View from the balcony IV

Have you noticed how long the pods of the gulmohar are?


















Or how spiky those of the african tulip tree are?

what about these? look familiar? it's the jacaranda mimosifolia

View from the balcony III

ever noticed how pigeons bury their necks into their 'shoulders' and stand on one foot?

pigeon-yoga perhaps?

View from the balcony II

Do you like photographing trees?

Then join in the fun at Early Forest!

Earth Day / Arbor Day Photography Contest!

This year, in celebration of Earthday & Arbor Day, EarlyForest.Com is hosting a Photography Contest!

Submit your digital "Tree and/or Forest" themed photos to Earthday2010@earlyforest.com to participate.

Rules:
-All entries must be original photos taken by the individual submitting the photo.
-Please include you name with your submission.
-1 entry per person, so choose your best shot!
-You and your friends will be the judges. On Earth Day, April 22nd the photos will be posted to the facebook page where you can 'like' which one is your favorite.
-All entries must be in by the end of Earth Day (April 22nd, 11:59 pm US Central time).
-Votes will be counted on Arbor Day, April 30th!
-All ages welcome, children should work with an adult and follow all facebook age rules when participating.
-Please include full sized photo files in JPG format.
-No photo manipulations (cropping and tweeking of color, hue, contrast, saturation, or brightness are okay)
-Submitted photos will be displayed at www.EarlyForest.Com & The EarlyForest Facebook Page
-Play fair, have fun and spread the word.
-Participation is Free & Prizes will be awarded!

View from the balcony I

The gulmohar is getting ready to burst into bloom.

Red

Another beautiful tree in the neighbourhood- if you know what it is called do let me know.

Butterflies at the Bannerghatta National Park

striped tiger

common crow

common caster

First flowers of the gulmohar

I've blogged about the gulmohar (delonix regia) many a time before, but have never managed to get a close picture of its flamboyant flowers. The tree right outside of my balcony offered an opportunity this week though, with its barren branches bursting into tiny leaves, buds and two little flowers - the first ones of this spring!

A visit to the aquarium in Bangalore

Did you know that there are fish that can climb trees? Yes, there are. Unfortunately i have not seen these climbing gourami, but i did see some of their cousins, the golden gourami at the aquarium a while back.

Apparently, gold is a popular colour for fish. We saw the vail tail gold and the parrot fish.

Lots of angels!

the taxido angel and the black angel also swam by

a couple were n't all that angelic to look at ....

No prizes for guessing which one is the long nose gara fish!

The sucker fish kept at its cleaning, quite assiduously..

The thilapias looked well fed..

as did the blue akara

there were some others with beautiful blue colouring..

the flower horn (left) and a fish whose name i forgot to note down, seemed rather shy

And finally, these little tiger loaches flitted past, refusing to keep still.

Nature's tight rope walkers

 The Three-Striped Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum)

For a comprehensive local article on this animal, do read this article in Citizen Matters, Bangalore.

LJ's spring blooms

From charlotte, north carolina

pink hyacinths

pansies and grape hyacinths

double tulips

tulips - a pink and a white one from the same bulb!

Images from the tree park

Almost every morning i walk towards the tree park in the neighbourhood -- a large park divided in two -- one side almost entirely covered with trees,  the other a well sculpted garden with the prettiest of flowers and bushes. A little earlier in the year, the roses where all in bloom, but alas, i did not have a functional camera then!
I walk around the park, as do many others from the neighbourhood and beyond, a km covered in every round. The squirrels, birds, dogs and insects do their morning rounds as well.

I love looking up as i walk around, and sometimes am rewarded by beautiful sights... blue jacarandas and many other mysterious flowers...

There is a play area for the kids amidst the trees.

There are epiphytes and lichens of many shapes and sizes..

Every day is a new day in the park, every moment truely enchanting!

Lavender

If the neighbourhood wasnt colourful enough with the yellows and pinks of the trumpet trees, this blue jacaranda (jacaranda mimosifolia) decided it was time to bloom. Little lavender trumpet like flowers appeared, not just all over the tree, but carpeting the ground below as well.

Pink!

the pink trumpet tree (tabebuia rosea)

Purple and white

pretty little lantanas in Bangalore's neighbourhood parks