It is four in the morning and the eyes are still getting used to the darkness around . An icy breeze tugs at you, awakening the silent waters of the River Kosi flowing through the Club Mahindra resort. Standing on the banks of the river, I watch the moonlit ridges of the mountains, towering above, almost touching the jeweled sky. While some of my fellow travelers are star gazing, a few are attempting night photography. I , for one am just lost in the silence.

The summons arrive on the mobile and we are hurriedly on our way to keep up our date with the tiger in the forests of Corbett . It is our second attempt out there to meet the most coveted denizen of the jungle, having spent an entire day in the wilds . But the tiger probably was aware that almost 20 vehicles would be entering through the Jhirna zone for a rendezvous. So it left us high and dry, leaving behind its pugmarks as we saw several jeeps bringing in all types of tourists including international students who would break into a jig at the very sight of even a deer. We did see several birds, butterflies and smaller mammals, but for the “tiger tourists”, the sightings were just not enough.

Today , however as we board our jeeps, there is a feeling of hope. It is an auspicious moment, as the Bijrani Gate of the Jim Corbett National Park is to be opened  today ,months after the monsoons. The other gates, am told are still closed.

As we drive away in the darkness, hoping for an encounter,  we have no idea  what is in store for us .The experience begins at the government office in Ramnagar.. A couple of members from our group are already waiting there for the last hour to get the requisite permits and documents for the safari. I am told it’s a bit of luck and some push here and there. Then we see the never ending queue for the permits. And that is when I learn a bit about the trappings of tiger tourism . We wait there for what seems like hours.

Finally there are smiles all around as we make our way to the gate. And then the never ending wait begins as another 20 odd jeeps queue up around. Dawn breaks and the sunlight filters as restlessness sets in. The drivers exchange notes and the topic of discussion veers around the recent strike by the forest guides who are demanding more rights. “In fact “says my driver “the opening of the gates was postponed by a few days because of the strike. “  I ask him why we are still waiting and he says some officials have to come.  We laugh wondering if there is some form of an opening ceremony and to my surprise, a television crew lands . The interviews with the officials are on ; the cameraman takes some footage of us , sleepy eyed and hungry waiting to enter the national park . And finally after more teas and pakodas, the green signal is given and after almost a couple of hours wait,  we enter the national park

The sunlight filters through the tall sal trees as we drive along the safari route of this deciduous forests, squinting through the dense foliage . The naturalist in our group Karthikeyan Srinivasan keeps us engaged , spotting birds , spiders and small mammals.  . Corbett he says has about 600 species of birds, of the 1200 recorded in India. We spot a mongoose , while our friends see the rare yellow throated marten ,besides langurs and deer . But then the tiger, probably having spotted the jeep load of tourists, has again moved on , leaving its footprints on the sands of time. As we head back, the birders in our group are happy , but the tiger tourists are a tad disappointed .

As for me, Corbett is more to do with the man,  Jim Corbett himself than about the tigers he hunted .Corbett National Park, the oldest in India was earlier known as Hailey National Park before it took the name of the famous naturalist, author of several books. And having grown up on his “Man eaters of Kumaon,” I saw the villages and the forests vividly in front of my eyes, as I had imagined while reading the book.

My favourite memory of Corbett is visiting his house, now a museum in Kaladhungi,  walking around it, looking at the paintings and imagining him being on call from villagers when a man-eater struck in their hamlets. And as I walk away , his words remain in my mind .. “A tiger is a large-hearted gentleman with boundless courage and that when he is exterminated – as exterminated he will be unless public opinion rallies to his support – India will be the poorer by having lost the finest of her fauna. “

However, I am sure,  I will get a glimpse of  this “large hearted gentleman “someday in the forests .

This story was published in The Hindu Metro Plus as a part of the author’s column, Inside Story. The author was part of the Bloggers’ Meet in Corbett. For details regarding the resort, please visit here

The noise is deafening but I am much thankful about the ability of human brain to totally phase out the distractions and transport one to a different time and day altogether. This Diwali, the sound of crackers is slowly fading out as the gentle echo of the flowing river is ringing in my ears. A vision forms in my head, of a huge glass window, of a comfortable bed, of green forests beyond and a charming river called Kosi. A week before, I spent few days in the foothills of Himalayas, wandering in the dreamy realms of forests around Corbett.

Few weeks ago, when I was invited for a blogger’s meet hosted by Club Mahindra Safari Resort, truth to be told, I was more excited about meeting fellow bloggers than being in Corbett itself. I think I had forgotten what it felt like, to be in forests. I thank Corbett for reminding me of the grandeur of the woods! I thank club Mahindra for taking me there to begin with.

The first thing that struck me as we reached our rooms was the view, it was gorgeous! Usually resorts almost always do have a good view, but the reason I liked this view so much more was the resort’s proximity to the river and the cozy feeling surrounding it. The nights were comfortably cold as opposed to the piercing cold winter nights which made it possible to walk by the river side and watch the hills beyond till late nights. While the mornings were quite pleasant, nights were spectacular. Starry skies used to surround us as darkness descended. Whiling away time waiting for shooting stars and watching the moon rise over the hill reflecting the silvery glow in the flowing waters were some of the best memories of the trip. To think that there was a time when darkness used to scare me! [Frankly speaking I still am afraid of darkness, well in weird places. ]

If that was about idling in comfort in nature’s lap, the eclectic mix of people was just as fun with varied conversations and discussions. With social media experts to naturalists and travelers to photographers, the group had it all. What such different people brought along with them were such different perspectives. Few were happy watching the colorful avifauna, while few were interested in observing spiders and insects, few were busy trying to spot mammals, few were enjoying being in the forest and I was busy light stalking.

Like I said earlier, I had forgotten how it felt to be in the jungles. The moment we entered the jungles of Corbett, the show began! The forest came alive. The golden glow of the early morning sun and the greenery painted an unforgettable picture. I was gaping at the jaw dropping scenery unraveling itself at every turn and every once in a while when I turned back, something like this was happening!

The gleaming beams of sun rays from behind the leaves left me almost blinded at many occasions. Yet, I tried and tried to see through the lens, if not my eyes, the lens could have been burned for sure! Sunbursts, they are called, and I tried my best to capture as many as I could. Whenever the vehicle stopped for the bird watchers to observe, the sudden calmness instigated a desire to the listen to the song of the forest.

Next day, driving though the verdant jungle of Sal trees, I was all too eager to spot some magic again. Of course the light didn’t disappoint me! Golden glow and faint silhouettes was the picture being painted today by the gods. Watching the streaks of rays through the canopy, I was smiling involuntarily. As much trouble it was, waking up at ungodly hours to reach the forest by the golden hour, it was all worth it!

I came back charmed by the forests and stunned by the play of light, a photographer’s delight! Don’t you agree?

Neelima was one of the bloggers who was invited to Club Mahindra’s resort at Corbett for the Bloggers Trip 2011

Dragonflies ruled the air. When they evolved some 300 million years ago, they were unquestioned masters of the skies. They were also large – a fossil dragonfly had a wingspan of about 75 cm! Today, we do not have such giant dragonflies flying about. However, they still continue to be strong, powerful and agile fliers. They are also among the fastest flying insects in the world.

Armed with powerful mandibles and 6 spiny legs that form a neat little basket just below their heads, they are also excellent predators. Dragonflies can catch their prey in mid air. They are known to make a meal out of mosquitoes, mayflies, butterflies, moths, and a whole lot of other insects. They virtually feed on anything that they can overpower.

Dragonflies, though predators themselves, must be wary of other organisms which could feed on them. Birds particularly, pick dragonflies with ease. Lizards, frogs, spiders are all potential threats to adult dragonflies and their dainty cousins – the damselflies.

During a recent visit to Corbett National Park I stayed at the Club Mahindra Safari Resort. What I saw here took me completely by surprise. I was walking up the ramp to the dining hall when something on the railing caught my attention. I ventured closer to understand what was happening. To my amazement, I saw a robberfly holding on to a dragonfly. The robberfly was in complete control of the situation – with a firm grip on the dragonfly and the proboscis pierced into its neck, the dragonfly had no chance of escape!

Robberflies are powerful predators too. I have often seen them prey on non-predatory insects much larger than themselves. To see a dragonfly, a powerful predator itself, becoming a meal of a robberfly was a learning indeed.

Often such amazing things happen around us and we are blinded by the urge to see more charismatic things. An open eye and mind can cause far less disappointments when we are in the outdoors for nature always has something on offer, albeit for the discerning eye and mind.

Karthikeyan Srinivasan is a renowned naturalist based in Bangalore and was a member of the Bloggers Trip to Corbett in September 2011.

Kabini National Park, in my mind, is one of the best national parks in the country and definitely the best one in peninsular India. Hence, this park is always in high demand throughout the year. Bookings need to be made at least a month in advance if not more.

And this rush is omnipresent irrespective of the budget limits. Even most of the premium accommodation options always run full round the year.

The wildlife lover to Kabini National Park is exposed to the twin jewels of this place. One, the Kabini river and near bouts and the second is the thick and diverse forests of Nagarhole National Park (Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary) that runs contiguous with Kabini National Park.

While the Kabini river is best explored on a boat, the Nagarhole jungles are best suited for the jungle jeeps. Both these places offer great avenues to explore the wild in its true sense. But, the Kabini river area is where most water fowl and fishing birds are found. The odd pachyderm and tiger are also seen here.

Even India’s national animal, the Royal Bengal Tiger is also sighted here quite frequently, though the dense foliage do not make for great visibility. Both Kabini and Nagarhole are very popular for its pachyderms. This stretch of forests houses one of the highest populations of the Great Asian Elephant in South India.

During the summer months, a lot of tourists and wildlife enthusiasts and photographers arrive at Kabini to see the grand spectacle of a massive herd of elephants (about 100-300) grazing together on the banks of the Kabini river.

It is believed that during the summer months when the river waters recede, fresh tufts of grass make their presence felt and it is this very grass that is considered a delicacy by the elephants. And hence this mass congregation.

Kabini and Nagarhole are also known for another type of predator and this one hunts in packs. They are the Wild Dogs or locally known as Dhole. They look like your typical domestic dog, but pack a meaner look and possess a great killer instinct. The wild dog packs are known to bring down large opponents.

These forests also house other mammals like the sloth bear, spotted deer, barking deer, sambar deer, gaur, Malabar Giant Squirrel, hanuman langaur, bonnet macaque and wild boars.

In terms of birdwatching, the river side offers great views of the black necked stork, black ibis, black crowned night heron, river terns, spot billed ducks, painted storks, darters, Great Cormorants, little cormorants, large/intermediate/little egrets, grey headed fishing eagle, brahminy kite, black shouldered kite and many more.

And when it comes to the jungle, the birds are much smaller in size, but offer a great balance of colour and sound. From woodpeckers to jungle fowl and from hoopoe to cuckoo and from peacock to Indian Roller, the jungle offer a magical concoction for the birders.

So depending on your preference, you will either take a boat and explore the river side or take a jungle jeep and explore the various trails inside the forest. The forest is open from sunrise to sunset, but jungle safaris are typically arranged for early morning and late evenings as these time slots are best for sightings and the slant rays of the sun are ideal for photography

A long weekend (3 days) would allow you to indulge in a total of 4 safaris (1 each on day 1 and day 3 and 2 on day 2). A normal weekend would give you 2 safaris. Most of the jungle stays offer their own jungle packages around these models. Such weekends or long weekends would include a half day drive from Bangalore to Kabini on Day 1 and another half day drive on Day 2/3 from Kabini to Bangalore. The distance is close to 230 kms and could take you between 4 and 6 hours depending on traffic and timings.

Drive down 40kms north of Bandra on the Western Express Highway and you will land yourself in the Ovalekar butterfly garden.

It is a naturalist’s haven and a photographer’s delight.

Mr.Ovalekar is always at hand to guide every visitor round his painstakingly built butterfly park. The entry charges are just Rs.50/- per head which includes a guided tour of the garden by Mr.Ovalekar.

Do call him prior to your visit to know the best time to visit. Now do have a look at what I saw on my visit in April this year and the butterfly season had barely begun.
To get there : Drive down the Eastern or Western Express highways to reach Ghodbunder Road. Owla is a non-descript village near the Suraj Water Park on this road.

One can also take a train to Thane and exit by the western side of the station to take an auto rickshaw to the garden. BEST bus number 700 (running between Thane and Borivali stations) also passes this way. You can mail him at ovalekarwadi@gmail.com .

Pulicat or Pazhaverkadu is a small coastal town with a historic past – a port that dates back to ancient days, ruled by the early Tamil kingdoms to the Vijaynagar kings. It had its bit of international regime too – by the Portuguese, Dutch and British .

Straddling between the states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh is a vast saline lake here that beckons several birds, flamingos amongst them every year .

As we sailed towards the Bay of Bengal , we saw in the distant , small specks dotting the horizon. Out came the binoculars as we collectively heaved a sigh of excitement. They were flamingos .The boatman refused to change the course, citing that it was lowland and the boat would get stuck. We started negotiating in the middle of the ocean and he finally agreed . We sailed towards the flamingos with the sea behind us and then the boat was pushed physically as we came a bit close. There were millions of birds, some juvenile as well.

We stopped, stared, photographed and spent moments in silence .And then as the boat inched a bit closer, the birds flapped their wings collectively, displaying their bright orange and pink hues . And then in a moment , it all happened. A giant leap and there was such drama in the waters . The waters splashed, the wings fluttered and the calls were loud as the entire sky was abuzz with orange, pink, white and black colours and the entire flock of million birds flew above our heads to another shore.

We stood there for a long time, watching the sheer spectacle in silence, awestruck at the rainbow of colours painted by these creatures. It was one of those moments which I would say is inexplicable ,defying all words and expressions.

A longer version of this story was published this month in a Delhi based travel magazine,Terrascape

Radha Rangarajan continues with her narration on her Agumbe trip from Part 1 and shares her encounters with the snakes .

One evening, we made a trip to the Jogi Gundi falls. We walked under trees that made us feel like we are a few cms long, climbed over fallen trees, stepped over rocks, slipped down some leaf litter and reached a lovely waterfall with creamy white water gushing down the rocks.

Green colored moss-laden rocks, wild orchids, lizards and frogs added to the beauty of the scene.


And leeches. They were everywhere, crawling up our leech socks till we flicked them away, on our bags, cameras, there’s no getting away from them. The only way to not let them bother you is by not paying them any attention, alas, I am yet to reach that stage. I’ve had my share of experiences with leeches in Valparai, but the sheer number of leeches here was distracting. Much to the amusement of everybody in the group, a leech made its way to my camera neck-tag and then on to my cheek and gave me a peck before I managed to flick it away. As morbid as it sounds, yes, I’ve been kissed by a leech!
It was a cloudy, rainy day and we didn’t expect to see the Sun set, but we still went along to the sunset point to check out the view. As expected, the clouds had taken over the valley and every time they drifted apart, I tried to get a couple of images. Finally, the shy Sun made a brief appearance before the clouds took over completely.

If you are staying at the ARRS, a night walk is a must. Agumbe is a different person entirely at night. It gets insanely dark and all kinds of creatures are up and about. Armed with torches, we set out to look for snakes, scorpions, tarantulas and frogs. One of the first things we heard was a female Sri Lanka Frogmouth calling and we followed its call for quite some time before we spotted the elusive beauty. Mandy told us that no Frogmouth images had ever been made in Agumbe, our records of the sighting would be the first.

Typical to rainforests, you can find exotic fungi at every step.


A vine snake was hanging around the evening before we left, it bid us adieu.

It was pack-up time already. We drove past ‘Dodda Mane’, Malgudi Days was filmed here and the ancient bungalow was the home of the endearing little Swami. On the way back to the ugly urban jungle, I promised myself that I would return to Agumbe, for a longer trip, knowing that no amount of time spent here can be enough.
Until then and forever, there’s one image that will remain etched mind from this wonderful trip.
The King’s stare.

My first memory of Agumbe is from a school trip to the Western Ghats. I was in class 8 and the famous Agumbe sunset was to be the highlight of the trip. Heavy rains and a landslide played spoilsport that year and Agumbe was moved to the ‘visit someday’ list. 15 years later, my wish came true. Dilan Mandanna, popularly known as Mandy was going to organise a two day trip, with accommodation arrangements at the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) I simply had to sign up. I could finally put my newly acquired macro lens to some good use. After a successful leopard-tiger-elephant-hornbill-falcon sighting in Kabini the same week, I was looking to achieve nirvana with a sighting of the King.
Agumbe is a beautiful little village that sits on a plateau on top of the Someshwara Ghat, 643 meters above sea level. Surrounded by luscious green rainforests, it is known as ‘Cherrapunji of the South’ for a reason, it gets an annual rainfall of up to 11,000 mm. Agumbe is home to all the Western Ghats rainforest species of trees, mammals, birds, insects, frogs and snakes. However, the regal King Cobra, the world’s longest venomous snake is the King of the jungle in these parts.
A mad dash across the Majestic bus stand and a rickety 10 hour bus drive took me to a very rainy and wet Agumbe early in the morning. It had rained there all night. Aching muscles were forgotten the second Mandy announced that he had seen a male King the previous evening and was quite sure we’d be able to see him again. After dumping our bags and donning leech socks, we headed out to find the King.
His Highness was resting there, by the side of the forest path, right outside the bushes – 10 feet long, a rich brown, his scales glistening with raindrops, body all curved up as if to camouflage the inimitable length. He had devoured a heavy meal the previous evening and didn’t seem too keen to move, he just kept a watchful eye on us, his admirers. In all my imagination, I had envisioned the King to be a spectacular snake, but nothing could have prepared me for this sighting. Goose bumps. Breathlessness. Loss of speech. Fear. Respect. I felt a mix of everything. I just stood there, gaping, with my mouth open. The beauty of the King is incomparable. The sound of a camera shutter next to me brought me back to reality, I had a camera in my hand to make an attempt to freeze this moment. Photographing the King is humbling, you are fully aware that you can do no justice in saving that intimidating stare for posterity, yet, you just go click-click-click.

The King Cobra has a striking distance of 2 m, around 7 feet, they are fast and agile. When threatened, the King raises its upper portion of the body, around 4-5 feet, so it basically looks at you straight in the eye and gives out a hiss that’s almost a growl, before doing its business. But, the King doesn’t like to bite. As much as possible, they avoid confrontation, they bite only when cornered or provoked. Before I forget, there is no antidote to a King Cobra bite.
ARRS was set up by Romulus Whitakerand has been operational since 2005. Many herpetologists, conservationists and researchers work on their projects based out of this research station. ARRS helps out in King Cobra rescues around the region. Though King Cobras are revered, they’re prone to some harm from humans when they venture into human settlements. Among many other projects, the King Cobra Radio Telemetry Project is currently operational here. With the help of telemetry, the researchers study snake movements. They record daily and seasonal activity patterns of King Cobras which helps in understanding their behaviour and eventually, in conserving this flagship species. The ARRS has a common dining area and common bathrooms. Serve your own food, wash your plates, don’t leave behind any plastic and give the staff their space to work is the way of life if you are a visitor.
It kept raining the entire day and we headed out to look for the King’s courtiers. A Green Vine Snake clung to a twig, completely camouflaged. Our presence brought out the black and white under its scales, a sign of aggravation.

A Malabar Pit Viper sat pretty in the bamboo, only a watchful eye can spot it, the shiny yellow scales give it away. It curls up into an S shape, defensive, its striking position.

A few steps ahead, an incredibly cute baby Nilgiri Keelback (Beddome’s Keelback) greeted us.

At every step we met wondrous new creatures – frogs, caterpillars, dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies.

The flora and fauna is so rich that you can spend an entire day photographing things at a single spot and you would still not be done with it.

A Malabar Trogon called for its partner, Yellow Browed Bulbuls zipped past our head. A Paris Peacock skimmed along, a Red Helen followed course. A Malabar Giant Squirrel dropped half eaten figs on our heads. A Crested Serpent Eagle called, gliding high up in the sky. I was in paradise.


White Bellied Treepies called out to us, so did Malabar Grey Hornbills. We went crawling across a huge field to shoot Malabar Larks and they took off before we got our best shots.

Posted by wildlife enthusiast and photographer Radha Rangarajan .Do read the Part 2 of her encounter with the king here.

I was in Goa – not the Goa , that we all know on a birding trip.We went into forests, lakes, rivers , waterfalls looking for birds and here are some that we spotted and snapped.

Pic:lakshmi sharath

The state bird of Goa is the ruby throated bulbul – we spotted this bird in Tambdi Surla Wild life sanctuary

Pic: lakshmi sharath

The chestnut tailed starling – it posed for me for a while before it flew away to join its group on the wire

Pic: Sharath Krishnamurthy

The highlight of an early morning boat ride on the Zuari river was the black capped kingfisher

Pic: Lakshmi Sharath

The crimson backed sunbirds were in plenty, but they were the most difficult to shoot, as they were so tiny and flitting all the time

Pic: Sharath Krishnamurthy

We spotted the orange headed thrush when we were driving through the Bhagavan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary enroute to Dudhsagar Falls

Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India and has a wide variety of flora and fauna. The critically endangered Royal Bengal Tiger rules the jungle here and that has converted this national park into a popular ecotourism destination. However, the park has over 580 species of birds alone. Here are some of the birds I photographed in my recent visit to the park.

Indian Roller or Blue Jay (Coracias benghalensis) is a beautiful, bright bird and is the state bird of 4 states – Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa. The Roller gets its name from the aerobatic display the male puts up with its twists and turns during the breeding season. The birds have an assortment of colors like bright blue, turquoise, indigo and white on their wings and are a visual treat in flight. They are commonly seen in open grasslands, scrub forests and are often perched on dead trees and electric lines. They are easily one of the most photogenic birds around.

Chestnut-tailed Starling (Sturnia malabarica) is a member of the Starling family of birds. A sub species exists in the Western Ghats which has a white head. These Starlings are omnivorous and feed on insects, nectar and fruits. Like most Starlings, these birds fly in a tight flock and have the ability to change directions rapidly with perfect synchrony.

Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela) is a bird of prey that is found widely across many different habitats in India. In comparison to other large raptors, the bird is fairly medium-sized. They hunt for snakes and lizards by flying over the forest canopy. They usually make nests close to a water body. These eagles have a prominent yellow eye and are a treat to watch and photograph.

White-rumped Shama (Copsychus malabaricus) was earlier known as the Shama Thrush. The bird is a melodious singer and has a rich, clear voice. It is also known to mimic other birds often. While photographing this bird, I recall how it kept singing. When other birds joined in, the Shama began to mimic songs and calls, including that of the Common Hawk Cuckoo, or the Brain-Fever bird! They are mainly insectivorous birds. During the breeding season, the female builds the nest in the hollow of a tree, while the male stands guard.

Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) is a common bird and can be found in various habitats like grasslands, scrub jungles and even away from water. They have vibrant colors and when perched together, they make a colorful sight. As the name suggests, Bee-eaters mainly feed on bees, wasps, ants and dragonflies. A Bee-eater repeatedly thrashes the prey on a branch to remove the sting from its prey before feeding on it.

For more pictures visit here