tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16315973470045423352024-03-13T20:13:28.234-07:00My Tryst with NatureMy ardent love for nature takes me to many wonderful places. Each sojourn is laced with unforgettable moments and everlasting memories. I have always wanted to share these delightful moments with my friends. This is a sincere attempt to do so.
Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1631597347004542335.post-91705505032870119992015-05-18T20:28:00.003-07:002021-04-14T23:14:58.236-07:00Indian Eagle Owl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Hello, I am Bubo. I
am two years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been
called by many names, but I simply loved it, when I was christened </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Arial Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Indian Eagle Owl</span></b><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good dose of
patriotism courses through my veins too. You see!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4bsZlOM5-Q/VFtiTA1g6dI/AAAAAAAAAEA/3Tnsd4sscVA/s1600/IEO-web%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X4bsZlOM5-Q/VFtiTA1g6dI/AAAAAAAAAEA/3Tnsd4sscVA/s1600/IEO-web%2Bcopy.jpg" width="456" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"> A
countless lore, myths and superstitions surround my family and me. We are
perhaps the only birds that have captured the imagination of the humans
throughout the centuries. Probably for all the wrong reasons, I wonder!! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Either we send a creepy shudder through
the spine or make people open their eyes wide in wonder and marvel at our
beauty and elegance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
live in a very beautiful rocky ravine. Our residence is made of many stone
boulders on which we can lazily perch. A leisurely gurgling stream runs through
our ravine and creates a mystic ambience. Gently sloping hills and a thick
green forest complete my enchanting habitat. Many of our relatives live in grasslands,
semi arid deserts and some even have learnt to live near human habitation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I
prefer to laze out during the day and hunt during the night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I’m a
die-hard non-vegetarian and mice and other rodents are my most favorite
delicacy. In fact, people are unaware that I am one of the best natural pest
controllers, as rodents are major agricultural pests and damage a lot of crops.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Arial Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Do you know I have an
ability to turn my head by 270 degrees? </span></b><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">I bet you didn’t!!.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have fourteen vertebrae in my neck while
all other birds have<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>just seven!! While
the neck vertebrae provide for the range of neck movement, many birds and
animals would suffer traumatic arterial injuries and blood flow interruptions
from such extreme motion. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: "Arial Bold"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We have special
blood-pooling systems that collect blood to power our brains and eyes when neck
movement cuts off ccirculation. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">My vision is too quite unconventional. I love my eyes, which are
dark orange in colour. My eyes are extremely large and nearly touch the inside of the head. They are also completely immobile and cannot
be considered true “eyeballs,” since they’re actually tube-shaped.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">A large part of what makes us such effective hunters is our ability
to hear exceptionally well, while remaining absolutely silent ourselves. Also
the special structuring of our wings lets us fly without making a smallest
amount of noise and catch the prey totally unawares.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">However it pains me immensely to see that we are the most
misunderstood birds. We are considered as the harbingers of ill omen and many
of us are killed because of this superstition. Many forget that one of my
revered ancestors serves as a vehicle for goddess Laxmi. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">However the present is bringing a breath of fresh air. Humans
who earlier used to shoo us or pelt us with stones are no longer the majority.
Nowadays I am seeing people harmlessly watching me and marvel at my beauty.
Some come armed with strange contraptions, which make a weird noise. Though I
was alarmed in the beginning, I have realized that this group of people mean no
harm to me. Good days are here to stay!!!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1631597347004542335.post-48710959082931329992015-02-15T04:25:00.000-08:002015-02-17T18:59:20.454-08:00White-naped tit. A pride of Kutch!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> White-naped Tit (Parus nuchalis) is a rare catch one would envisage to sight on the trip to Kutch. As for as I was concerned, it was a 'do or die' situation. This was one of the rarities, without which I was not willing to go back. Fortunately, we were based in the village of Motivirani, adjoining the town of Nakhatrana in Kutch. Many sightings in Gujarat have come from this specific area. This is because, this bird is a dweller of a very singular and typical habitat. The typical terrain is a dense, scrub like vegetation and consists primarily of small, thorny trees. Main species are, Acacia catechu and Acacia nilotica, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">that shed their leaves seasonally. These trees typically do not exceed 10 metres in height. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> </b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CNeO6LFFaqk/VOCF_xCxXsI/AAAAAAAAAGU/SPEC1k399Fk/s1600/thorn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CNeO6LFFaqk/VOCF_xCxXsI/AAAAAAAAAGU/SPEC1k399Fk/s1600/thorn.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>A typical thorny habitat</b></span><b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></b></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> Endemic to the India subcontinent,the White-naped Tit occurs in two distinct and small populations. One in the northwest areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan and other in the eastern ghats in the Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu states. Even in the strong hold of Gujarat states it is very sparsely distributed and it is even rarer in the south. It presently qualifies as ""Vulnerable"" under IUCN red list. This tit favors acacia plants and in kutch Acacia trees are being cut at a rate of 100 per day to meet the local demand of homemade toothbrushes!!!</span></span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> For me, even a small glimpse of the bird would have been a blessing and my yearning was growing more and more with each passing moment. As I was hell bent to observe the prince of the thorny forest, we decided to give it an honest try and ventured out on the second day of our stay. There are many patches of thorn forests neighbhouring this place. Though we explored these forests for three arduous hours, we just weren't fortunate that day. We couldn't see any activity and there was no calls of the species either. Then we decided to devote some serious time to this Globally threatened beauty and as such returned the next day with energy doubly recharged. The whole day was spent in the endless sequence of driving, locating a patch of scrub forest, getting down for a thorny trek and trying to percieve even a faint call of the bird. The call of this bird is very melodious, comprising of short series of thin whistles preceded by a higher pitched note. It typically moves in a small foraging group consisting of 3 to 4 individuals.</span></span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhMShxptT28/VOCGBn0vxuI/AAAAAAAAAGg/O6KtCWtX1dQ/s1600/bird-in-habitat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhMShxptT28/VOCGBn0vxuI/AAAAAAAAAGg/O6KtCWtX1dQ/s1600/bird-in-habitat.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>Bird in it's habitat</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> Jugal Tiwariji who was guiding us that day, has done a monumental work on this species. He is also a joyful bundle of grit and enthusiasm. While we searched for this endemic beauty, we were being constantly regaled by his endless escapades of birding in Kutch. Finally, at around 3 PM, Jugal bhai became animated and gestured us to maintain silence. As we stationed ,we could hear a distinct call of this rare beauty and very soon three individuals flew into our vicinity. They were expeditious in their movement from tree to tree and were exceedingly strenuous to capture in the frame. But it was a sensual bliss to observe these small wonders to my heart's extent.</b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-thqUb6RA3vE/VOCF_dLEmBI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Y3euW18fdo0/s1600/white-naped-tit-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-thqUb6RA3vE/VOCF_dLEmBI/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Y3euW18fdo0/s1600/white-naped-tit-web.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><b>White-naped tit</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"> However, the situation became tougher as we tried to take some shots. It was then that I realized why there weren't a lot of clean images of this bird. It is a very shy, agile and a rapidly moving bird and hardly accords any decent chance of shooting it. The thorny vegetation also compounds the problem of getting a clean shot. Our movements were also seriously hampered due to an omnipresent danger of getting injured by the thorns. We had to labour through a better part of four hours to record few pleasing images. I was a happy soul. At the end of the day, all the efforts, troubles and tiredness </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">were blotted out from our memory, not to forget </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> a good number of thorn pricks!!!!!!!. </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 22px;">©Megh Roy Choudhury. <span style="line-height: 20px;">All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without my prior written permission . </span><br /><span style="line-height: 20px;">For permission/requests, contact: </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">meghroychoudhury@gmail.com</span></span></b><br />
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Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1631597347004542335.post-54258365428731074002015-01-05T02:31:00.002-08:002015-01-29T12:22:58.020-08:00Greater Hoopoe Lark- A dream come true!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td>Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—</td><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="18"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td>I took the one less traveled by,</td><td><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="19"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td>And that has made all the difference.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span></b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"> - Robert Frost </span></b></span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;">Greater Hoopoe Lark</span></b></span></span>(</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Alaemon alaudipes)</i></span></b></span> is one of the most coveted species for any serious birder. It is the phantom of the desert and can prove to be a very tough customer to even sight. Leading birders have had to make multiple visits to bag this beauty. <span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit;">This bird is found in extreme desert environments, and is capable of surviving in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius. </span><span style="line-height: 21px;">The Greater Hoopoe Lark is well adapted for its preferred desert conditions, and does not need to drink water to survive</span><span style="line-height: 21px;">. During periods of intense heat, this species takes shelter in the burrows in the desert floor</span><span style="line-height: 21px;">, in order to remain cool and prevent water loss</span><span style="line-height: 21px;">. </span></b></span><b><span style="line-height: 21px;">The population of the </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;">Greater Hoopoe Lark</span></b></span></span> is of four</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><a class="glossary" href="http://www.arkive.org/greater-hoopoe-lark/alaemon-alaudipes/#glossary" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">subspecies</span></a><span style="line-height: 21px;">, each of which differs slightly in size and colour, and</span><span style="line-height: 21px;"> </span><span style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i>Alaemon alaudipes doriae </i>is what is found in India.</span></b></span><br />
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I sincerely never thought I stood a chance of coming across this bird, when I ventured into my Little Rann of Kutch trip. When I enquired about this with the local guides all I got was a nod of the head and an understanding smile. They probably thought I was joking as it was my first ever trip there. I was told that I would be spending an entire safari if I wanted to see this species. Some even suggested that I better go for some other species.</b></span><br />
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However I finally made up my mind and we left at 6 30 AM. Temperatures were hovering around 3 to 4 degrees and cool gust of wind in the open safari jeep never helped the matters either. We travelled around an hour as gradually the landscape from urban area changed into a semiarid scrubland and finally into the Little Rann. Rann of Kutch is a huge salt marsh area alternating with a scrubland. It covers a gigantic area of around 10000 square kilometers. You can stand at any given point and just see an unending featureless landscape all around as far as the eyes can see. When my driver announced that we had finally arrived at our destination, I was shell shocked. In front of me was a flat dry terrain of land everywhere and not a remotest sign of life. All my hopes evaporated as I saw the mammoth task in front of me to sight and separate a small tiny being on this vast landmass. An old saying of trying to find a needle in the haystack sprung into my mind. However, this was not just a haystack and rather hay all over to the extent your eyes dared to roam around.</b></span><br />
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We slowly ventured around the desert hoping against hope that we might get lucky. As the hours dragged by, our position became more and more desolate. We even resorted to getting down from the jeep on the scorching desert floor and tried to get a ground level view. Finally I thought I saw a flicker of movement and for a moment I dismissed it as a trick desert was playing on my desperate senses. As I moved near, my heart started to flutter wildly. Then In a flash I knew finally I was about to attain my goal. As I set my sight on this avian wonder I was simply in a trance and wonder at the amazing way in which it blended in it's habitat. The image below shows the level of camouflaging of the bird in it's habitat.</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Then suddenly the bird disappeared and even with my utmost efforts I couldn't sight it. After a futile searching for around 15 min, I noticed a small speck in the vast landscape. and there it was, my elusive friend sitting very still in a small depression in the ground.</b></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Much needed rest in a small burrow in the ground</span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFCXic2SDQ4/VKlYRm1oTfI/AAAAAAAAAFU/QdK2qYyBnkA/s1600/GHL-closeup-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b></b></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>It sat there for almost an hour as I waited patiently for it to come out. Then in a flash it was out of it's safe haven and started on a feeding frenzy. It ran continuously and relentlessly, as it digged out tiny morsels of the food available </b></span><b> on the desert floor</b><b>. It<span style="line-height: 21px;"> eats mostly </span><a class="glossary" href="http://www.arkive.org/greater-hoopoe-lark/alaemon-alaudipes/#glossary" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">invertebrates</span></a><span style="line-height: 21px;"> such as termites, grasshoppers and snails, although it will occasionally consume seeds or even small reptiles. To break the shells of snails, the </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;">Greater Hoopoe Lark </span></b></span></span>can be seen dropping them onto a hard surface from the air, or hammering them against a rock. It is typically a solitary forager, but is sometimes seen in pairs or small groups. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;">I</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; text-align: left;"> spent almost an hour with this beauty and returned back with a deep sense of <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">bliss.</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I then</span> decided that,at some future point<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, I would again walk on the coppery layer of The <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Rann and spend some endearin<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">g moment with my kind of Bird of Paradise.</span></span></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>©Megh Roy Choudhury. <span style="line-height: 20px;">All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without my prior written permission . </span></b></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><span style="line-height: 20px;">For permission requests, contact at: </span><span style="line-height: 20px;">meghroychoudhury@gmail.com.</span></b></span></div>
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Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1631597347004542335.post-17020430244625660722014-11-19T00:08:00.002-08:002014-11-19T20:00:01.506-08:00The Jewel of the Western Ghats - Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;">I wait!! I wait with a
bated breath!!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;">I sit like a monk, in absolute silence, ensconced in a dream world. The sound of rain
surrounds me with a harmonic drumming. Pearly droplets bounce off my skin, as sparkly and
effervescent as champagne bubbles. Silver trickles of water fall and run down on
the shiny leaves, before lazily cascading down to mother earth. A heavenly earthen
aroma fills the air, permeating deep into my senses. A surging stream gurgles joyously over the rocks before plunging into a small gorge. The lush green of
the evergreen trees completes the fairy tale ambiance. The scenario is
picture perfect for my long awaited rendezvous with one of the Almighty's most
breathtaking creations!!! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;">As I pray for the heavenly out pour to show some mercy, the rain god
relents and chords of soft light filters through the barely perceivable gaps
in the dense canopy. A red and orange missile whizzes through the still air and
drops anchor on a branch in front of me. For an infinitesimal moment my entire
world freezes. Sitting right in front of me is the Oriental
Dwarf Kingfisher. "The Jewel of the Western Ghats" and one of
the birds I wanted to have a glimpse of, before I breathe my last !! It is without an iota of doubt, one of the most exquisite birds in the world. A rainbow would be
deeply abashed to even compete with this jazzy bird. As my eyes hungrily
feast on the kaleidoscopic beauty, I feel a profound sense of euphoria like
never before. </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;">More drama is yet to
unfold!! The proud parents have built up a nest on the sloping banks of the
stream and have their young ones anticipating a luscious meal. Prey after prey
is caught and dished out to the hatchlings, which have a truly humungous appetite.
Skinks, spiders, crabs, frogs and other creatures run helter-skelter to
escape the wrath of these highly proficient hunters. Periodically, like a clockwork, either of the parents arrive at the nest, always clutching the next course of
the meal!! It always as a rule lands on the same perch and spends some time catching it's breath. Some acrobatic moves are on display on the branch and often it bobs it's head up and down like a Chinese doll. The next instant, it takes off and darts inside the nest. While the fledgelings devour their munchies, some heartfelt family moments are spent, some pearls of wisdom conveyed to the progeny. Then in a flurry of motion, the kingfisher flies out of the nest, relentless in the pursuit of it's next target. </b></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4YT58llbIE/VF9Zij51zMI/AAAAAAAAAEc/tzalSPa2OSs/s1600/skink-front-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_4YT58llbIE/VF9Zij51zMI/AAAAAAAAAEc/tzalSPa2OSs/s1600/skink-front-web.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></b></span></a></div>
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Almost as an
afterthought, I start photographing these magnificent specimens of nature!! It
is an utterly exhausting effort to wield a camera in such testing circumstances. Light is almost nonexistent and rain, which can
start pouring cruelly and incessantly, creates a gargantuan situation to any
photographer. A poor umbrella spread over my head makes a valiant effort to
keep the nature's fury in check, often failing miserably. Camera and
lenses have been draped in a watertight fashion as a secondary line of defense. Unheard of ISO and shutter speeds come into play, as I strive to fashion a respectable image of this resplendent treasure. </b></span></div>
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As I
sit there underneath my makeshift accommodation and wait for the next
foray of the kingfisher, I start reminiscing about my journey to
this paradisiacal habitat. The awe-inspiring odyssey to this place weaves through the
mystical Western Ghats, a magical
land of verdant greenery. Torrential rain, innumerable waterfalls and
dense green forest create an enchanting visual extravaganza. The beaten paths are encompassed by the colossal cerulean mountains, which appear to extend till the heaven. I feel I am on the top of the world as we saunter through the cloud covered soaring hills and abyssal valleys. One feels like
stopping the vehicle and soak in the beauty of nature.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoe39i0egKw/VGBy6JbTyKI/AAAAAAAAAEs/O1Whcf9b_wQ/s1600/m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aoe39i0egKw/VGBy6JbTyKI/AAAAAAAAAEs/O1Whcf9b_wQ/s1600/m.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Western Ghats</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-76Db2BssQ/VGBy7YB0jqI/AAAAAAAAAE0/x3nlwAGYos4/s1600/mbl2-(19).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M-76Db2BssQ/VGBy7YB0jqI/AAAAAAAAAE0/x3nlwAGYos4/s1600/mbl2-(19).jpg" height="225" width="400" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: white;">Western Ghats. A panoramic view.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;">A pleasant intrusion to my dreamy reverie comes in, when the kingfisher disembarks again with a catch of a multicolored skink. Bewitched as ever, I go on a clicking spree. My eyes can't get enough of this tiny soul, which keeps me spellbound again and again. Two captivating, gleeful days in this cradle of nature just fly by. The whole escapade makes
me blissfully buoyant and supremely confident as I come through some of the
most grueling conditions known to man. The realization that I have successfully
accomplished the photographic documentation of this elusive bird also fills me
with fathomless joy. I thank God one more time for inculcating in me, this love
for nature and the passion for the wild. Wholly content and sated I head home, these unforgettable moments indelibly etched into my memory.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 22px;">The location ::</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> Chiplun, a tiny hamlet situated deep in the heart of the Konkan, is around 240 kms from Pune. </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">Nishikant Tambe [fondly known as Nandu] is a true conservationist at heart. To him ODKF is the prime priority and it is treated like a royalty. Any compromises which can harm the bird are not at all tolerated. Nests are not disturbed at any cost and a strict code of does and don'ts are conveyed to every photographer. Nominal amount collected by him wouldn't even cover the cost of two days of home stay and the delicious food served by his family members. You always end up admiring his intense fondness and dedication towards ODKF, which appear to relish the attention showered on it and is thriving in large numbers. I'm sincerely happy that these birds ultimately have found a safe haven in this tiny spot amidst the widely spread Western Ghats.</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">©Megh Roy Choudhury. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">All
rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced, distributed,
or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying,
recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without my prior
written permission . </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">For permission/requests, contact: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">meghroychoudhury@gmail.com</span>
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Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1631597347004542335.post-66252868088439433682014-11-01T01:41:00.002-07:002014-11-07T20:41:35.630-08:00Call of the Crested Bunting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Every birder has a wish list or a "must-see in a lifetime" list. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Crested bunting is one bird which has caught my fancy and remained</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> high on my list. This beautiful bird has it's famous</span><span style="line-height: 19px;"> abode at </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">Sinhgad Fort, which is around 30 kms from Pune. It is imperative that you go to Sinhgad on a weekday, as it is a very scenic destination and hence is crowded during the weekends.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7LgrDfag4vk/VFSXdKpIkbI/AAAAAAAAADU/CwyJ_ET-PEA/s1600/crested-web_filtered.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7LgrDfag4vk/VFSXdKpIkbI/AAAAAAAAADU/CwyJ_ET-PEA/s1600/crested-web_filtered.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Call of the Crested Bunting Male</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I don’t get good sleep whenever I know I will be birding the next morning. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I’m simply too excited. With the plans in place and all gears packed, I left my place at 5 30 AM. As we sped past a sleeping Pune city, Khadakvasla dam with it’s breathtaking and scenic beauty, beckoned us. As we drove through the meandering path along this huge water body, I just couldn't help but fill myself with breaths of pure and pristine air. Soon we could see the azure hills in front of us with the tops capped with soaring clouds. As Pune had received a fair bit of monsoon rains, the entire surrounding was densely carpeted with green.</span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The drive up the Sinhgad ghat is simply an enchanting one and it is worth visiting this place for the ecstatic drive itself. As we climbed up, musical chirping and tweeting of birds gradually replaced the silence of the dawn. We could hear the Red-vented Bulbuls and Sunbirds calling, which created a mesmerizing ambiance. The winding roads and the panoramic beauty was simply breathtaking and nature’s wondrous gifts were in abundant display. As we ascended higher, we could listen the mellifluous call of the Malabar Whistling Thrush.</span><br /><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We parked our vehicle in the parking lot on the top of Sinhgad and started climbing the steps of the fort. Immediately after fifty steps or so, my heart skipped a beat, when I heard a call, which I desperately wanted to hear that day. It sure was the signature species of Sinhgad, the <b>Crested Bunting (Melophus lathami). </b>As the copper and black beauty whizzed past, I simply couldn’t control my exhilaration. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crested Bunting male</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;">When I could sight it for the first time, I was enthralled by it’s sheer beauty and elegance.</span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The next few hours passed by as though they were fleeting seconds. I spent them in the lovely company of the charismatic male and the gorgeous female Crested Buntings. Call of the male Crested Bunting is very soothing and melodious. Due to a lot of human activity on the hills, these birds are very bold. Sometime they came so close to me that I had to resist the temptation to hold and cuddle them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This ethereal experience provoked a profound thought in me. Often one feels spellbound by the way these amazing jewels are sculpted by nature. Normally the birds are wary of human presence and fly away if we try to approach them. Here these birds were oblivious of the surrounding and were roaming around with gay abandon. It resulted in a very unique and golden opportunity to observe their wonderful plumage from a very close quarters. I left the place contented to see these feathered beauties accept human presence and wished for a peaceful co-existence.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">©Megh Roy Choudhury. </span><span style="background-color: #f2f7fa; color: #363632; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">All rights reserved. No part of this blog may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without my prior written permission . </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f2f7fa; color: #363632; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">For permission requests, contact at: </span><span style="background-color: #f2f7fa; color: #363632; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">meghroychoudhury@gmail.com</span></div>
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Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1631597347004542335.post-27112410943821929912014-10-31T10:51:00.004-07:002014-11-19T19:57:20.475-08:00Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary Pune<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know not where the white road runs, nor what the blue hills are;<br /> But a man can have the sun for a friend, and for his guide a star;<br /> And there's no end of voyaging when once the voice is heard,<br /> For the rivers call, and the roads call, and oh! the Call of the Bird! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> G.L.Gould</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, this very call of the birds made me decide to venture into a scrub land habitat in Pune. My birding friends came up with a suggestion to visit Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, a little known avian paradise about 70 Kms east of Pune on the Solapur Highway. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Little did I know that this deciduous forest, interspersed with grasslands, would unveil a world of 'dream come true' with its varied biodiversity. For many years this was a barren land devoid of any vegetation. Systematic plantations were then undertaken by the forest department. Many trees and various types of grasses were sown. It has now metamorphosed into an excellent scrub land due to excellent vegetation cover and enrichment of biomass.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Showing a cold shoulder to the iring eyes of the murky sky, we left Pune at 6 AM and reached the sanctuary at around 7 AM. After making an entry in the forest office we made our move towards the sanctuary. No wonder it sprung a lovely surprise at the very outset itself. We sighted a group of </span><b style="line-height: 20px;">Indian Thick-knees [</b></span><i style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"><b>Burhinus (oedicnemus) indicus]</b></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">, which were reposing in their typical monk like posture. My eyes struggled to paint them in their utmost grace with my lens but so exemplary was their camouflage that I took some time before I could finally accomplish my mission. As it was drizzling a bit and the shining face of heaven was yet to show up, these feathered beauties just refused to budge. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">My happiness knew no bound once I photographed the Thick-knees with the back drop of the vivid and verdant grassland. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vyhlTXN7y04/VFMU_4z3xEI/AAAAAAAAACU/pbcW-R6gfeU/s1600/thickkneeNI-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vyhlTXN7y04/VFMU_4z3xEI/AAAAAAAAACU/pbcW-R6gfeU/s1600/thickkneeNI-web.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Indian Thick-knee</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">Wonderful trails throughout the sanctuary allure one to just drive through and do watching and photography from the car. There are also three watch towers scattered around which provide a sublime view of the sanctuary. The landscape shifts seamlessly between a forest and a grassland. You can always expect a surprise lurking around every corner you turn and every new trail you follow.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">There is a very healthy population of <b>Chinkaras</b> [Indian Gazelle, </span></span><b style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span class="binomial"><i>Gazella bennettii] </i></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">in the sanctuary. These are the smallest of all Asiatic antelopes. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Though these are known to be very shy animals, they appear very bold and are not perturbed due to the Homo sapiens. This is exactly the place if you want to sip in their beauty from a convenient distance. We espied their playful behaviour and two of them even obliged us by putting up a fight. We even sighted an <b>Indian Fox</b>, which rapidly darted across the road and disappeared. Other species commonly seen here include <b>Indian Grey Wolf, Striped Hyena</b> and occasionally B<b>lackbucks.</b></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cekZxkamURI/VFMU4th3SUI/AAAAAAAAACE/s71g0_zEpRg/s1600/chinkara%2BNI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cekZxkamURI/VFMU4th3SUI/AAAAAAAAACE/s71g0_zEpRg/s1600/chinkara%2BNI.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Chinkara Male</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sanctuary provides an excellent opportunity to sight and photograph birds of scrub land habitat like <b>Indian Courser, Yellow-wattled Lapwing, Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse, Indian Bushlark, Sykes's Lark and Rufous-tailed lark</b>. <b>Common Hoopoe, Bay-backed Shrike, Southern Grey Shrike and Eurasian Collared Doves</b>. Other sightings included <b>Jacobin Cuckoo, Blue Rock Thrush and Lesser Whitethroat.</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kIhyiq9bI1E/VFMU4tD0JVI/AAAAAAAAACA/NniD1YrX3p0/s1600/lark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kIhyiq9bI1E/VFMU4tD0JVI/AAAAAAAAACA/NniD1YrX3p0/s1600/lark.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sykes's Lark</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9l2ib4iKyoE/VFMU0RZn4ZI/AAAAAAAAABw/wbi-8bv-ki0/s1600/dove%2BNI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9l2ib4iKyoE/VFMU0RZn4ZI/AAAAAAAAABw/wbi-8bv-ki0/s1600/dove%2BNI.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Eurasian Collared Dove</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gRk7UBf80oA/VFMU_tEgaxI/AAAAAAAAACQ/v6d2lxl7SAY/s1600/sandgrouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gRk7UBf80oA/VFMU_tEgaxI/AAAAAAAAACQ/v6d2lxl7SAY/s1600/sandgrouse.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse Male</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHEcvMPydPM/VFQ_1YY6vEI/AAAAAAAAAC8/L1qaKmwCSmI/s1600/IEO-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YHEcvMPydPM/VFQ_1YY6vEI/AAAAAAAAAC8/L1qaKmwCSmI/s1600/IEO-web.jpg" height="320" width="228" /></span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">However,the royal resident of the sanctuary is </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;">the majestic <b>Indian Eagle Owl </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><b>[Bubo bengalensis]</b>. How is the trip complete without paying a visit to His Royal Highness. It is a magnificent bird and is a sight to revere to see it elegantly perched on a tree. When it took off, I was simply captivated by it's lazy but mighty flight. The reverberating sound of it's flight and the colors hidden in it's wings will go down as some of the best memories mother nature has bestowed on me. Other raptors that blessed us with their charms were the <b>Pallid Harrier, Montagu’s Harrier</b> and <b>Common Kestrel</b>. <b>Peregrine Falcon</b> and <b>Red-necked Falcon</b> are sometimes sighted in the terrain.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZAqJmDXzEs/VFMVAEgavXI/AAAAAAAAACY/ihDnbvYTUMU/s1600/orphean-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nZAqJmDXzEs/VFMVAEgavXI/AAAAAAAAACY/ihDnbvYTUMU/s1600/orphean-web.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Orphean Warbler Male</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Every trip has one defining moment, the moment which you will forever fondly reminisce .The sighting of the <b>Eastern</b> </span><b style="line-height: 20px;">Orphean Warbler[<i>Sylvia crassirostris</i>],</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22px;"> made my heartbeats go haywire.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> We actually were following a </span></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Grey-necked Bunting </b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">when we chanced upon it. This is a very uncommon passage migrant and winter visitor. We spotted only one male of the species, which granted us some exclusive images and instantaneously disappeared. </span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-abPkY6gO1jI/VFMU1ha6gyI/AAAAAAAAAB4/NeyHqKqw3b8/s1600/Minivet-male-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-abPkY6gO1jI/VFMU1ha6gyI/AAAAAAAAAB4/NeyHqKqw3b8/s1600/Minivet-male-web.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">White-bellied Minivet Male</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Rains!!! it makes you hurry to pack and cover your gears.It makes you pray to God to let the smiling visage of the sun to peep through the haze. But of late I have realized that some of the best moments can be created even when we are in the most adverse situations. They have their own charismatic beauty and appeal. It was all the more evident when we sighted another highlight of the trip - a pair of <b>White-bellied Minivets [<i>pericrocotus erytropygius</i>].</b></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;"> I was desirous to catch a glimpse of this species for a very long time. An image of the handsome male in the subtle drizzle, calmed my thirsty soul. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We rounded the trip off with a sumptuous lunch at Diamond hotel near the sanctuary and went back with loads of 'close to heart' images, pleasing memories and absolute contentment. Any birding visit to Pune I feel, would be woefully incomplete without a trip to this serene creation of Nature. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">How to get there: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary</span> is actually about 70 Kms east of Pune on the Pune- Solapur Highway. After traveling about 55 KMs on the highway, turn right</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">(south) on to SH 62 at the village called Chaufula and then drive 15 kms to Supe or Supa, a small village that is on the edge of the Sanctuary.</span><span style="line-height: 19px;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You can either drive around the side of this village until a faded sign displays the entrance or ask at the village for directions.</span></span><br />
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Megh Roy Choudhuryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12441270686830282426noreply@blogger.com5