झालं कि मला सांगा तोवर मी पाणी देऊन घेतो ... .तुम्हाला ठाऊक आहे का की स्वातंत्र काळात ह्या शाळेत गांधीजी येऊन गेलेत!!!!....

बोलता बोलता बरच काही बोलून आणि शिकवून गेला हा माणूस...आजच्या ह्या व्यवहारी जगात असले विरळ का होईना पण थोडेसे हिरे अजून आपल्या अवतीभवती आहेत हि भावना थोडी दिलासा देऊन गेली .

Garden and Backyard Bird count : 61 and counting ....

About two years back around this time after lazily procrastinating it for Ages I finally got myself to compile a Bird list of the Winged Beauties seen in my Garden and Backyard.Then I had hit a half century at the first try itself !!!!!!! Doing this exercise again after a year as some awesome sightings have recently happened. 

So here goes the list and with it some Photo Highlights:

1.Indian Pond Heron  2.Little Egret 3.Cattle Egret 4.White Throated Kingfisher 5.White Breasted Waterhen 6.Shikra 7.Black Kite 8.Brahminy Kite 9.Spotted Owlet 10.Long Tailed Shrike 11.Common Myna 12.Bank Myna 13.Asian Pied Starling 14.Purple Rumped Sunbird 15.Purple Sunbird 16.Ashy Prinia 17.Plain Prinia 18.Orange Headed Thrush 19.Blyth’s Reed Warbler 20.Jungle Babbler

21.Asian Brown flycatcher 22.Little Green Bee Eater 23.Scaly Breasted Munia 24.Indian Silverbill 25.Red Vented Bulbul 26.Red Whiskered Bulbul 27.White Browed Bulbul 28.Eurasian Cuckoo 29.Common Hawk Cuckoo 30.Indian Cuckoo 31.Black Drongo 32.White Browed Fantail 33.Asian Paradise Flycatcher 34.Black naped blue Monarch 35.Tickell's Blue Flycatcher 36.Indian Golden Oriole 37.Rose Ringed Parakeet 38.Oriental Magpie Robin 39.Baya Weaver 40.House Sparrow 41.Common Tailorbird 42.Coppersmith Barbet 43.Zitting Cisticola 44.Common Iora 45.House Crow 46.Asian koel 47.Greater Coucal 48.Common Hoopoe

49.Pale billed Flowerpecker

50.Barn Swallow

51.Brahminy starling

52.Indian Roller

53.Asian brown flycatcher

54.Banded Bay cuckoo

55.Pied Cuckoo

56.Rosy Starling

57.Indian Cormorant

58.Green Warbler

59.Barn Owl

60.Grey-bellied cuckoo

61. Indian Grey Hornbill

Have a Birdaliciously Great Weekend.

Happy sightings...

AMAZING TRIP TO LITTLE RANN OF KUTCH (LRK)

Considering that it sprawls out over 5,000sqkm, the #littlerannofkutch #lrk seems inaccurately named. Its name makes sense only in comparison with the salt desert next door: the #greaterrannofkutch #grk , which stretches out across 7,500sqkm. The word rann means “salty desert” and while driving through the Little Rann of Kutch, a salty desert is all you see. The first drive into the terrain feels a little surreal. The ground is cracked, the air is dry, #mirages abound, and the parched earth unfolds endlessly in all directions. The Little Rann contains one of the country’s largest wildlife reserves, the Wild Ass Sanctuary, where the topography varies from large marshlands to brown-grey patches of soil with a few small thorny shrubs.But this seemingly dead piece of land supports extremely #rare #wildlife. Th Wild Ass Sanctuary is one of the few places to spot the ghudkar, or Indian wild ass. Other species here include the desert fox, jungle cat, jackal and several birds. Since there are no bushes or trees for animals to hide behind, they are easy to spot while driving around.
Posting a small collage of some amazing sightings we got . More will follow.Even though this was a quick trip, the Sheer number if wild life seen by us was amazing.
Sending some Love & wishes out to the universe
#semperfi 🖤🖤🖤🖤
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  #Fun  #passion #blessed #D7000  #peace #amazing

स्वप्नातला वालपराय

पश्चिम घाटातल्या निलगिरी पर्वतरांगेच्या कुशीत वसलेले चहाचे मळे.आकाशाला कवेत घेऊ पाहणार्‍या उंचच उंच गर्द असं मदुमलाईच गूढ जंगल.जंगलांमधून नागिणीसारखा सरसर धावणारा काळाभोर रस्ता व त्याला कुठतरी मधेच फुटणाऱ्या अशक्य उताराच्या आडवाटा. ह्या रहस्यमय जंगलाची कधी भीती वाटते तर कधी ते आपल्या विशाल अंतःकरणाचा खजिना उघडून आपल्याला हरवून,मोहून टाकते.क्षणा क्षणाला जिथे बघावं तिथे फ्रेम दिसत असतात.मध्येच एखादी लख्ख उन्हात चमकणारी प्रचंड दरी लागते व आपल्याला जणू काय पूर्ण कवेत घेते तर थोड्या पुढे वृक्षांच्या घनदाट जंगलामुळे प्रकाशाच एखाद किरण सोडलं तर बाकी गडद काळोखात आपण प्रवेश करतो.हि फ्रेम कैद करू की ती अश्या द्विधा मनस्थितीत आपण राहतो व कॅमेरा तसाच वाट बघत मांडीवर पडून असतो. ४० हेअरपिन बेन्ड्स म्हणजे भरीव वळणाचे प्रकार आपण ओलांडतो.सकाळच्या सोनेरी उन्हात मस्त डवरलेल्या व ओळीने कापलेलया चहा-कॉफीच्या मळ्यामधून रस्ता कापत गाडी हळूच एक एक वळण घेत उंच डोंगरावर विसावलेल्या एका विशाल ब्रिटिश कालीन बंगल्यासमोर येऊन थांबते.सगळ्या बाजूंनी दाट जंगल व मधे छोट्या छोट्या टेकड्यावरती पसरलेले चहा-कॉफीचे मळे नजर जाईस्तव समोर दिसत असतात. आपण कॅमेरा घेऊन समोरचा नजारा फ्रेम करायचा व्यर्थ उद्योग करत असतो.तोच आपल्या बाजूला कोणतरी व्यक्ती उभी असल्याची जाणीव होऊन आपण कॅमेरातून डोके बाहेर काढतो.पारंपारिक तामिळी पोशाख परिधान केलेला तो गृहस्थ मोठ्या अदबीने एक थंड प्याला आपल्या हातात देतो.....    

   

सकाळ.....

अजून काही पूर्णपणे उजाडलेलं नव्हतं .दरवाजा उघडताच उगाच ते थंडीमधे गुलाबी गुलाबी झाल्यासारखं वाटून बाहेरची गार हवा अलगदपणे घरात शिरते. मी दरवाजा ओढून बागेत पाऊल टाकतो .

समोरच, इवल्याश्या गच्च जांभळ्या फुलांनी नटलेल्या एक छोट्याश्या झुडपात बारीक हालचाल जाणवते. फुलांच्या नाजूक कांड्यावर बसून सूर्यपक्ष्यांचं एक जोडपं मध खाण्यात मग्न असते. मंद पावलांनी जवळ जाण्याचा प्रयत्न करतो तोच आईने लावलेल्या पपईच्या झाडावरच्या फुलावर ताव मारत बसलेली एक कोकिळा आवाज करत पळ काढते. 
कोकिळेच्या मागोमाग खाली किडे शोधत असलेला भारद्वाज अथवा कुंभारकावळा पहिल्या उड्या मारत व नंतर लांबच लांब भरारी घेत उड्डाण टाकतो. मी जागीच थबकतो.आजूबाजूच्या निरव शांततेत कानोसा घेत मी श्वास रोखन तिथेच उभा राहतो. 

समोर एक इवलंसं फुलपाखरू अगदी शांत व हळुवारपणे एका नाजूक वेलीवर अलगदपणे बसलेलं असते. त्याच्याकडे पाहताना मला उगाच त्याचा हेवा वाटतो. शेवग्याचा झाडावर रात्री वस्तीला असलेलं रान-भाईचं (जंगली सातबहिणी) एक अखंड कुटुंब खाली येऊन चराण्याचा बेत करत असतं.डाव्या बाजूला थोड्या वर पेरूच्या झाडात माझी जराही तमा न बाळगता पेरूचा फडशा पाडत वेडा राघू माझ्याकडे एक नजर फेकतो व दुसरं एक पेरू पंजात पकडून धूम ठोकतो .... सकाळ हळूहळू पुढे सरकते ....

CHANCE MEETING WITH THE KING

Your totally immersed in birding in the dense Forrest adjoining the Dr.salim Ali wildlife sanctuary,Thattekad.Crouching down on the Forrest floor With the camera glued to your eye you are busy shooting a Indian blue Robin. After firing couple of shots you bring down the camera to take a look at the preview screen.You think that your exposure settings need to be changed. Your fiddling with the settings when you see a slight movement on your right a couple of feet away. You watch intently in the scattered dry leaves and after a long pause this guy raises his hood. You almost piss in your pants realising that your inches away from one of the most deadliest venomous Snakes found in India.After giving you an uninterested look this guy quitely slides further off in the bush leaving you with your heart in your mouth and a experience your sure to not forget for some pretty long time.

King Cobra , Thattekad Kerela

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Unexpected & uninvited Garden Guests

We were visiting some friends last Sunday evening and returned at around ten in the night only to find that we were having uninvited and of course unexpected guests in our garden...that too around a 100 !!!.It seems that Some Bananas had ripened in our garden and we had forgotten to take them down and these guys had decided to have a gala  feast of them all.

Indian flying fox : Fruit Bat #Backyard  

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Airport Fantasy

You have a early morning flight to catch. You get caught up in the natorious mumbai traffic snarls. Huffing & puffing You reach the airport.Once there you realize that your office travel desk has errorneously directed you to the domestic airport while your flight is scheduled from the international terminal!!! You hear People around you snigger like asses.You curse your luck and start searching for a cab to take you there.No cabs are to be seen .A air crew with two stewardesses on their way home after duty have mercy on your plight and wave you in their chauffeur driven car and drop you off at the international terminal.You thank those beautiful angels profusely and run for the gate.You stumble inside the air-bridge just as they are about to close the thing.Thanking your stars for making it on time you make yourself inside the plane. Upon reaching inside  you learn  that the airline has allotted your confirmed seat to someone else. You  vent out your anger at the onboard crew chief manager. The chief Airhostess apologieses profusely and promises to make amends as best as she can.Ten,fifteen and then twenty minutes pass,all the while Your standing in the plane aisle feeling foolish, pissed off as the crew go about their preflight formalities. Fasten your seatbelts, oxygen masks,blah blah blah.... The hostess who promised you stuff has suddenly disappeared and is not to be seen. You look questioningly at the other stewardesses and get the same stupid plasticy smile in return.Your STILL standing in the middle of the aisle holding your laptop & luggage  all the while feeling really stupid. You are now getting weird stares and whispers from your fellow passengers who look at you as if your a uninvited guest who has crashed the party. Your about to explode at the nearest plasticy smile when you hear a "excuse me sir" from behind your back.You turn around to find the chief Airhostess who hands you a glass of chilled Sparkling water and  says "Apologies for keeping you waiting for such long Sir, Please be kind enough to follow me". You meekly follow her past the aam janta who is now staring at you with wide eyes.She takes you to the first class seating and pointing out a leather padded aisle seat in the second row says "Hope this would be ok with you sir. Have a pleasant flight". Your busy making yourself comfortable in the plush surroundings when you hear some stammering and a clearing of the thraot from the adjacent seat followed by the words "Hi Iam Rahul Dravid. Nice to meet you".....

**This is a work of FICTION. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

BACKYARD BEAUTIES

BACKYARD BEAUTIES 

Made a collage of some of the beauties found in my backyard. Hope you guys like it. 

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Rest in Peace Bro

I recently lost one of my cousins. Don't want to go into the details but it was a huge loss for me personally.He was around 7-8 years older then me and we used to play together when we were kids and I recall all the fun that we had.Last I saw him alive was a couple of days back when he came to our house to pick up something my mom had made for him and we sat besides each other and chatted for a couple of minutes.

Sometimes I just cant believe that he aint there any more and that I am never going to see his smiling face. It's like Iam in a nightmare wishing that when i wake up he will just turn up around the corner on his bike , ring our door bell and say something to me. On the next day of his death I was taking a walk in our garden trying to make sense of what had happened and this Purple-rumped sunbird unlike of its species and mysteriously gave me company for some long long period of time.

Wherever you are I hope your happy and content. I miss you Bro.

Birding after a Long Time ~ Finding a Gem ^Red-Necked Falcon^

Had not gone out for birding for some time now due to complete lack of time. Got a opportunity and some spare time this sunday morning and off I went to a local birding hotspot. Felt good to take the familiar paths after what seemed like ages. The rains had rejuvenated the parched land and mother nature had worn a beautiful green carpet.Vast rice fields spread around till the eyes could see interspread amongst coconut grooves. It felt so refreshing and lively this beautiful sunny morning.Saw a pale-billed flower pecker immediately at the start of the trail.It gave me some good poses before deciding to fly off.Some Indian silverbills and spotted Munia's were busy foraging on the grounds.An almost comaflaged white breasted kingfisher waited for his next catch silently and patiently under some mangrove shrubs.white breasted water hens were busy searching for their morning breakfast in the brakish waters. A Black drongo playfully fooled around teasing any bird that crossed it's path.A pair of Black kites patrolled overhead searching for some prey.Hearing my footsteps a greater Coucal spread it's beautiful golden brown wings and flew off. Baya weavers searched around for some nesting materials. Cormorants basked in the sun sitting on small tree tops.Spotted doves sat in pairs and whispered sweet nothings into each others ears.Rose ringed parakeets foraged noisely on a tamarind treetop.A pair of common babblers and another of the Golden Oriel were busy feeding themselves on some juicy grubs found on the moringa tree. Bank mynas and common mynas were sitting on the back of some cows and were feasting on insects found there. 

ASHY PRINIA 

BAYA WEAVER 

A PAIR OF SILVERBILLS 

PALE-BILLED FLOWERPECKER

I was trying to approach some Baya weavers sitting on a shrub when out of the blue a small bird came and sat in front at a large distance away on a perch. I first completely ignored and dismissed it for some common bird but upon closely looking at it I was in for a shock.This was a Red-Necked Falcon: a bird of prey in the falcon family !!
I couldn't believe my luck at sighting this beauty at this time of the season. The falcon sat for some time and then with amazing speed dived amongst a group of bank mynas that it was tracking for some time now for a unsuccessfull kill. I watched as it kept trying to make a kill first at the bank mynas then at some common mynas. After sitting on a perch where I clicked this picture it soon was mobbed by a group of noisy crows who disturbed it so much that the falcon was forced to fly speedily far away.
The sun was very hot by now and I decided to turn back. With a content smile on my face I was walking back when I spotted a Grey bellied cuckoo singing on a small shrub. Nice sighting to end a perfect birding day.

RED-HEADED FALCON

Hope you folks enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed the birding.

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तो एक बाप असतो...

शाळेपासून बापाच्या, धाकात तो राहत असतो,

कमी मार्क पडलेलं, प्रगतीपुस्तक लपवत असतो,

आईच्या पाठी लपून तो, बापाशी बोलत असतो,

डोळा चुकवून बापाचा, हुंदडायला जात असतो...

शाळा संपते, पाटी फुटते, नवं जग समोर येतं,

कॉलेज नावाच्या भुलभुलैयात, मन हरखून जात असतं,

हाती असलेले मार्क घेऊन, पायऱ्या झिजवत फिरत असतं,

बाप पाहतो स्वप्नं नवी, हे मुखडा शोधत असतं...

सुरू होतं कॉलेज नवं, दिवस भुर्रकन उडून जातात,

एटीकेटीच्या चक्रातून, वर्षं पुढे सरत जातात,

ग्रुप जमतो, दोस्ती होते, मारामाऱ्या दणाणतात,

माझा बाप ठाऊक नाही, म्हणत धमक्‍या गाजत असतात...

परीक्षा संपते, अभ्यास सरतो, डिग्री पडते हाती याच्या

नोकरी मिळवत, नोकरी टिकवत, कमावू लागतो चार दिडक्‍या,

आरामात पसरणारे बाजीराव, घोड्यावरती स्वार होतात,

नोकरीच्या बाजारात, नेमानं मोहिमा काढू लागतात...

नोकरी जमते, छोकरी सापडते, बार मग उडतो जोरात,

एकट्याचे दोघे होतात, सुखी संसार करू लागतात,

दोघांच्या अंगणात मग, बछडं तिसरं खेळू लागतं,

नव्या कोऱ्या बापाला, जुन्याचं मन कळू लागतं...

नवा कोरा बाप मग, पोरा सवे खेळू लागतो,

जुना बाप आता नव्याने आजोबाच्या कायेत शिरतो,

पोराशी खेळता खेळता दोघेही जातात भूतकाळात

एकाला दिसतो दुसरा लहान, दुसरा पाहतो गोष्ट महान...

रंगलेल्या गोष्टीत या, मग शिरतो फ्लॅश बॅक

बापाच्या भूमिकेतून, पोर पाहतो भूतकाळ

लेकरासाठी मग त्याला कळवळणारा बाप दिसतो,

त्याची लाल रेघ जो, उरात घेऊन फिरत असतो...

कडकपणाच्या आवरणाखाली, झुळझुळणारं पाणी असतं,

भल्यासाठी लेकरांच्या झगडणारं हाड असतं,

दोन घास कमी खाईल; पण पोरांना गोड देतो,

हट्टासाठी पोरांच्या ओव्हरटाईम तो मारत असतो...

डोक्‍यावरती उन्ह झेलत, सावली तो देत असतो,

दणाणत्या पावसापासून, कुटुंब आपलं जपत असतो,

घर नीट चालण्यासाठी स्वतः बाहेर फिरत असतो,

आईच्या मऊशार तळव्यामागचा, तोच राकट हात असतो...

बाप कधी रडत नाही, बाप कधी खचत नाही,

बाप कधी उतत नाही नि बाप कधी मातत नाही,

पोरं सोडतात घरटं अन्‌ शोधू लागतात क्षितिजं नवी

बाप मात्र धरून बसतो, घरट्याची प्रत्येक काडी...

पोरांच्या यशासोबत त्याचं मन हसत असतं,

अपयश पचवताना, ते आतून रडत असतं,

काही झालं, कितीही झालं, तरी कणा ताठ असतो,

खचलेल्या पोराला तोच तर उभारी देत असतो...

सारी कथा समजायला फार मोठं व्हावं लागतं,

बापाचं मन कठीण फार, चटकन हाती लागत नसतं,

आकाशाहून भव्य अन्‌ सागराची खोली असते

बाप या शब्दाची महतीच मोठी न्यारी असते...

कळत नाही बापाचं मन स्वतः बाप झाल्याशिवाय,

बापमाणूस असतो तो, बापांशिवाय कसा कळणार?

असतं न्यारंच रसायन, त्याची फोड उकलत नाही,

म्हणून तर बापावर कविता कोणी करत नाही...

करणार कशी कविता कोण, तो त्यात मावत नाही,

चार ओळीत सांगण्यासारखा बाप काही लहान नाही,

सोनचाफ्याचं फूल ते, सुगंध कुपीत ठरत नाही,

बाप नावाच्या देवाचा, थांग कधी लागत नाही...

केला खरा आज सायास, त्याला थोडं शोधण्याचा,

जमेल तेवढा सांगितला, आधार आमच्या असण्याचा

एक मात्र अगदी खरं, त्याच्याशिवाय जमत नाही,

आईमार्फत बोललं तरी, बोलल्याशिवाय राहवत नाही...

सांगतो आता शेवटचं, कान थोडा इकडे करा,

आभाळ पेलून धरण्यासाठी, आभाळाचाच श्‍वास हवा,

बाप नावाच्या पारिजातकाचं, असंच काहीसं जिणं असतं,

ते समजून घेण्यासाठी बापच असणं भाग असतं...