NatureStop

Kaziranga National Park,Part II

2011-07-04T22:00:00.001+04:00

Finally we are here to complete Kaziranga National Park, Part II...have been very lazy indeed. This is going to be a long post as we would like to cover all that we saw...
As we drive to Kaziranga we are greeted with a view of lush green tea gardens, indeed a feast for the eyes !!!

Raw material for my cup of tea...

As we reached the guest house we just had enough time to grab a bite and pack some snacks for the kids before we left for the Jeep Safari with our guide at 2p.m
As we entered the park we saw some wild elephants and Rhinos at a distance... this is also the flood plains of the Brahmaputra (river), during the monsoon season the river floods most of the forest area. Animals are forced to move uphill.

Male elephants do not stay in a herd, one decides to peep from the tall elephant grass (these grasses grow as tall as the elephants, hence their name)

A herd of elephants feeding on fresh water hyacinth

Elephant Apple fruit (Dillenia indica ) or "Ouu tenga" as we call it in Assamese(pronounced O,Tenga,tenga means sour). The fruit pulp is used in Indian Cuisine in curries, jam, and jellies...
You must be wondering why am I mentioning about this fruit...it is because this is a favourite among the elephants...lol

Wild buffalo relaxing at dusk...

Kaziranga is home to the Indian one-horned rhino and we spotted a few...

This one sniffs the air for any dangers...

One in the bushes...

One close enough for a shot...

Kaziranga is also a bird-watcher's paradise...

The Ruddy Shelducks

The Indian Roller

Ring nosed Parakeet.

Bar headed geese (these are migratory birds)

Yellow footed green pigeon.

Bulbul.

Am not too sure about these ones...are they kites or eagles? Help with ID's please

Black necked stork.

Wooly necked stork.

Asian Barred Owlet.

Spot billed pelican.

The scarlet minivet(male)

The scarlet minivet (female)

We think this is the black Drongo...missed the fork tail as this one suddenly popped up from nowhere and disappeared before we got another shot!!!

Assam Macaque.

The turtles basking in the sun:)

This one swims around..

As Arun goes around click...click..click..we pose for him:) atop a watch tower at the edge of the forest.

And as the sun sets we head back to our guest house!

Wild Elephants at Kaziranga National Park,Assam.

2011-02-18T18:30:00.000+04:00

It was our privilege to be one with nature in this vast paradise of wilderness, popularly known as the Kaziranga National Park, a UN world heritage site. It is located in the North-eastern state of Assam, India. To name a few animals which calls this home - One-horned Rhinos, Wild Buffalos, Elephants, Royal Bengal Tiger, Swamp Deer, Barking deer, Leopard, Jackal, Turtle, Tortoise, the winged varieties are a bird watchers delight. This forest lies in the flood plains of the river Brahmaputra, in the monsoon season the river often overflows and floods the grasslands, when animals migrate to higher grounds. It has its usual share of human and wildlife conflicts with villages skirting the forest edge, Elephants often cross path with human habitat and create havoc. A national highway cuts through the forest disrupting movement of wildlife. Inspite of all odds, this forest thrives and is haven to wildlife and lifeline for people like us who detest the concrete jungles. Before we entered the forest gates I wished I could site wild elephants which have long eluded me. This post is dedicated to the pachyderms sited during our visit.
We had hired a jeep from the forest department to tour the forest. Our team constituted our lady guide (a wild life enthusiast), car driver and our family of four including our daughters aged 4 and one all of 9 months. Though we had sighted a large variety of animals that evening we were little low as we had not sighted the elephants and light was fast fading and we were on our way back. Just then we heard an elephant from very near. Our vehicle came to a halt but the noise of the engine had scared them away. Though we could hear them they were out of sight in the dense vegetation. Even after a wait of 15-20 minutes with engine switched off the elephants did not find it wise to break cover, we moved ahead and decided to wait again at a distance. Soon enough we saw the herd leader (matriarch) sniffing in the air to check for any danger, within the next few minutes a herd of elephants appeared and crossed the vehicle tracks with a baby elephant in tow, to our sheer delight. No so for our younger daughter though, who decided to scream, as the vehicle had stopped which did not seem interesting to her anymore. Some choco-corn flakes did the trick and was quiet again.

Next morning we sited these two male elephants taking stock of each other with some posturing.

Another herd decided to cross the tracks, the matriarch takes stock of danger, if any, before the herd crosses.

See my teeth! Can your tooth paste produce so much of shine:)

You better be scared!!

Another elephant just appears.And poses for a pic.

This one appeared too close to us for comfort...

Would be back soon with few other posts from our visit.

Slender-billed Gulls.

2010-12-04T10:00:00.000+04:00

As winter sets in and the birds are back , decided to take a stroll by Qurum beach, managed a few pics of the Slender-billed Gulls.

We are planning a vacation to India in a couple of days !!Wishing all our blogger friends a great Christmas and a very happy New year!!!(In case we stay on..:))

Second visit to Ras Al Haad Turtle Reserve.

2010-11-18T16:00:00.001+04:00

We had visited Ras Al Haad Turtle reserve in July this year for the second time . We were both happy and sad, the new regulation restricted usage of camera at night to shoot turtles laying eggs. Though we were able to site a few green turtles laying eggs we were not able to frame them. We had to drive down 250 kilometres by the new picturesque Sur road, a far cry from the earlier 500 km long Sur road .

The beach at dawn...

Evening view of the approach road from top of an adjacent mountain.

The hotel.

We however framed a few images while the turtles were covering the eggs with layers of sand (using their front flippers) at the break of dawn. This action of the turtle helps protect the eggs from natural predators like foxes and birds.

Turtle's journey back to the sea.

Closeup of the rocky mountains.

Our new vehicle.

Sister's Muscat Visit

2010-11-13T16:00:00.000+04:00

Lost and found (way to our Blog)!!! We have been missing from blogger action. The kids are really keeping us busy. Hopefully by next year we will be regular. Just wanted to share a few pics of what we spotted while my sis was on vacation here. Time with family is precious...
Birds are back on Qurum Beach...and we went after this bird in particular..

And so are the crabs.

Hiya is now 8 months and a brat...

My sis Nina.

Diya with her cousins Saanya and Raunak.

Hiya with her cousins.

We had a great time with Nina's family.

We finally managed a family pic:)

Visit to hometown

2010-03-26T15:00:00.001+04:00

Last October we went to Guwahati (capital city, state of Assam) from Delhi(India). Our flight path took us parallel to the mighty Himalayas (the highest mountain range in the world). The weather was clear and could manage some shots of the snow covered ranges peeping out amidst fluffy cotton clouds.

Next day we ventured in the outskirts of the city, a few pics from the countryside which attracted out attention with varying vibrant colours of nature.

Father's garden too, it appeared, laid claim to the vibrancy of its varied habitat it hosted. A Coppersmith barbet (bird) too called it home, in trunk of a beetel nut tree.

Beetel nuts in the garden. These trees are very common and popular here. A beetel is chewed after being extracted from its fibre coat. It is commercially available in dried, cured and fresh forms. While fresh, the husk is green and the nut inside is so soft that it can easily be cut with an average knife.In the ripe fruit the husk becomes yellow or orange and, as it dries, the fruit inside hardens to a wood-like consistency.

Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

2010-03-16T22:07:00.000+04:00

Situated in Morigaon district of Assam, the northeastern state of India, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is a major wildlife attraction. Covering an area of 38.8 Sq. km.Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is about 50 km from Guwahati(the capital of Assam).Though much smaller than Kaziranga national park( in the same state of Assam), Pobitora has a much higher density of animal habitationPobitora is famous for its great Indian one horned Rhinoceros. Besides Rhinoceros the other animals are Asiatic Buffalo, Leopard, Wild bear, civet cat etc. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary is also home to more than 2000 migrator birds and various reptiles.
The sanctuary is best visited from November to March.During the Indian monsoon season(rainy season),most of th grasslands of the santuary are submerged in water for weeks,forest guards switch from elephant backs to boats as their preferred mode of transport to patrol the forest borders.

Reached the park after a short drive from the capital city of Guwahati,weather gods however were unrelenting,sky was overcast after rains and visit inside the park was called off. Had to sit out near the forest office till darkness was overwhelming and had to check in to a nearby lodge.
The shutterbug in me tookover and resulted in a few shots below.
Elephant handlers who to take tourists inside the park had spare time for some maintenance of their vehicles (elephants!).

Water lilies floating nonchalantly in the water.

The night was long and as I waited for the first sign of daybreak. This bug was too noisy and shot it down(with a click of a camera )!

Finally daylight dawned, the fresh dew on the ground and Common hoopoe(bird) by the dirt track on the way to the park, was welcoming. Desperate to enter the wildife park, an opportunity which comes once a year during my annual holidays, the elephant it appears took notice of my distress so did the forest guard and mahut(elephant handler),we hurried in.

A view of grasslands.

Wild Buffalo shot from Elephant back.

A wild boar making a guest appearence from the dense undergrowth.

The Indian Rhinoceros or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros or the Asian One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis).
It is a large mammal primarily found in north-eastern India and Nepal. It is confined to the tall grasslands and forests in the foothills of the Himalayas.The rhino stands top in the list of poachers for its horn, which some cultures in East Asia believe has healing and potency powers and therefore is used for traditional Chinese Medicine and other Oriental medicines.

They are known to be very aggresive and protective about their young. It even charged at

our elephant. Missed the shot, as I was precariously balanced with one hand on the rope of the elephant and the other hoding the camera and the elephant taking evasive action. the mahut made a large sound from a bell to deter the rhino with her young.

New addition to our family.

2010-03-11T18:16:00.007+04:00

To share our moments of joy with our blogger friends as we welcome Hiya(Diya's little sister)to our family.

Hiya was born on 7th March( this was captured within 5min of birth)

Diya visiting her sister.

Hiya back home.

Diya playing hide and seek as Hiya sleeps:)

Trip to Mauritius.

2009-12-22T13:24:00.004+04:00

Greetings from Oman!!! We know you all must be thinking that we have disappeared :) we are still here...just a little lazy and catching up with other things. We just took a short break to Mauritius and here are some of the pics.

Mauritius is an island nation off the coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 kilometres east of Madagascar.The island of Mauritius is renowned for having been the only known home of the dodo(bird). The dodo is now extinct. Of volcanic origin and generally sheltered by barriers of coral reefs forming natural, safe, crystal clear lagoons, Mauritius has long been a dream destination. Mauritius is surrounded by pristine white beaches and lush greenery in the central islands. Creole and French are the main languages in the everyday environment and several oriental languages are also spoken.

The La Palmeraie Hotel where we stayed, a veiw from the boat.

A view from our hotel room balcony.

The Indian Ocean...

Red-whiskered Bulbul, shot from the balcony.

A green leaf warbler posing on a tree by the hotel beach!

We went to visit the Casela Nature Park.
Love birds.

Macaws.

The peacock.

The peahen.

The Giant tortoise.

Tortoise.

The scarlet Ibis.

Missed the name of this good looking bird with the head-gear. .Hey, that's a Grey Crowned Crane(thanks Keith for the ID:))

Tiger, in its enclosure.

We didn't quite enjoy wild life in captivity. We took heart as our 3 year old had a nice time in the park.

View of rain clouds.

Trou Aux Cerf Crater.

Volcano crater- view from the top , a favourite sightseeing place . Experts say this volcano is 'dormant' . Abundance of lush greenery in the crater.

A magnificent view of a part of Mauritius from the top of Trou aux
Cerfs.

Lush green sugarcane fields on both side of the highway soothe your senses....a far cry from our life within concreate walls.

Sugarcane factory.....sugar in your kitchen jar may be from this factory... Sugarcane is a mainstay of the local economy.

Diya sharing some secuirty tips with her parents..."you should also wear life jackets".

A view of the marine life from the glass bottom boat.

That's Diya relaxing by the pool.

Diya and Arun enjoying a dip in the blue waters.

Mauritius by night.Time to catch up on the stars we adored in our childhood.

Turtle watching at Ras Al Hadd, Oman

2009-08-07T22:04:00.001+04:00

Turtles are amongst the oldest and important marine species living in the Omani waters.Marine turtles are cold-blooded reptiles and their distribution is restricted to the warmer areas of the world. Oman is one of the very rare places in the world where turtles can be watched freely and calmly. Turtle nesting attracts hundreds of visitors to Ras al Hadd each year to watch the site at close quarters.

There are two routes that lead to Ras Al Hadd .One which we took a year ago and travelled five hours. These are some of the sites we saw.

The new route has a different view all together.The rocky shores with absolutely blue-green waters along one side of the road and the mountains on the other.A beautiful site!

Sinkhole -is in the middle of nowhere, it used to be a cavern but over time the roof collapsed in and formed this vast hole which is full of the most amazing crystal clear water.

After checking in to our hotel at Ras Al Hadd and great dinner at 9:30p.m we set out for a guided walk along the sand to see where giant green turtles laying under the light of the moon.

Next morning we were up at 4:30 as we were told that the turtles head back to the sea.Sunrise by the sea.

This one looks more like a tired mom:)

This one was headed out to the sea.

And she disappeared into the blue waters of the Arabian Sea.

Portrait of a "smiley" camel:)

On our way back -High above was the Egyptian vulture.

Indian Roller.

Mosaic Monday.

2009-07-27T07:39:00.001+04:00

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.Do check out more mosaics at Little Red House Enjoy and have a great Monday!

Oman-Ostrich Farm

2009-07-19T20:27:00.000+04:00

Ostrich Farm in Barka,Oman is about one and a half hours drive from Muscat. Even though it is named Ostrich Farm along with a flock of ostriches it is also home to a several sleepy crocodiles , horses and camels.

Ostriches are the largest bird species living in the world, flightless but capable of great pace (speeds of up to 70km/h have been recorded) and lays the largest egg of any bird species. The feathers of adult males are mostly black, with white at the ends of the wings and in the tail. Females and young males are greyish-brown and white. The head and neck of both male and female Ostriches is nearly bare, female and male ostriches alternate sitting on their eggs. The female sits on the eggs in the daytime, and the male sits on the eggs at night. They retain water from all the plants they eat. Their eyes are protected from desert sand storms by thick eyelashes. They use their wings to help them balance when running, and for displays. Male ostriches also use their wings for courtship displays.

Guess this ostrich wants to have a fly for his meal:)

Why are you staring at me?I know I am good looking...

Female Ostrich

Male Ostrich

Crocodiles are ambush hunters, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then rushing out to attack. As cold-blooded predators, they are lethargic, therefore survive long periods without food, and rarely need to actively go hunting.Crocodiles do not have sweat glands, so they release heat through their mouths. Consequently, they often sleep with their mouth open and may even pant like a dog.

We saw a few camels.

Come..Join me for a ride...

A part of the farm being watered.

Greater Flamingos in flight.

2009-07-15T07:48:00.000+04:00

We reached the backwaters of Qurum Park(that's what we call it now).As I waited along with Diya in her pram, Arunava decided to check out the place where we had last spotted the Greater Flamingos.As he approached the spot we heard the loud and scolding did-he-do-it call of the Red-wattled Lapwings(they are the first ones to warn others of any approaching danger) and saw a few Great blue herons and Great Egrets take off and the next thing we saw were these Greater Flamingos in the sky.What a sight it was!!Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

That tiny bird flying is the Red-wattled Lapwing warning the Greater Flamingos to take off:).

So off they went...

Higher and higher...

The others followed pursuit.

Over the trees,towards the mountains they flew higher and higher...

This is all we saw in the sky as they flew away.Hopeful that they will be back soon.

Backwaters at Qurum Park

2009-07-12T21:25:00.003+04:00

Tucked away a few hundred metres behind the popular Qurum Park is this untouched patch of about 200meters of stagnant water , fed by high tide of the Arabian sea, is an oasis of life , a stone throw distance from human habitation. This area shares a boundry with an ampitheatre.
We met another birder there who showed us his prized captured of a Bee-Eater,we were pleasantly surprised by the number of wild visitors we saw.While one of us photographed them the other was with Diya. If she was not watching the dragonflies she was throwing pebbles into the water and as they splashed she smiled.

Great Cormorant.
A large aquatic bird found mainly in warmer and tropical locations, mostly on the sea but at times on inland waters .Cormorants have a heavy body, generally dark plumage and their eyes are green.It is one of the few birds which can move its eyes, which assists in hunting.The feet are webbed, the bill is long with the upper mandible terminally hooked.
Being excellent swimmers, Cormorants chase fish underwater.After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun.

Curlews.
They are characterised by a long slender downcurved bill and mainly brown plumage brown and long legs.They feed on mud or very soft ground, searching for worms and other invertebrates with their long bills. They will also take crabs and similar items.

Black-winged Stilt.
This is a widely distibuted very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family.They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges.
Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

Red-wattled Lapwing.
They are large waders,with a red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, black-tipped red bill, and long yellow legs.Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a 5% longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur.It usually keeps in pairs or trios in well-watered open country, ploughed fields, grazing land, and margins and dry beds of tanks and puddles.
Its striking appearance is supplemented by its noisy nature, with a loud and scolding did-he-do-it call.

Indian Roller.
They are found in open grassland and light forest areas.The crown and vent are blue. In flight the primaries and secondaries show bright shades of blue. It is known for the aerobatic displays of the male during the breeding season. Males and females are however not readily distinguishable.

Bee-Eater.
As the name suggests, Bee-Eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch.They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

Other commom visitors here are:
Red-vented Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul

White-cheeked Bulbul

Night Herons.

Greater Flamingos.

While the photography of wild life is in session we take turns to entertain Diya.

Finally a sunset.

Herons at Qurum.

2009-07-08T08:14:00.001+04:00

When the weather gets a little pleasant Qurum beach and Qurum Park(with the artificial lake) are ideal stop-overs for birds.

We were able to get some shots of the Great Blue Herons and Grey Herons.

Mosaic Monday-“Surprise”

2009-07-06T06:46:00.004+04:00

We spotted a beautiful bi-colored Bouganvilla “Surprise” (Mary Palmer), which had clear pink-white flowers at Kalbu Park.
Thought of Mosaic Monday stuck me immediately. That’s our two and a half year old daughter(Diya) trying her hand at a few shots:)

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.Do check out more mosaics at Little Red House Enjoy and have a great Monday!

Dragonflies at Qurum Natural Park.

2009-07-03T21:41:00.000+04:00

Qurum Natural Park is Considered to be the largest park in Muscat,Oman; The park contains an artificial lake (where we have spotted Grey herons, Egrets) a lovely fountain, play ground for children,many date trees.

As the sun sets...

During our walks to the park we spotted many dragonflies like the Crimson Darter,Indigo dropwing, the Purple-blushed Darter or Violet Dropwing and the Broad Scarlet.

Date palms of Oman

2009-07-01T10:47:00.005+04:00

The date palm is the most enduring symbol of the Sultanate's rich heritage.The hot and humid summer with temperatures climbing to 48 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) make for some of the finest dates in the Sultanate.

The date palm season usually starts around January, when farmers go about the task of facilitating the fertilisation of the female palm tree. From earliest times, fertilisation has been aided by cutting off the male flower cluster just before the stamens ripen and suspending it among the flowers of the female tree.

By June, the first dates become ripe enough to eat. Locally, there are dozens of different date varieties grown like the Al Khalas,Al Khunaizi,Ash Patash, Al Nagal etc.Some are red before they ripen; others are yellow. Some varieties do not dry well and are best eatenwhen ripe. Fresh dates are better than the dried fruit, especially if they are eaten soon after being picked, because fresh dates do not stay fresh more than a few days, even if placed in the refrigerator. These are some dates that Diya picked from the park.

The sunset looks beautiful behind the palm trees.

Greater Flamingos.

2009-06-24T13:30:00.013+04:00

Qurum beach is a respite during the hot summers.
On and off we are there during the weekends.

Qurum beach by dusk.

As we drove past the beach we were plesently
surprised to spot Flamingos on the opposite
side.

Flamingos live in mudflats and shallow coastal

lagoons with salt water.They need lots of quiet

and privacy. From the road you can only see

bits of pink in the distance without binoculars.

A gray flamingo is a young one. The young

flamingos aren't as jitterish as the adults.
Males and females look alike, although the

male is a little larger.

When an area no longer provides enough food,

the flamingos will migrate to another location

at night.

Here are some close shots we were able to get

when we were on our trip to Masirah Island in

Nov'08.

Mosaic Monday.

2009-06-22T06:49:00.002+04:00

Stopping by hibiscus buds,Kalbu Park.

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.
Do check out more mosaics at Little Red House
Enjoy and have a great Monday!

Painted Ladies at Kalbu Park.

2009-06-17T11:46:00.017+04:00

Kalbu Park is where we usually spend our evenings.
The park has quite a few date trees(which is very

common here).Its the season for dates(fruit) to
ripen and are ready to be eaten.The Arabian sea

nearly surrounds the park and overlooks the Muscat

Port,making it very pleasant in the evenings.

As the sun sets, this is what we witness.

At times,as the sun starts to set in the west

we also see the moon peeping from behind a

mountain ,as if to say"now it's my turn".

As dusk settles this is what Kalbu Park looks like.

The other day we were pleasantly surprised when
we spotted quite a few beautiful Painted Ladies

in the park inspite of the heat.What a joy it was to

see Diya(our little daughter)trying to catch them.
We managed to get a few shots as they flew from
lantana to lantana and sometimes rested on the grass.

Mosaic Monday-Lantanas

2009-06-15T06:25:00.003+04:00

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.

Do check out more mosaics at Little Red House

Enjoy and have a great Monday!

Wahiba Sands.

2009-06-11T20:51:00.010+04:00

Wahiba Sands (in Oman) is about three hours drive from Muscat. Traditional home of the Bedouin, this region is named after the Wahiba tribe. It is usual to camp overnight and indulge in dune bashing, Quad bike rides, Camel rides or simply laze around.

After quick refreshments we were on our 4WD

vehicle warming up for action......We visited a
nearby animal shelter. This is what we saw...

Maternal bliss ...A week old calf

"Sands are so boring".....Yawn ! But not for us

The camera bugs started clicking..... With the

golden sands glow...life seemed out of the

world(sand).

The ever-changing patterns of dunes are indeed

a photographer’s delight!

Then came the most exciting part...Dune Bashing

(racing up and down the sand dunes).Driver told

us to put on our seatbelts and suddenly we took

off and found ourselves swaying from side to side,

with the nose of our vehicle pointing towards the

heavens,with our hearts in our mouth. Then we

zoomed down the sand dune and up again and

this went on for about 10minutes.One of our

friends was literally chanting "Oh my God!!! "

throughout.It was an experience we will always

remember.Nothing less then a heart attack.

We then witnessed the amazing desert sunset

from the top of a dune.

As night fell we enjoyed the tranquility of the
desert and the clear sky above us.

Mosaic Monday.

2009-06-08T08:36:00.004+04:00

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.
To check out more mosaics do visit Mary
at Little Red House

Enjoy and have a great Monday!

Evening walks at Kalbu Park.

2009-06-06T16:49:00.017+04:00

We take our evening walks at Kalbu Park.We have been trying to take a few shots of the birds that frequent the park.Due to the scorching heat looks like they have disappeared. Now with the temperature a little pleasant(though it is still 49*C), we were happy to find these birds.

The Indian Rollers (Coracias benghalensis)were

showing off their vibrant colours.

Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer cafer).
These birds seems to be very restless , we had

to run around a lot to get a shot. Finally we

got this shot.

The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)sitting

pretty among the leaves.

The Hume's Wheatear (Oenanthe albonigra)

which is commonly found in the Gulf region.

Lesser Crested-tern (Sterna bengalensis)

hovering along the shoreline .

The Ring-Necked Parakeets enjoying his meal

of abundant dates found here.

Looks like this one is cleaning his ear.

Its time for flight home.

Golden reflection!

Mosaic Monday.

2009-05-31T19:20:00.000+04:00

Thank you Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday.
These pics were taken on our trip to Shillong.(North-East India).Do visit Mary at http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/for more mosaics.
Enjoy and have a great day!

The Indian Ringneck Parakeet (Psittacula krameri manillensis).

2009-05-23T15:33:00.000+04:00

Indian Ringneck Parakeets have hooked beaks, long tails, and are moderately small. Both males and females look very similar however, the male has a black ring around his neck.

Indian Ringnecks are native to Asia and Africa and can be seen in the forests or arid environments.

We captured a few of them during our annual vacation to Ahmedabad,India. We were pleasantly surprised to see these avian variety in abundance in the army cantonment area.

It appeared they were happy to pose with their variant moods and postures.

Wow ! u look pretty.

Here is my Palace.

A dip check.

I beg to have a different view of the world!!!

Masirah Island

2009-05-13T14:41:00.000+04:00

Masirah island is located just off the southeast coast of Oman in the Arabian Peninsula.There is so much to see in Oman and Masirah Island is one of its lesser known gems full of prestine beauty and wildlife.Masirah is truly a Desert Island with a rocky east coast facing the strong northwestern winds and a protected western coast with large bays and muddy sabkha's (salt-flats). The main income is from the fishery.

We drove down 500 km from Muscat to reach Shana.The crossing to the island is via a ferry connection from Shana on the mainland.We had a difficult time as we were not sure from which side the barge would leave as all this depends on high water to make the landing.We spent quite sometime waiting on the barge and the complex manoeuvring to get all cars in.

These are the barges that ferry us to the island.

A glimpse of Masirah Island from the sea.

We finally reached our destination after being
on the barge for almost two hours.

The next morning we decided to go fishing in
the misdst of the sea.However the fishes were
fishy and eluded us.

Fish-fast time(breakfast time).

Oops!! I'm too wet.

Flight of fancy.

I'm watching you.

Enough of you!Let's go...

Back to work on our fishing boat.

I'll be on your cruet set after they clean me
-Salt bag.

The journey ended with a promise for another
day!

SUNDERBANS

2009-05-12T08:31:00.000+04:00

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarbans is located south of Kolkata (India) and spreads over 54 islands and stretches to Bangladesh. Sundarbans is the world's largest delta, which is formed by the merger of three rivers-the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Popular for its tigers, Sundarbans is equally known for its large mangrove forests.Mangrove forest is a woody community that can be periodically submerged in seawater of the inter-tidal zone of tropical and subtropical regions.They act as nurseries and feeding grounds for many fish, shrimp and crustaceans and non-resident fish enter the mangroves to feed at high tide. Mangroves are also prime nesting and migratory sites for hundreds of bird species.Sundarban is of the last preserves of the Bengal tiger and the site of a tiger preservation project.

We were there only for a two day visit due to our hectic schedule.Every trip we have made so far we have always been blessed with rains.However, this time we did not get to see the sunshine at all so we only managed to get a few shots from the ferry we were travelling in.

Please don't miss the rain.

A football game in progess.

Inspite of the rains these kids were really

enjoying themselves.

Common Kingfisher

Black-capped Kingfisher

Egret

Luck is never on our side so we are just happy
with the tiger pug marks and still hoping that
one day we will see the tiger.

Mesmerizing Cape Town.

2009-05-06T11:21:00.000+04:00

Cape Town, situated on the southwestern tip of Africa is recognised as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Warmed by the African sun, Cape Town is dominated by a towering, table-shaped mountain, set on a peninsula of soaring, rocky heights and lush valleys, where two oceans converge- Indian and Atlantic. Immense natural beauty and the fast pace and bright lights of a great urban centre meld effortlessly here.

I was lucky enough to be able to visit this mesmerizing place though the stay was very short and I felt guilty for not bringing my wife and daughter along(but next time surely it will be with my family and hopefully that will be for the African Safari). I was fortunate enough to have experienced both the African sun and rain.

This is part of the hotel where I stayed.

Just look at the reflection of the blue sky.

Flowers were in full bloom everywhere.

As the rains poured we rushed for shelter and
I managed to get a few shots of the African rain.
I must say no matter where I am I love the rain.

The beautiful vineyards.

I was only able to get shots of the tamed cheetas.
Hopefully next time it will be the wild ones.

Metallic Souveinors for sale.

And my journey finally ended with the lively
African dances.As I have two left feet so I just
watched the others dance.

Jim Corbett National Park

2009-05-05T14:50:00.000+04:00

Jim Corbett National Park is named after the hunter turned conservationist Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment—is the oldest national park in India. Situated in Nainital district of Uttarakhand, the park acts as a protected area for the critically endangered Bengal tiger of India, the secure survival of which is the main objective of Project Tiger, an Indian wildlife protection initiative.

The tents where we stayed.

We did not get to see the Bengal tiger only the pug marks.

On our way back the heaven's poured on us.

Finally we had a gilmpse of the setting sun to end our journey.

Bharatpur Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

2009-05-04T09:02:00.000+04:00

One of the finest bird sanctuaries in the world, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is located in the northwestern state of Rajasthan India. Also known as 'Keoladeo Ghana National Park',Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is famous as an 'Ornithologist's Paradise'. The sanctuary is the only manmade wildlife sanctuary in India, developed by an erstwhile Maharaja of Bharatpur. The sanctuary covers an area of approximately 29 sq km, 10 sq km of which comprises of fresh water marshes, shallow lakes and bogs. The favorable environmental conditions combined with enough nutritious food for the birds at Bharatpur Bird sanctuary attracts thousands of indigenous as well as migratory birds every year including the world-renowned Siberian Cranes. About one third of the total birds here are migrants many of whom come in winter before returning to their breeding grounds as far away as Siberia and Central Asia. The Sanctuary was given the status of the National Park on 10th March 1982, and was declared a World Heritage Site in December 1985. Bharatpur National Park shelters over 400 species of colorful, exotic and rare birds.

We were able to capture only a few as we landed there during the off season.

Bharatpur Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary

2009-05-04T08:38:00.000+04:00

Captivating Flowers, Insects & Landscape in Shillong

2009-05-01T12:24:00.000+04:00

Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is a hill town, situated in the north eastern part of India.Home to several beautiful lakes and waterfalls, and is set amidst pine forests and green mountains is also known as the Scotland of the East.

Golf Link

Elephant Falls

2009-05-01T12:15:00.000+04:00

The colourful caterpillar

2009-05-01T11:57:00.000+04:00

We were able to capture a few of the beautiful spring flowers on our way to Shillong.

2009-05-01T11:18:00.000+04:00

Philadelphia Fleabane

Phlox

Larkspur

Cornflower

2009-05-01T11:07:00.000+04:00

2009-05-01T10:46:00.000+04:00

Intoxicated bees with the poppy flowers.

2009-05-01T10:06:00.000+04:00

The Bee buzzing on the Garland chrysanthemum.

The bug checking out the Sweet Pea flower.

2009-05-01T09:36:00.000+04:00

The butterfly sitting pretty on the clanwillian daisy