Asian Koel and Summer calls

Asian Koels and summer seems to have some connection between them, because I observed their presence more these days unlike any other season. Proving that, couple of my friends has also uploaded Koel photos in Flickr shot at their neighbourhood from across the country. Though I don’t see this birds often unlike it used fall into my sight during my residence in apartment previously (the pics below were also shot there), their call from the trees around my home is frequently loud.

Sometimes I see both the male and female Koels when I come out in the evening and the house next to ours has different kind of trees along the space around their home… invites birds such as Rufous Treepie, Green Parrots and Yellow billed Babblers. And I used to try capturing these birds but the angles they perch don’t fall into my comfort of shoot.

Male and Female Asian Koel

Koels are renowned for their sweetest tone and despite being black and grey in colors the bird’s enriched calls are inspiration for many poets to pen down beautiful verses. Koels are hard to distinguish from crows (due to black in color) unless taking little notice at their eyes - crimson red in color, and the female is differentiated by the white and buff spot on its brown back which resemble the look of an hawk. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Some Fence and Gate

Being Thursday, I was thinking about Good Fences and thought of sharing some pieces of fence and gate I shot during my evening strolls around the home. First one is an old damaged picket gate, belong to the neighbor and it is incline to their wall. The table fan aside the gate is a govt. freebie and it seems to be unable to mend to keep away… even the waste mart didn’t take away the fan during the clean-up explains its content.

The following one also belongs to the same neighbor and want lying on the wall is the leg parts of some wooden cot and the design wants me to shoot.

A long shot on our courtyard towards the gate and you could see our pet dog Maya is emerging out…   and dad’s former Scooty pep. He owns Honda Dio now.

A balcony rail of a nearby apartment, shot before it was rented. 

Sunday Photos: Some Scenic Mountain Views

During my last month vacation to Kodaikanal I took a detour through Palani to reach the destination. I have been to Palani before and drove up to the foothills of Kodaikanal, but I really wanted climb up the mountains this way and got the change only this time conveying my parents. I love this route (from Dindigul to Palani) esp. for its scenic landscapes and Western Ghats Mountains range that last throughout the way. And here I share some of the beautiful shots capture during our travel:

The road from Dindigul to Palani has an adjacent footpath laid alongside the road for the devotees to take foot pilgrimage to the Palani Murugan Temple.  The pilgrimage takes paces mostly in the month of Thai and Panguni (January and April) as Thaippoosam and Panguni Uttiram festivals are celebrated during these months.

P.S. Btw. I have completed 11 year in blogging by this June and I quite forget about it… I thank each and every blogger/friends for supporting me on this fabulous journey which I never dreamt of climbing this height. I don’t know what I would have doing now, if not blogging, but my life wouldn’t be this brighter, happier and energetic to look forward in life. If there’s some hope and looking forward thing in life, my blog would take place first and something that keeps me inspiring without second thought. Thank you all :)

At Rajesh’s (Destination Infinity) wedding party

I know I am not regular at blogging these days and there isn’t a specific reason rather that a mild disturbance with health and mind-set but overall the hot and humid weather keeps me away from any activity and make me feel tired through the dry weather. Though the intense summer month has passed down, the radiation of heat continues to battle our part of the country and the late beginning of southwest monsoon doesn’t seems to help much rather downpour in southern districts. But when things were right on track; the cold began its activity and annoyed for some time until couple of days back make me uncertain could I able to attend the wedding party of my friend and fellow blogger Rajesh of DestinationInfinity.

Glad I felt better on Sunday and I reminded my parents and brother about the get-together two days earlier so that they could prepare for the evening. It wasn’t difficult for us reaching his place and being Sunday there was very less traffic on the road and as I learned he stays at ground floor house I was certain not to miss the chance greeting him in person. I was thinking about getting some gift for the newly wed, but I couldn’t conclude with an idea and my search on internet also didn’t give hand and there isn’t time to place an order in online too. So decided to present a chocolate box, as I thought it would be a safest way since no one would dislike chocolates and it only gives pleasure whoever let it be when the creamy layer melts inside can’t resist relish. Lol

Though he lives at ground floor, unfortunately I couldn’t enter his home due to couple of steps at their doorstep, but it wasn’t a matter to me because I am there to greet and share his happiness while he enters a beautiful phase of his life. Rajesh looked very smart and tucked in shirt and his wife Ramya in traditional attire (or perhaps their wedding suit) was beautiful and smiley. I was comfort with their porch and they treated us with juice as soon we enter and a light meal followed later. I didn’t expect him to arrange for an early dinner (about 6pm) at an unusual time, but we couldn’t say anything when the food container was already at hold. Many talk but very few act according to what they say or think and Rajesh is one of its kind and I know he’s health conscious and try anything which is healthy.

And why I am saying this is because what he organized for the dinner was Vegan food. I know he’s interested in vegan style and have attended events relevant to vegan and what he consumes have also transformed into millets. So no wonder he tied the difference and it also worked well. I really liked the items served in the container but the only thing was I couldn’t eat everything. The curd rice made with peanut milk, instead of dairy, tasted very good and wasn’t much different from the regular. And also the jiggery pongal was sweet enough along the main dish pulao, and it also contains chapatti kurma and couple of side dishes. We have been the first guest at the get-together but we couldn’t stay long to see many of them.

But glad I could meet another blogger friend Sandhya, known by many as Maradhi Manni, before we decide to move. Though I couldn’t talk with her rather greeting either, it was good enough at least happen to see the person behind the blog. Back to Rajesh, he’s one of my long-time friends in blogging and we have met couple of times at my home and I really like his cheerful and smiling attitude. And I am sure it’s going to be double, perhaps, joining with his wife who too has a smiling face and sure to be kind enough going to sustain their happiness and smiles throughout their lives. Wishing both a very happy, bright and beautiful married life! Congrats DI 

Our stray guest

Picture shot in front of our gate… couple of our neighbor's gates also visible in the background. I really need to say, the stray dog in the picture is a quiet animal and never seen aggressive unlike other stray dogs in our street. She casually enters our gate and walk out quiet without disturbing anyone, but our pet dog kept barking at her every time she sees. It is a female dog and seems to nurture cubs somewhere or I guess the cubs I saw couple of nights back were hers. 

RGB Monday

A shop displaying colorful plastic utensils at Kodaikanal

Me and MRI

I never thought or imagined an MRI (scan) could be such torture!  I took an MRI for the whole spine yesterday to study the course of my scoliosis and to clarify the discomfort I am going through in the lower abdomen, for last few days. I have taken CT scans earlier and I was thinking MRI would be similar to it, and could be taken in few minutes, but the first dismay came when I learn that no wheelchair or stretcher is allowed inside the scanner room. The MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine seems to have a gravity to pull metal things and so I have to leave the wheelchair outside and my brother lifted me and lay on the scanner. Unexpectedly a coin from his pocket was pulled into the machine and only then I understand the magnetic attraction the machine holds. 

Before they put into the machine made sure that no metal is attached to the body and also no polyester is worn. They cover the face with a mask like thing and the head was tightly tapped to the sides to prevent moment. I could manage these things and lying for 45 minutes and motionless isn’t that stressful but the sounds that raises from the machine make me tensed.  The machine develops different constant beats that enough to create headaches to feel terrific. I just want to shout to stop these and discontinue the exam, but tried to be patient and bring peace of mind. I closed my eyes almost the scanning period perhaps to keep away my scare and being tensed. Glad there wasn’t anything difficult at breathe and mom sitting at a corner of the room gives me little comfort, though any moment is banned inside the rooms during the process.

Out of my control, I was praying for the moment to come to an end.  It was pretty cool inside the room and I was trying not to shiver and it was great sigh of relief when I hear the door was opened and pulling out of the machine my first question at the diagnostic person was is it finished? The technology has developed a lot and I wonder why anyone didn’t find a way to keep away the terrific resounding of this MRI.  I felt like I would never go for an MRI again but I should be glad that I unaware about this process until experienced myself to keep away the pre-tense. Except few remarks on scoliosis and lordosis the report has comes out almost normal! Looking forward to check with the doctor tonight and I am feeling slightly pain in the abdomen lately, hope all is well soon.  

Fences around mountains pass and valley

During my recent travel to Kodaikanal, I come around fences/barriers along the mountain pass that make certain safe passing. The photos (below) were shot along the Palani-Kodaikanal road in which I traveled for first time to reach Kodai. This is a former road to Kodai before the prime route from Batalagundu was carved out of mountains.

Fence along  the valley

 

Motion blur created by our  moving car

P.S. Sorry for not updating frequently here and miss reading many of yours… The weather is terrific hot here and I am almost feeling tired and unlike to eat anything… and also lack concentration on things to keep me away from here and other activities. Hoping for better situation to blog and continue reading. 

NOTA and other Parties

I see a high number of NOTA (none of the above) this time in the Tamil Nadu state election...  I need to say I don’t support it quite. I see it's an option to choose only if we think/consider all the candidates in a constituency are unfit. But before we head to poll a vote we should aware who are contesting, and whose words are promising, reliable and yet realistic. I don't know people think voting to nota as a fashion statement? But rejecting everyone blindfold isn't a democracy. We are forced to survive among thorns and what we should see is which one is less sharp… I support for a change, but in a largest democratic country like us it will take time and people has to come out of their comfort zone to choose their candidates and parties.

As expected there had been a heavy competition between the two prime parties of Tamil Nadu and   both has come close in defeating each other in minimum number of votes… thanks to the 3^rd front and other parties to go on individual rather making an alliance. Though they all witnessed defeat in all constituencies (never like before), it only helped the prime parties gaining more than enough seats to form a govt. and strong opponent. The ruling party (ADMK) has come to power once again with majority of seats and ever in a history of an opposite; DMK has scored an increasingly large number of seats to hopefully to see a healthy debate. With any other parties having voice for people, the DMK has more responsibility to preserve and restore people’s rights and need in assembly.

Apart many complain of money distribution for voting (which is true) from both the parties, the 3^rd and 4^th level parties losing the deposit only proves their wrong calculation and blindfold confident. Overall they are planned to praise themselves than making a strategic. Apart making freebies and implementing complete prohibition there isn’t anything prudential in their manifesto (including the prime parties) and making an alliance in a short period and indifference attitudes put them down front. Though change is their main goal but the way they chose to be wrong… a change could be happen only step by step, just the way prohibition should be, because a sudden change will not be healthy always and long-lasting is doubtful. 

A brief note on my travel to Kodai

I would like to say it was a great escape from the scorching heat of Chennai (but the weather is pleasant now due to summer rain) for less than a week... but it was quite terrific until reaching the foothills of Kodaikanal and way back to home. Yes, I had a fabulous vacation come travel last week to the princess of hills, Kodakanal. The destination isn’t new for me and I love being there and times no matter, but this time it was really different, wonderful and exciting only because of the things done, routes traveled and the place of stay. Every time I visit Kodai I try to explore something new and make sure leisurely the drive. As planned we headed to Kodaikanal first through the Palani Ghat section which I really wanted to do for very long time. I have been more than 6 times to Kodai and first time I got to explore this route and I really need to say it is very natural and scenic than the prime route (via Batlagundu) to Kodaikanal.

Things were fine until reaching Kodai, but we couldn’t stay over there due to some unsuitable lodging. We have a friend there who used to book cottages for us every time and this time he slightly went ahead with sloped terrain which supposed  to be very difficult  and the couple of cottages we checked hold great views but where tilted either up or down.  So with no other option and time to search (as it was about 8pm) we decided to move to Thandikudi to stay at my uncle’s newly built woodhouse come cottage. We actually planned to stay at woodhouse but I wanted to explore an interior area, which could be easily accessible from Kodai so I liked staying there for couple of days before move to Thandikudi. It was 10pm when we reached the woodhouse and past Kodai it started to shower heavily and all the bags tied to the car top were drenched.

Winding wet ghat road

The next day turned out to be the most exciting part of my vacation, an off-road ride in Jeep to a waterfall near Thandikudi. It was indeed an unexpected ride and I didn’t believe I could seat inside a Jeep but it all happened only because of my brother. It is a complete off-road ride I ever had and we crossed a small river and had fun all together. The other day I took a long drive on the mountains leading all the way to Kilavarai, the last public accessible destination in Kodaikanal hills, where the famous Escape Road (a trail road that connect Kodai-Munnar) begins. It was entirely a very scenic pass, with rolling grasslands and terrace framing taking place on either side, the cold breeze continue to caress from the tall pine and eucalyptus trees. It took my entire day taking plenty of photos including birds and wild flowers.

Had a exciting jeep ride - inside me

Uncle’s woodhouse (in Thandikudi) is a very pleasant abode for nature lovers and it has a wonderful balcony to bird watch at the backyard. Though the woodhouse is built close to the road, it sense amazing to listen to birds chirping from all sides and felt serene almost to name as Serene Woods. My recommend to Thandikudi would be mainly for bird watching and the pristine natural environment exits among the coffee, pepper and orange plantations aside canopy of tall trees of different species. Staying there, I also visited Parappalaru Dam. About 45 km from there, the travel to the dam was through vast coffee plantations, beautiful villages and forest region with a pristine lake among the dense. By this travel I covered almost nooks of the Kodaikanal Hills but still feel there’s more to experience and explore at leisure. Hope to share more my experience in future/further post. 

My uncle's woodhouse

Bird Watching @ Thandikudi: Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher

I have been to Thandikudi (on the lower Palani hills of Kodaikanal,) couple of time, and with a plan to go ahead tomorrow, I like to share one of the lovely birds I captured over there. Thandikudi is a wonderful place to enjoy bird watching and it is open to cute little birds alike the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher.

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family and it is an insectivorous species which breeds in tropical Asia, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Southeast Asia. Its range stretches across all the countries from India to Indonesia and they are found in dense scrub to forest habitats.

Measured about 11-12 cm in long, the bird has blue upper parts and the throat and breast are orange and the rest of the under parts are white. The bird sings in metallic tone includes a series of clicks followed by five or six notes that end abruptly. It is a wary bird and not always easily observed and it a forest-loving species which is found in thick cover and shade, and particularly haunts the banks of wooded streams.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Signal Problem

After shifted to my current location and close to my native house in Adyar, Chennai, I chose to go to our family doctor for the check-ups in my wheelchair rather taking the car since the clinic is about a km from home. But the only difficult I face during this course was crossing the LB Road, the main road that connects Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur signals. Though there was a zebra crossing and separate signal for pedestrian to cross the road (near hotel Lakshmi Sagar), it wasn’t literally difficult, but until only the signal works.  

The signal i have pointed out here

The signals flashing orange (which means cross with caution) is a common one in the cities at night and it usually take place only after 10pm when the traffic comes down, but when it happens as early as 9 pm (which is also a peak hour in cities like Chennai) crossing the road is a challenge. Some vehicles stop to give way when seeing me in wheelchair to cross the road, but we can’t expect the same compassion from public buses and bikes. They kept moving even the signal turned red really scare me to cross and travel aside the road.  

My cousin brother used to come along with me and when the signal shut down he blocks the vehicles to let me cross the road. For me it shows the irresponsible and laziness of the traffic police to shut down the signal when there was still heavy traffic. Other day I was close to the signal and before I cross it turned flashing orange and vehicles started to cross from all directions turned to be difficult. I notice to amaze the signal next to this was working and regulating the traffic and here we are in trouble crossing the road. The traffic signals are automated and I don’t find there could be any difficult for the traffic cop to regulate but still switching off only sends frustration.

RGB Monday

Merry go round @ Marina Beach, Chennai  

The colorful merry-go-round is a hand cranked or motor driven produces fun and amusement to both adults and kids.

Little Cormorants, Underwater Swimmers

Like never before I saw number of Little Cormorants during my recent visit to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, about 80 km from here. These birds are very commonly found in the water bodies around Chennai, but not in numbers that’s uncountable. Vedanthangal invites lot of birds from across the globe but this time little cormorants took large numbers into the account. 

The Little Cormorants are a member of the cormorant family of seabirds, slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant; it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. The bird sized between 50 to 55 cm in length and weighing up to 530 grams is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinents and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called Javanese cormorant.

The bird looks entirely back in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. It forages single or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on the waterside with its wings spread out after coming out of the water.

Little cormorants produce low roaring, grunting and groaning sounds comprising low pitched ah-ah-ah and kok-kok-kok’s. They swim underwater to capture fishes and propel themselves using their webbed feet. But the captured fishes are often brought up to the surface to swallow them and during that time others birds including their fellow cormorants, painted storks and egrets may attempt to steal them. 

Linking this post for Saturday Critters

It’s Summer

Sunset @ Muttukadu backwaters

Summer brings a sigh of relief
with schools enclosed for vacation
students chose to chase their passion
like gushing water in search of roots.

While summer curse to scorch
the compassion of sea breeze bless,
blissful moments to surpass
with flock of birds flag off to home.

Summer brings up the memories
that neither forgotten nor went down
with multiple layers adding on latterly
the calm afternoon winds up the dust.

Summer breaks the age barrier
where everyone likes to have ice creams,
fruit juices and tender coconuts
cool down our entire system.

Like every season that has an essence
summer delivers radiant sunshine,
where shoot, unripe fruits and flowers
regenerate under the natural hood sun. 

Though summer being a dry season
there isn't scarce for happiness,
and when the back itches for scratch
the urge for mountain's dew become firm.

RGB Monday

Baby walker of my neighbor's one and a half year old kid, Achu!

Other day, after his play, he left his baby push walker outside the home and I used that opportunity to click on the colorful walker to share on my RGB Monday. He has a habit of leaving things outside wherever he play and later his mom collect them all. Achu’s family is just two months old to our compound and he developed an attachment towards my mom very soon and even our pet dog maintain silence when he enters our home freely. He’s very quiet unless he joins with other kids and he hadn’t started to talk yet except calling amma and appa (mom-dad) but he’s understandable and point out on things he wanted and mentions what. The thing I appreciate in him was he never takes away things from others, even though he doesn’t take food easily from his mom, he refuse anything we give him to eat. I leave this post with his photo below:   

Crow Assignment and Dog Behavior

I used to stroll around the home in the evenings in kind of getting breeze and one day I causally looked at the custard apple tree (pic above) in front of our house but outgrown from the neighbor's compound, and found a male crow breaking the sprigs of the tree by going on the withered or easily breakable. Early summer the leaves were all parted and now it looks as if it started to shoot again and there’s already couple of little custard apples hung around… the crow seemed patient in finding the right sprig that’s easily achievable and it didn’t few away with the sprigs but dropped each after the break up. Later it few away and I left wonder. I know birds collect sprigs/sticks only if they are building nest and so I was sure the crow should be nesting somewhere and all the break ups for that.

What I really wonder was does the crow (or any bird species) built the nest at this time was because they know it is the season where trees withered to produce more sticks or it’s a coincident where nesting of birds and fall happens at same. I think in Tamil Nadu the fall season was between February-March.  During a visit to Topslip in mid Feb, I saw abundant of leaves filled across the forest and mountain pass and upon which I inquire to know it was the fall season there. Before I stop wondering, I was amused at the sight which followed. Where a female crow flew in collecting the sticks on the ground that was broke down by the male crow. As I went near the gate I find numbers of sticks were parted by him. I really loved the cooperation between them in building the nest and producing their offspring’s in fall season!

I think the male crow was very concern about building the nest and helping his partner, as I saw him other day on another tree with the same assignment.  The crow in the flight (picture above) wasn’t shot at pointing at the bird, but fell into image when taking some photos at Elliots beach.  

Another interesting sight I got to watch outside the gate on the following days was, a stray dog munching on grasses! First I thought it was sniffing something but it was actually chewing on a patch of grass on the roadside. I have heard dogs eat grass, but ever seen one before. Our pet dog, Maya, used to eat raw vegetables like beans and carrot and not grasses like the one seen above.  Upon this, I browsed the net to know: that a dog eating grass is actually quite common and this form of pica is considered as normal dog behavior. And grass eating doesn’t usually lead to throwing up -- less than 25% of dogs that eat grass vomit regularly after grazing. Other suggested reasons why dogs might be eating grass include improving digestion, treating intestinal worms, or fulfilling some unmet nutritional need, including the need for fiber.

Linking this post for SaturdayCritters

Songs that stole my heart

It’s been sometime I felt awesome listening to a song, but this time I got to experience two at a time although both has similar tones, its pleasure to listen either the  Telugu or Tamil versions of Prema Parichayame, which in Tamil as Naan Un Azhaginile from the upcoming Tamil movie 24. A.R. Rahman has composed the songs and Chinmayi’s sweet rendering in Tamil and Telugu was immersing along with Hriday Gattani (Telugu) and Arijit Singh (Tamil) lending their male voices cause a soothing effect in Madan Karky’s heartfelt lyrics.

Though listening the songs back to back, I was impressed more by the feel caused by Prema Parichayame than the Tamil lyric based song Naan Un. Beyond the language and understanding, the music and rendering touched me deep to mummer the song without my knowledge. Apart the above two, Punnagaye, another melody from the album is also commendable and so beautiful. The song has couple of my favorite singers - Haricharan and Shashaa Tirupati, who has been around sometime and whose songs are almost my favourite. 

Punnagaye....

Park Fence

Hope you remember the beautiful sculpture of traditional women I posted here, and today’s image covers some of the sculptures the way they erected across the park, in a line.

The fence in front of it separates the parking lot and the small park of the restaurant where he had lunch during our trip to Kumbakonam. 

Mountain Pass of Kolli Hills and Arappaleeswarar Temple

Having our lunch at Senthamangalam, a town on the foothills of Kolli Hills and about 12 km from where the Ghat road with 70 hairpin bends begins! Among the mountain passes in south India, Kolli Hills has the highest number of hairpin bends. Though it perhaps sounds adventure and exciting and although it was, there’s nothing to fear about alike it resound dangerous – infamously called as the mountains of death, the travel for certain distance on this road is quite zigzag. An experienced driver could give a pleasure ride… and the road is good enough and wasn’t traffic alike other mountain passes could feel secure.

We climbed the mountains in the afternoon and the landscapes on the way till the foothills, from the town, were covered by farmlands, where paddy, sugarcane, palm coconut and areca are cultivated in large scale. I am thinking for a separate post on this to look more in detail. So, the almost ride on this mountain range were zigzag through evergreen forest until the first village atop the hill, Cholakkadu, emerge with a telescope house and farmers market. It was a beautiful ride with pristine beauty at every curve and except few sharp hairpin bends, where heavy vehicles are forced to take reverse as it is not possible to turn it one radius, it was pleasant indeed.

One of the sharp hairpin bends

An evergreen and pristine mountainscape

As I know Kolli Hills is famous for the herbal and medicinal plants with great potent, I kept breathe in deep the fresh air winding across the Ghat and believed it heals my respiratory which perhaps polluted to traffic environment in cities. Though I was disappointed somehow expose to the transformation of the mountain tops into farmlands, the calmness and leftover spaces of evergreen slopes keep me regain. We had booked rooms in the Panchayath Union cottage at Semmedu, the headquarters of Kolli Hils, but the rooms weren’t nice enough and that time we heard about the youth hostel near Arappalleeswarar Temple, in Kovilur.

Herbal forest at Kolli Hills

The youth hostel is about 11 km from Semmedu and we decided to check the place to know will it suitable for us, informing them to come back if we aren’t content. The road to the hostel takes us through some lovely farmlands and a mini falls, though the accommodation wasn’t that greater there, but the environment where it was built wanted me to stay over there. And it was slightly drizzling when we reached there, which add more pleasant to the moment and silent ambiance. The hostel is on the road to the Arappalleeswarar Temple, with a backyard facing mountains and valley apart holding a beautiful garden landscape within.

Arappalleeswarar Temple (click all pics for enlarge)

Being nearest to Arappalleeswarar Temple, it was our first spot to check out. No, I haven’t gone inside the temple and not only it has steps but I wasn’t interested then. The temple was the main attraction to the Kolli Hills only next to the Aagaya Gangai waterfalls, which closely exists to the temple and only people who are healthy and ability to climb down/up 1500 steps are permitted inside. Like I told in my previous post, the Arapalesswarar Temple was built by the mountaineer ruler and skilled archer Valvil Ori in the 1^st or 2^nd century CE during his regime. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it also houses his entire family – Goddess Shakthi, Lord Vinayaa and Muruga. 

Indian Pond Heron @ the edge of the Lake

At the end of the neatly paved trail at Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, which we visited last week, I find an Indian Pond Heron stalk prey at the edge of the lake. The bird very common in India, usually forage alone and can be missed easily just the way stalk prey in the pictures below.

The Indian pond heron or paddy bird is a small heron, widely distributed across India and its bordering countries and in the Persian Gulf, it is found in Iran, Oman and UAE.   Appear stocky with a short neck; the breeding plumage (which is in the images) has dark brown patches on white unlike non-breeding birds that have white plumage streaked in olive and brown.

doesn't it look beautiful with the reflection in water?

Measuring 40 to 45 cm in length and weighing about 230 to 275 grams, and wingspan to 75 to 90 cm, the bird has a greenish bill with black tip and yellow eyes. The prominent feature of the bird was it transforms its appearance when take off with flashing bright white wings in contrast to their dull body colors.

a non-breeding plumage is also present in  the pic above

Apt to their name, they inhabit around ponds and pools mostly, apart marshes, rivers, streams, paddy fields… the birds feeds on fishes, frogs, crustaceans, insects and small reptiles, usually from the edge of the pond. 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Floral Bowl

The bowl maybe small – in brass

Filled with red rose petals

And a hub white rose.      
                           

Like chef garnish a dinner

Mom’s simple floral order

Adorn our tea table. 

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto