Saturday, April 07, 2012

Bird watching in my neighborhood

Nowadays I am becoming a passionate bird watcher and looking for birds always around my neighborhood and shutting down as much disturbance to listen to their sweet chirpings. Among the many birds mist passes our courtyard and perched to the branches, there are few regular visitors and home stayed by couple of Koels and crows.
Twin sharing
Asian Koels
Mynas are frequently sighted here like there’s always one when u need and Koels flew in once food left at the compound. They even beat the crows by arriving early to finish the left over and if this continues one day instead of shouting out for crows on special days to treat with vada, we perhaps could send sweet calls to Koel.
Kingfisher
White Throated Kingfisher
As u all know already I think that a Kingfisher has been my morning visitor everyday and it’s still holding its habit and I only missing to check it outside regularly. The bird comes to perch irregularly these days except not only in the morning and I lately discovered that it was the owner of the sweet vocal that chirps aloud in rhyming.

The unbelievable me, watched it thought binocular to astonish how amazing and cute the little white throated blows out loud series of twitter.
Rufous Treepie
Rufous Treepie
The other day an unusual bird come across our sight and after a couple of takes on failure, I captured the bird when it perch a branch of Gulmohar. The bird looked different and finding its name and identity has been tough to only discover after a serious search on Indian birds.

Rufous Treepie is the name of the unusual bird and its call was something I could easily recall hearing here via the internet and interestingly the bird is a member of the crow family (Corvidae). Found commonly on open scrub and agro-forest areas, both the sexes of the bird are alike in main body color of cinnamon with a back head and long graduated tail in bluish gray and tipped in black is enhanced by white patches on the wings.

Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Point Calimere – a note on lighthouse and sea sand

Among the many beautiful things that come across our travel to the Point Calimere last week, the British lighthouse in Kodiyakarai scrub forest is one awesome sight at the edge of southeast Tamil Nadu. I waited for long time to visit this swamp island surrounded by salt pans, bird and wildlife sanctuary is home to many species of birds, animals and shrubs is a best place to experience the wildlife inhabitant.
British Light House
British Light House

Built in 1890 by the British in the Point Calimere is a 16 m round cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery; the lighthouse is painted white and lantern dome in red, said to white flash every 10 seconds. As a replacement to the 1000 years old Chola lighthouse which remains as ruin with only the bottom left today latter shatter to tsunami and recent thane cycle has forced to footstep into the sea.
Chola Lighthouse ruin
Chola Lighthouse ruin

The Chola lighthouse is erected 1000 years ago during the regime of Raja Raja Cholan and what remains now is the broken bricks and mortar on the ever so soft sand shore. The British lighthouse is old among the other lighthouses which flash could be seen up to 15 nautical miles.
Lonely in isolated pristine beach
Isolated at a pristine beach, Point Calimer

The entire trip to the Point Calimere was enjoyable and the route after Cuddalore was new for me to unexpected curves and bend of plenty but still enjoyed the winding road and come across cities and villages. The time we took to explore the places were unfavorable and its heavy sunshine during the day time and at same time very pleasant in evening and at dawn. The Point Calimere beach is isolated and the virgin beach sand is so soft and exotic to foot stand on… may be I feel it as I unmemorable when I last foot at sea sand. Wow

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Action squirrel with new Cam

Here’s a series of action by squirrel captured with my newly bought Camera, Canon PowerShot SX220 HS! It’s a quite impressive camera with quick burst and 14x optical zoom, it captures the distance objects crisp and clear to put me at great surprise and rejoice. I am enjoying it indeed :)
Action squirrel
I really missed a good deal that comes in hand while getting this camera and I don’t want to miss the chance by paying little more on it where this model is on near closing its business represented by the latest models in its series. I’m quite content with the quality of pictures from this 12 megapixel point and shoot camera with features almost double than my currently corrupted with lens, Canon PowerShot SD850 IS.

I really wished for a camera with more zooming and light weighted and while studying on this format I find canon sx220hs getting prior in many area and even though its zooming is less compared to its similar feature based on brands Nikon, Sony… Canon is much better at picture quality and high speed shutter which I lack during low light with previous one. Moreover the design and the way of handing the camera want me to go for it with least disappointment with weight adding few more grams and battery that runs out sooner than the previous one… glad both the cameras hold the same batter for me to use one as spare while traveling.
Munching squirrel!
Back in action, the cute lil squirrel was very active running here and there on the compound wall feeding on the idly left over and it doesn’t stop a moment for me until few seconds of munching… the camera acted too smart and fast capturing the squirrel never ever so clear nearby me! I’m ahead to go out testing and experience the various shooting modes it holds along extending my road trip on ECR further to Point Calimere.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

காதல் பார்வை / Love sight

காதல்...
கண்கள் பகிர்ந்துகொள்ளும் காட்சி
வசனம் எதுவும் தேவையில்லை.

Love...
Eyes sharing scene
no need any dialogue.

காதல்...
இதயங்கள் இணையும் சாட்சி
உருவம் எதுவும் தேவையில்லை.

Love...
Evidence of hearts meeting
no need any form.

Image courtesy: Google (the photo is the inspiration of this poem)

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Kazhugu - 2012

Holding the title of late super hit Tamil movie stared by superstar RajiniKanth has nothing to do with this subject, which is very different to think anyone normally about the lives of those who dare to recover the bodies of whom committing suicide by jumping off the cliff into deep valleys. Renowned for such real in incidents and point, the movie grabs the plot in Kodaikanal and along the adjoining parts of Munnar.
A couple of films old hero Krishna has led the role of recovering bodies along with the help of his friends Thambi Ramaiah and Karunas has uplifted the script with their sensible humor preventing from leading it so serious. The tough job of recovery wasn’t stressful to impressive and it was just a part of the film which deals with lives on land above the cliff and mounds. Bindu Madhavi pursues Krishna in love following his good heart and bringing above the body of her sister who jumped off the cliff.

Not well known in front, Krishna is best suited for the role whose appearance replaces a real life hero involved in the recovery job. The Pasanga fame Jayaprakash does a mystery role whose activity was no were to guess but a thin line of villain expression on behalf. Bindu Madhavi has a matured face and height and while seeking for attention she expresses right at moments.

Almost the movie moves in darkness and night mode, it lacks clear picture at background. The cinematography wasn’t much better than expected but better at behalf ending the movie where the much bloodiness hides in darkness. The BGM wasn’t impressive except the songs, where the two melodies by Yuvan and Karthik Raja were humming sort even I find hard to cope with lyrics. The pre-release ‘Aambalaikum Pombalaikum…’ is a peppy number with catching tunes and somehow true lyrics!

Bottom line:
Kazgugu (Eagle) has gasped the best aspiration for a better cinema from the usual commercial aspects and represents the limelight with darkness.