Sahyadrica

The mosaic of the central Western Ghats, as viewed from Hassan, Karnataka Tea plantations, shola rainforests, and montane grasslands. That morning wasn’t any different. That gurgling stream, that timid click of the dancing frog, that flute-like song of the Indian Scimitar Babbler, that pressure-whistle of the invisible-under-the-canopy White-bellied Blue Flycatcher, and that low monotonous, shy greeting of the Malabar Trogon, underneath the dark canopy of the Ironwoods, Palaquiums, Syzygiums and Dipterocarps, the facies of the medium-altitude rainforest of the central Western Ghats, all of them together in a chorus refreshing mind-body-soul, would be punctuated by a long-drawn drone of the didgeridoo, making those of us raking the leaf-litter halt our time-specific chore for a moment. It was Day Three of the fourteen-day survey. That drone was another sound of the forest carrying another tune, primeval and raw, created by the damp, cold air of the rainforest understory reverberating ...

The air is crisp. There is a faint but shrill, pulsating but monotonous call of the Indian house cricket somewhere in the corner of my house. It is too cold for insects to be out and about. He is the only one singing. Since last few monsoons, tiny little insects are hibernating somewhere in folders carefully stored away. Every winter, as and when time permits, I set to bring a few out. The usual ritual in getting to know them is to be able to photograph them from all angles possible, cataloguing them so that you know where they were and what they were doing when you found them, and ultimately – this sometimes takes the longest – sitting down to getting to know them. Some of these are quite a handful, and there is no shortage of them. They are either rare or they are so special in their habit – such as leading a highly secretive, parasitic life, tucked away under someone’s abdomen or in someone’s nest. I liken them to some of the secretive, nocturnal mammals, they are just so speci...

Yeoor Hills, 21st June '08 Yeoor Hills, the Eastern side of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a gateway to heaven, in your backyard. A place where people come to party, get drunk and fight. No, that's not what we're going to be talking 'bout here. Yeoor Hills is approx. of 40 sq. km. Easily accessible, within city limits, and full of activities. Birders, insect lovers, all kinds of nature enthuziasts flock here for a treat. With about a 100 (and more) butterfly species recorded here, it is not less than an old forest that stands virgin. For more information on Yeoor, visit - http://www.borivlinationalpark.com/y_profile.htm I love going Yeoor, there's always something new that I come to see. It has been like a school to me, where I developed or rather discovered this interest in insects. The best thing about Yeoor is, it is easy to go, less time consuming, and one hell of a jungle! Most of my trails to Yeoor, specifically, have been in the dry seasons...