Trees, Plants & more

Caterpillar

2012-01-28T16:43:00.002+05:30

This caterpillar on my ixora plant did not have a chance to grow out into a butterfly. It simply vanished one morning.. prey to the pigeons perhaps?

Images

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000+05:30

sangam near mysore

balmuri falls parking

at ranganthithu

Wildflower Wednesday - Country Mallow & others

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000+05:30

The country mallow (abutilon indicum) has silky soft heart shaped pointed leaves and is a food plant for the caterpillar of the Danaid Eggfly butterfly.

Here are some others that i have not identified yet.

For many more beautiful wildflowers, visit clay and limestone.

More pictures of the storks

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000+05:30

The eurasian spoonbill stork

The open bill stork

Trees of Mysore

2012-01-23T12:02:00.000+05:30

Fruit of the duranta erecta

2012-01-22T11:56:00.000+05:30

Sugarcane fields of Mandya, Karnataka

2012-01-21T11:30:00.000+05:30

Picturesque Karnataka

2012-01-20T02:30:00.000+05:30

Fruit bats

2012-01-19T03:00:00.000+05:30

There were a few trees at Ranganathithu that were teeming with bats, all fast asleep perhaps.

The oriental white ibis

2012-01-18T03:00:00.000+05:30

More fishing

2012-01-17T03:00:00.000+05:30

Painted Stork

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000+05:30

Pelicans - Fishing to feed the babies

2012-01-15T08:55:00.001+05:30

The masquerader

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000+05:30

This one, the Stone Plover, seemed like it had stepped right out of a masquerade.

Beauty and the beast

2012-01-09T08:00:00.000+05:30

The river bed has some menacing marsh crocodiles. They appeared to be in deep slumber but quickly opened their eyes as we drew closer.

And on the branches above was the beautiful night heron.

Little Miss Dainty

2012-01-08T05:30:00.000+05:30

The red wattled Lapwing

And could this be a common sandpiper?

The fearless River Tern

2012-01-07T05:00:00.000+05:30

We saw a pair of river terns perched on a bare stone jutting out of the river. I thought them quite fearless - despite our boat pulling up really close, they did not move a wing, but continued to stare back at us. The boatman said that they laid their eggs in the crevices of the very stone block they were sitting on.
Salim Ali's "The book of Indian birds" had quite a few interesting facts about these terns. The glossy black feathers on the top of their heads apparently turn a greyish colour in winter. Fascinating isnt it? Also their tail, which wasn't quite visible at all is deeply forked, much like the swallow. And most of curious of all, for despite their name, I did not take them to be a water loving bird at all, they apparently dive into the water in search of food and can stay submerged for quite some time, resurfacing with a fish between their beaks. That would be quite the sight, wouldn't it. We did see quite a few birds 'fishing' but the river tern sat on, on dry land, and flew away when they had had its share of staring at the tourists.

Eurasian spoonbill stork

2012-01-06T08:39:00.000+05:30

Identified by the prominent spoon shaped bill.

Asian open bill stork

2012-01-05T07:44:00.002+05:30

The first bird we came across at the sanctuary was the Asian open bill stork. It has these really curious 'mandibles' that are arched and hence always looks open, even when closed! The legs were a beautiful pinkish red and the wings black and white. It was present in large numbers, according to Salim Ali's book it spends the summers in North India and the winters in the South and in Sri Lanka.

A rather curious pose, wonder what it was trying to do. Notice how the mandibles have a space between them.

The wings in all their glory.

And those colorful legs

Ranganathithu Bird Sanctuary

2012-01-01T17:47:00.001+05:30

Happy new year! I'm starting off the year with a series of posts about my recent trip to Ranganathithu Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is about a 2 hr drive from Bangalore and consists of a group of small islands that were formed when a dam was built on the river Cauvery. It was first identified as a bird sanctuary by the renowned ornithologist Salim Ali, who persuaded the Wodeyar kings to declare it such.

There is a nice boat ride that is offered along the river, that goes very close to the islets and lets you observe the birds.

Happy new year

2011-12-31T06:32:00.000+05:30

Wildflower update - Common floss flower

2011-12-29T06:39:00.000+05:30

The roads around mysore were lined with these white/pale lilac flossy flowers. A friend obliged with a picture and Kehimkar's book, as always, helped identify it as the Common floss flower - an aggressive invader that attracts butterflies.

Enroute to Ranganathithu

2011-12-28T09:11:00.000+05:30

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T06:00:00.000+05:30

A merry Christmas, happy new year and a very jolly holiday season to all fellow nature bloggers.

This Christmas saw many additions to my kitchen garden - 12 pots of carrot, 4 breathtaking cabbage pots and 1 tomato plant laden with tomatoes.

The common albatross?

2011-12-24T15:29:00.003+05:30

Indiranagar in bloom

2011-12-19T06:41:00.000+05:30

I can never tire of the neighbourhood trees.

The Spastic Society

2011-12-18T06:52:00.001+05:30

The recently held 4km walk/run organized by the Spastic Society took me to their campus in Indiranagar. A really green and serene place, full of many trees...

The wall inside had a beautiful painting..

Spider

2011-12-14T06:00:00.000+05:30

Female golden orb spider, as the phytophactor points out in his comment

Bird@Bannerghatta

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000+05:30

I am told this is the Indian Pond Heron, though the picture differs slightly from the one in Salim Ali's book in that the one in the book has a brown breast, not brown and white as it is here.

It has amazing beak - pointed and straight.

Symbiosis ? Commensalism?

2011-12-12T08:21:00.000+05:30

Cattle egrets and cattle - is the relationship symbiotic (where both the bird and the animal benefit) or is commensalism (where only the egret benefits) ?

The egret gets its food - insect, particularily grasshoppers , when the grass is disturbed by the cattle.

And the cattle ? Freed of insects that might cause disease? warned in advance of approaching animals/humans?

Caterpillar

2011-12-11T08:19:00.001+05:30

The detail on the body of this caterpillar was quite nice.. The white and red pattern leads me to think it is the caterpillar of the female common mormon butterfly, that mimics the crimson/common rose.

In and around the butterfly park

2011-12-10T08:00:00.000+05:30

Red Pierrot

2011-12-09T07:49:00.000+05:30

The red pierrot was much smaller than all the other butterflies at the Butterfly park, perhaps because it was the only 'blue'. It was flying around, quite fast and it is only after much waiting around that we managed to get a few shots. And well worth it! Such a spectacular pattern - orange and brown on the upper side wings and a beautiful orange, white brown spotted pattern on the underside. Kehimkar's book tells me that the larvae food is the Kalanchoe, of which there was plenty at the park.

Succulent plants

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000+05:30

"New" flowers

2011-12-07T07:45:00.000+05:30

While at the butterfly park, i saw many plants that i had not seen before and hence could not identify..
As always, many thanks to all my blogging friends who were quick to come up with the names.

This one seemed to be the Field Sow-Thistle (Sonchus arvensis)

This one is the butterfly bush (buddleja asiatica), that attracts of 'hordes of butterflies'

The lemonia (ravena spectabilis), which has a curious flattened appearance and is said to be a 'great butterfly attractor'.

This is the clerodendrum paniculatum or the pagoda flower

Jatropha podagrica

Flowers

2011-12-06T06:30:00.000+05:30

mexican heather

star cluster

powderpuff (Calliandra haematocephala)

powerderpuff (Calliandra haematocephala)

cosmos

euphorbia

canna

Common Castor

2011-12-05T05:30:00.000+05:30

The common castor is said to have a jerky, weak flight and is often seen sailing near the ground, around its food plants.

Bird of paradise - Strelitzia reginae

2011-12-04T06:30:00.000+05:30

White beauties

2011-12-03T13:01:00.001+05:30

Butterfly food

2011-12-02T15:18:00.000+05:30

Mormons at the ixora

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000+05:30

Grass Yellow

2011-11-30T06:30:00.000+05:30

On the mexican heather..

Lying dead on the path

A pair of common mormons

2011-11-29T06:30:00.001+05:30

The female looks like the form romulus, the mimic of the crimson rose.

Host plants at the butterfly park

2011-11-28T07:47:00.000+05:30

The butterfly park

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000+05:30

Bannerghatta is home to India's first Butterfly Park, established in 2006. I loved the lush tropical setting of the park.

The safari at Bannerghatta

2011-11-26T07:00:00.000+05:30

Rescued sloth bears, a pair of mating lions, a white tiger and some 'regular' tigers. A fun ride with a good view of the bio reserve.

Skywatch Friday

2011-11-25T06:35:00.000+05:30

Dont miss the sloth bear...

More skies at Skywatch Friday.

Bannerghatta

2011-11-24T18:25:00.001+05:30

Bannerghatta National Park is 22km south of Bangalore. It has a zoo, a safari and a nice little butterfly park.

the painted jezebel

lantana

Kitchen garden update

2011-11-21T19:14:00.001+05:30

This is what survived all the pigeon attacks.. one pot of spinach and another of onion.

Urban Leaves has some nice tips on how to take care of a kitchen garden.

Trees at the Royal Orchid

2011-11-20T07:51:00.001+05:30

I went to the Royal Orchid for dinner one day and came across this bunch of trees in their courtyard. It had a strange green hue to it, maybe the floodlights were green.

SkyWatch Friday - The terrace

2011-11-11T07:11:00.000+05:30

SkyWatch Friday

Butterflies at Madiwala Tank

2011-11-10T07:25:00.000+05:30

The best part of the visit to Madiwala Tank was all the butterflies that I got to see.

I think this one is the Indian Skipper.

This one was the star of the day. Such a lovely pattern and a species that I had definitely never seen before.

The upper wings had the most striking big white spots, which helped identify it as the male Danaid Eggfly

Some other common butterflies flitted around.

Here is a Grass Yellow (can you tell if it is a three spotted or one spotted kind?)

And some more common species, though I cannot tell if these white/yellows are cabbage whites/common emigrants/or something else

Dragonfly

2011-11-09T07:36:00.000+05:30

Some time in October i noticed large numbers of dragonflies everywhere i went. Some migratory behaviour perhaps? Here is one i saw at the Madiwala Tank

Madiwala Tank

2011-11-08T07:25:00.000+05:30

Images from the tree planting drive at Madiwala Tank organized by SayTrees, an organization involved in various planting activities around the city.

The Madiwala tank is the second biggest tank in Bangalore and is frequented, amongst others, by the city's birders for the migratory spot billed pelicans that visit in large numbers. We were lucky to see some of them swimming along the waters. There were several other birds along one side. Lots of wildflowers and many butterflies as well.

The congress grass (parthenium hysterophorus) looked so pretty, swaying in the wind. The congress grass is a prolific invader and can grow where nothing else does. It is an allergen for humans and cattle

The gang at work planting saplings

There's a pelican swimming in the water, and many more birds appearing as white spots in the distance.

The island in the middle of the tank

A little podium from where boat rides are organized.

Beautiful wild flowers- This one below is the common sida (sida acuta). Its leaves were long and slender and it is said to attract butterflies.

Tons of mimosa pudica (touch me not)

A closer look at the stems of the mimosa

The wooded park area with cozy little benches overlooking the water.

More birds!

A pair of pelicans

Is this the cardinal creeper (ipomoea horsfalliae) ?

Lots more ipomoea varieties. This one is probably the Marsh Glory (Ipomoea aquatica). Kehimkar has some interesting things to say about this one in his book - Common in marshy, water-logged places. A trailing runner with hollow stems that float and root at nodes. Caterpillars of Death's Head Hawkmoth and Glory Hawkmoth feed on this plant. The tender shoots are cooked and eaten.

Leads an interesting life, doesn't it?!

Another ipomoea - the Lesser glory/ Obscure morning glory (Ipomoea obscura).

Coat buttons - tridax procumbens. Very attractive to butterflies and bees, according to Isaac Kehimkar's 'Common Indian Wild Flowers'

Could this be the common sow thistle? (sonchus oleraceus)

There is beauty in the grasses as well

Even the parking lot was so 'green' and pretty

More from Lalbagh

2011-11-07T07:25:00.000+05:30

My 'smart'phone helped me take some really cool pictures while at Lalbagh.

fish

the lovely gardens

salvia borders on the lawns


a flowering tree

plumeria and bottlebrush trees

the tree that one of my running mates termed 'the magic faraway tree'

puppies! there were 5 of them

Street Trees

2011-11-06T07:14:00.000+05:30

Fish in the office

2011-11-05T07:06:00.000+05:30

Wandering around the garden in the office one day I got to see the fish in the ponds... and the reflections of the king palms. For more cool reflections, visit Weekend Reflections.

Skywatch Friday - Stormy Skies

2011-11-04T06:51:00.000+05:30

Head over to the SkyWatch site to see more lovely pictures.

Walks in the neighborhood

2011-11-03T07:23:00.000+05:30

Walks in the neighborhood are so relaxing and pleasant.

African Tulip at the Airforce Hospital

2011-11-02T07:25:00.000+05:30

A speedy recovery

2011-11-01T11:02:00.000+05:30

Nothing as exhilarating as flowers from her very own garden to wish my grandmother a speedy recovery.

Oleander

Night jasmine fallen all over the portulaca pots

Ants

2011-10-13T18:58:00.000+05:30

My mother, always quick to point out a photo opportunity for my blog, observed this ant, carrying a crumb that is about three times its size.

Our world

2011-10-12T18:53:00.000+05:30

In this part of the world, many new constructions have something to ward off the 'evil eye'. If not a lemon and chilli, it is a scary looking face.

Visit the Our World Tuesday meme for more curious sites from around the world.

The Brahminy Kite

2011-10-10T19:24:00.000+05:30

A coffee break at work turned rather fascinating when we chanced upon this magnificent bird of prey on one of the windows.

Visitors in October

2011-10-09T18:47:00.000+05:30

Parakeets

We had a couple of parakeets in our balcony over a weekend.

The neighbor's roof draws an unusual number of pigeons each morning. Among all the blue rock pigeons, there is one that is a pure white.

Here it is on the roof.

And then on the trellis.

Forays into Kitchen Gardening

2011-10-01T18:55:00.000+05:30

I've been trying hard this last month to grow spinach, coriander and chilli in pots in my balcony. While the seeds germinate well, the pigeons around are proving to be a real menace, eating up the saplings before they have a chance to grow. Pot covers are not good enough deterrents, it seems, with the pigeons being able to toss them away and have a go at the poor saplings. It is time for a sturdy wire mesh.

The Bs and Cs of Lalbagh

2011-09-21T20:52:00.000+05:30

Bougainvilleas and Cannas at the drive into Lalbagh

Add caption

Colville's Glory

2011-09-20T20:51:00.000+05:30

A little while back Bangalore blogger LotusLeaf @ Garden Tropics had written about Colville's Glory, pictures of which she had taken in Mysore. Like it always happens, soon after reading about it on her blog, I got to see it for myself - in full bloom in Lalbagh. The trees by the parking lot, which i had mistaken for copperpods, were none other than Colvillea raceoma. It was a spectacular sight, with its fiery red buds and orange flowers amidst the green leaves.

Nursery at Lalbagh

2011-09-19T20:47:00.000+05:30

The nursery is a wonderful place to pick up seeds of various flowering plants and vegetables. It is also nice to just wander around and look at all the pots.

~~Coleus i suppose.~~ A cultivar of rex begonia (thank you college gardener for your comment)

Lots of bonsai pots.

Christmas trees looking all cute and festive

September visit to Lalbagh - Hydrangeas

2011-09-17T19:25:00.000+05:30

I went to Lalbagh one morning in search of pots and seeds. The picture taking started even before i reached, with the lantanas on the way.

I headed to the nursery and examined the seeds and then the potted plants for sale. There were several lovely hydrangeas. Now the color of hydrangeas depends on the pH of the soil... the blueish ones have more Aluminium in the soil. Isn't that fascinating?!

Rainbow

2011-09-16T18:50:00.000+05:30

I seem to have spurred my mother into taking pictures of nature. Here is a rainbow she caught one afternoon.

The neighborhood park

2011-09-13T19:20:00.000+05:30

Last August I had posted pictures of the neighborhood park. - it seems that this time of the year is when the park has a flower display of sorts, perhaps in tune with the one at Lalbagh. This year was no different, one morning in September at my mother's prodding i took a walk to the park to take in the many flowers that were in full bloom. Pink and purple asters, yellow orange marigold, many colored zinnia and balsam, purple gomphrena, blood red salvia, powdery pink hibiscus, rows of canna, coleus, lavender plumbago and rows and rows of leafy plants danced in the sunshine. It was an absolute delight!!

I missed the lavender spider cleomes from last time. There were a few, but not as many as last year.

JP Nagar, Bangalore

2011-09-10T18:33:00.000+05:30

A play at Rangashankara took us to JP Nagar. As always, I found it interesting to observe the trees and plants around.

A lovely traveler's palm

The entrance to Rangashankara

The cafe, which had a lovely open and arty feel to it.

The greenery around enhanced by the spectacular paintings on the walls of the neighboring buildings.

Driving through

From the terrace

2011-09-09T12:39:00.000+05:30

Our terrace gives an excellent view of the African Tulip tree and the Morinda Tinctoria in the complex.
And of course, of the many coconut trees around.

My Manderley

2011-09-08T17:29:00.000+05:30

Sometime around September last year, I set out one morning to the park along CMH/100ft road. As I walked along the path in the park and admired the lush vegetation, I was struck in one stretch by the overwhelming smell of the morinda tinctoria. The path was lined with trees laden with the flowers and there was a carpet of white along the way as well. It was as if the entire air around was perfumed with the intoxicating scent.

I was reminded of happy valley in Manderley, in the book Rebecca --

We stood on a slope of a wooded hill, and the path wound away before us to a valley, by the side of a running stream. There were no dark trees here, no tangled undergrowth, but on either side of the narrow path stood azaleas and rhododendrons, not blood-coloured like the giants in the drive, but salmon, white, and gold, things of beauty and of grace, drooping their lovely, delicate heads in the soft summer rain.
The air was full of their scent, sweet and heady, and it seemed to me as though their very essence had mingled with the running waters of the stream, and become one with the falling rain and the dank rich moss beneath our feet. There was no sound here but the tumbling of the little stream, and the quiet rain. When Maxim spoke, his voice was hushed too, gentle and low, as if he had no wish to break upon the silence.
'We call it the Happy Valley,' he said.

Truely, the spell of Manderley was upon me as well.

Bougainvillea on Double Road

2011-09-06T11:41:00.000+05:30

Posts on Oregon & Washington

2011-09-05T07:53:00.000+05:30

have been moved ... I thought it more chronologically accurate to move these to the start of this blog.. Click on June 2007 in the archives and you'll find them there.

By the roadside - Indian Shot/ Wild Canna

2011-09-04T08:53:00.001+05:30

Thank you Radha, for looking up Flowers of India and identifying this order. I did look earlier as well, but seem to have missed it. Very interesting that the seeds of this flower are used as beads in natural jewellery.

Sky Watch Friday

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000+05:30

View from the Adyar Bridge in Chennai

The Cardinal Creeper

2011-09-01T07:58:00.001+05:30

Bixa orellana - Lipstick tree

2011-08-30T00:30:00.000+05:30

Thank you readers, for identifying this tree! I wonder what led to its common name - the lipstick tree! Perhaps the fact that the seeds of this tree are used to obtain a yellow orange dye, which is used as a colorant in foods - rice and cheddar cheese.

Thespesia populnea - Indian Tulip Tree

2011-08-28T22:00:00.000+05:30

A fairly common tree, the Thespesia populnea or Indian Tulip tree is in full bloom at this time of the tree. Most parts of the tree are medicinal.

The flowers are a delicate yellow and they turn reddish as they age. It is quite fascinating to see the yellow and red flowers side by side.

The fruit is bell shaped and green in colour. It turns black after a while and contains white oval seeds.

Muntingia Calabura - Singapore Cherry

2011-08-28T07:50:00.000+05:30

I chanced upon this interesting tree while waiting at the railway booking office. It is quite a common site - the interesting bit about this tree is that it's branches are perfectly horizontal, unlike those of most other trees that grow upward.
It has tiny white flowers and many small green fruit.
I am pretty sure it is the Muntingia calabura (Singapore Cherry).
The fruit, which is edible, is said to attract birds and fruit bats.

Take a closer look at the flowers if you come across this tree - they are quite pretty with 5 green sepals and 5 delicate white petals, with many yellow stamen

Chinmaya Mission Hospital

2011-08-27T10:58:00.003+05:30

I like the Chinmaya Mission Hospital campus on CMH Road, Bangalore. Full of trees, cool and serene - just what a hospital ought to be.

Skywatch Friday

2011-08-26T11:08:00.000+05:30

Visit the Skywatch site for more amazing sky shots

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-24T07:50:00.000+05:30

bottle brush

Sky Flower fruit

2011-08-22T06:45:00.000+05:30

If you look closely you will see rows of small yellow beads hanging from this tree. No this is not a decoration, it is the fruit of the sky flower.

The work of fire ants

2011-08-21T07:01:00.002+05:30

Fire ants do a great job of stitching up leaves. Somewhere in the midst of all these leaf-homes is the queen ant. For more interesting information on what these ants do to the leaves, check out my post from last year.

My entry to the upcoming Festival Of The Trees.- go to the link for a picture of the very interesting looking Banana Slug.

Double Road, Bangalore

2011-08-20T12:37:00.000+05:30

One stretch of Double Road in Indiranagar is a great example of how trees ought to be planted. Instead of having trees on either side of the road (and risking them having their branches on one side chopped off to make way for the buildings and then falling in the rains due to the imbalance), Double Road has its trees right in the middle. The trees have a lot more space to branch out. Sadly, there are many instances of their branches being cut off as they reach the 'ends' of the road, but the situation is still a lot better than in other roads. Why does the BBMP not do this on all other newly laid roads.

Skywatch Friday

2011-08-19T17:23:00.003+05:30

In Support

2011-08-18T09:45:00.001+05:30

Learn more about the movement

Visitors!

2011-08-17T05:16:00.000+05:30

All of a sudden yesterday morning we noticed a purple rumped sunbird in our balcony. Though we could not see its rump we were sure of its identity because of the curious beak and the yellowish chest. Such a delight!

Balcony watch: The monsoon

2011-08-16T05:20:00.001+05:30

Happy Independence Day

2011-08-15T05:26:00.005+05:30

Reading the posts of my fellow bloggers has inspired me to start a little kitchen garden. I'm just back from the local pot seller and I think I will start out with onions and garlic. Then maybe some chillis, ginger, fenugreek and mint. Any other 'easy to grow in small pots' kitchen garden suggestions?

A pansy on my pane

2011-08-14T03:25:00.003+05:30

My entry to Weekend Reflections.

For an absolutely delightful 'pansy' poem, head over to Madras Ramblings. Yes, we nature bloggers are telepathic!

The brave one

2011-08-13T17:20:00.001+05:30

It has been raining rather heavily the last few days. And through all the rain some days back, this pigeon sat tight on a wire. It was very strange, it could have easily flown to shelter, but it decided to brave the water and winds instead

The Heliconia Rostrata - Chennai Garden

2011-08-12T01:27:00.002+05:30

In our absence the heliconia rostrata has grown unhindered, as have the weeds all around. All at the expense of the garden lettuce which remains at the same height it was three years back.

Grandmother's garden

2011-08-11T05:26:00.000+05:30

Lemon tree

2011-08-10T01:25:00.001+05:30

The lemon tree, barely visible amidst the front garden overrun with the singonium, weeds and the king palms.

Can you count all ten lemons (or more) ?

I've never noticed flowers on the lemon tree all these years. This time though i spotted one -- it is the kind that faces the ground, but i managed to crawl under and take a picture.

Have you tried crushing the leaves and smelling your fingers after? Ah the wonderful smell of a lemon..

Where it all begins..

Bougainvilla - Chennai Garden

2011-08-09T01:18:00.000+05:30

Don't miss the squirrel's nest by the plumbing