Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail -16th December 2012

Its time again to reconnect with nature and enjoy the flora / fauna around Bannerghatta. This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 16th December 2012.The meeting point is just after the Ragihalli Village the road leading to Camp GeeDee .

Meeting time : 6.30 am

Wikimapia coordinates : 12°43'44"N 77°34'11"E

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap, water bottle,binocular ( if you have), a camera ( if you like to shoot) ,rain wear and snacks ( if you don't mind sharing with others..:-))is what you need to carry during the trail.The trail is free and open to all ages who can walk till around noon.
How to reach the meeting point ? Take the Bannerghatta Road from the Bangalore City. Cross the Bannerghatta circle - the road curves to the left at that junction near the Bannerghatta Police Station. Proceed further towards Jigani Industrial township. Halfway, on the right hand side at Raagi Halli Bus Stop, you will see the Ramakrishna Mission, Shivanahalli hoarding. (You will also notice a Swamy Ayyappa temple hoarding). Take a right turn there and drive for about 10 kms. Do not take any side roads (rare and few) that you will come along . Travelling through the Bannerghatta National Park reserved forest, you will have to cross the Ragihalli village to come over to this point. 

We recommend car-pooling between participants. 

In case you find it difficult to reach the venue , pl call me at 9845383882 for direction.

IMPORTANT NOTE :
Kindly also note that there is lot of elephant movement around the place . Hence, request participants not venture beyond the national park limits. Kindly be with the group and oblige.
We as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,injury or any untoward incident like wild animal attack that may happen during the trail.

Happy Birding!

Monday, November 19, 2012

Birdlist - Shivanahalli -18th November 2012

The bird list as compiled by K S Seshadri 


1. Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)
2. White-cheeked Barbet (Megalaima viridis)
3. Coppersmith Barbet (Megalaima haemacephala)
4. Indian Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros birostris)
5. Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) *suspected call*
6. White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)
7. Small Bee-eater (Merops orientalis)
8. Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)
9. Greater Coucal (Centropus sinensis) *calls*
10. Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)
11. House Swift (Apus affinis) *Ragihalli RF*
12. Little Brown Dove (Streptopelia senegalensis)
13. Spotted Dove (Streptopelia chinensis) *Ragihalli RF*
14. Black Kite (Milvus migrans)
15. Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus)
16. White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa)
17. Booted Eagle (Hieraaetus pennatus)
18. Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
19. Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis)
20. Gold-fronted Chloropsis (Chloropsis aurifrons)
21. Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus)
22. Indian Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
23. House Crow (Corvus splendens)
24. Jungle Crow (Corvus macrorhynchos)
25. Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus oriolus)
26. Black Drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus) *Ragihalli RF*
27. Ashy Drongo (Dicrurus leucophaeus)
28. Asian Paradise-Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi)
29. Common Iora (Aegithina tiphia)
30. Blue-headed Rock Thrush (Monticola cinclorhynchus)
31. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae)
32. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
33. Pied Bushchat (Saxicola caprata) *Ragihalli RF*
34. Common Stonechat (Saxicola torquata)
35. Red-whiskered Bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus)
36. Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)
37. White-browed Bulbul (Pycnonotus luteolus)
38. Plain Prinia (Prinia inornata)
39. Booted Warbler (Hippolais caligata)
40. Common Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius)
41. Greenish Leaf-Warbler (Phylloscopus trochiloides)
42. Indian Scimitar Babbler (Pomatorhinus horsfieldii)
43. White-headed Babbler (Turdoides affinis)
44. Quaker Tit-Babbler (Alcippe poioicephala)
45. Oriental White-eye (Zosterops palpebrosus)
46. Tickell's Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos)
47. Loten's Sunbird (Nectarinia lotenia)
48. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) *Ragihalli
49.Tickell's Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis tickelliae)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Third Sunday Trail -18th November 2012-Shivanahalli Farm Area


Its time again to reconnect with nature and enjoy the flora / fauna around Bannerghatta.This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 18th November 2012.The meeting point is Ramakrishna Mission School ,Shivanahalli at 6.30 am.

Wikimapia coordinates : 12°43'21"N 77°34'18"E

Trail route is Ramakrishna Mission School to Ashram Farm Patch behind the school campus.

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap, water bottle,binocular ( if you have), a camera ( if you like to shoot) ,rain wear and snacks ( if you don't mind sharing with others..:-))is what you need to carry during the trail.The trail is free and open to all ages who can walk till around noon.

How to reach Shivanahalli ? Take the Bannerghatta Road from the Bangalore City. Cross the Bannerghatta circle - the road curves to the left at that junction near the Bannerghatta Police Station. Proceed further towards Jigani Industrial township. Halfway, on the right hand side at Raagi Halli Bus Stop, you will see the Ramakrishna Mission, Shivanahalli hoarding. (You will also notice a Swamy Ayyappa temple hoarding). Take a right turn there and drive for about 10 kms. Do not take any side roads (rare and few) that you will come along . Travelling through the Bannerghatta National Park reserved forest, you will have to cross the Ragihalli village to come over to Shivanahalli. The Ramakrishna Mission School is located at the entrance of the Shivanahalli village.

We recommend car-pooling between participants. 

In case you find it difficult to reach the venue , pl call Subir at 9731395620 for direction.

NOTE : During all our previous Shivanahalli trails, Swami Vishnumayanandji, has been hosting us for tea/snacks/lunch for the participants.And many of the participants have been donating pooled money to Swamiji for his kindness and the good work he is doing for the school/village and the park.Swamiji has requested that whosoever would like to donate, pl donate individually and directly to him, so that he can meet each of them, howsoever small the amount may be.

IMPORTANT NOTE : 

We as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,injury or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.Hence, request you all to follow and be with the Ashram's resource person for the day and not to stray towards beyond the set trail.

Happy Birding!



Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail - 21st October 2012-Indluwadi

Friends,

Its time again to reconnect with nature and enjoy the flora and fauna around Bannerghatta.

This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 21st October 2012

Place : Around Indluwadi

Meeting Time : 6.30 am

Meeting Point : At Indluwadi Cross take a right turn if you are coming from Banneghatta side. The first left turn from this point is where we shall meet.

Wikimapia Coordinates:12°43'44"N   77°39'58"E

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular ( if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot) ,rain wear and a note book & pen if you like to list the things that you see, is what you need to join the trail. 

This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around three to four hours.

We recommend car pooling.

Also request the participants to observe and note the sightings and share it on bngbirds@yahoogroups.com. 

We also look forward to see the photographs of the trail on the forum .:-)

For bus/route details to reach the nearest bus stop- Indluwadi Cross you can log on www.tellmyroute.com

In case you find it difficult to locate the meeting point, please call me on 9845383882 to get the direction.

Happy Birding,
Geetanjali

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Bird List -Third Sunday Trail - 16-09-2012

As I wasn't around in Bangalore, missed the outing to Hulimangala, one of the beautiful patches remain around South Bangalore. 

Sudhir Naik was kind enough to compile the list and post on the comment page. I am posting the same here for easy visibility.

Location: Hulimangala Devara kadu patch and the dry lake beds on the opposite side.
Weather: Cloudy, with sun playing hide and seek occasionally
Time: 6.45 AM to 9.00 AM

Bird list:


1 Little Cormorant
2 Black Kite
3 Shikra 
4 Red-wattled Lapwing
5 Blue Rock Pigeon 
6 Spotted Dove
7 Rose-ringed Parakeet 
8 Asian Koel
9 Greater Coucal 
10 White-throated Kingfisher
11 Little Green Bee-eater 
12 Indian Roller 
13 White-cheeked Barbet
14 House Swift 
15 Barn Swallow
16 White-browed Wagtail
17 Red-whiskered Bulbul
18 White-browed Bulbul
19 Oriental Magpie-Robin
20 Indian Robin
21 Ashy Prinia 
22 Grey-breasted Prinia
23 Pale-billed Flowerpecker
24 Purple-rumped Sunbird
25 Common Myna
26 Jungle Myna
27 Black Drongo
28 House Crow
29 Indian Jungle Crow
30 Common Iora
31 Tawny-bellied Babbler
32 Common Tailorbird
33 Scaly-breasted Munia
34 Red Munia
35 Black-headed munia
36 Jerdon's Bushlark
37 Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark
38 Pied Bushchat
39 Baya Weaver

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Third Sunday Trail -16th September 2012 - Hulimangala


Friends,

Its time again to reconnect with nature, and enjoy the flora and fauna around Bannerghatta.

This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 16th September 2012

Place : Around Hulimangala

Meeting Time : 6.30 am

Meeting Point : Hulimangala Govt.School

Wikimapia Coordinates:12°48'49"N   77°38'14"E

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular ( if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot) ,rain wear and a note book & pen if you like to list the things that you see, is what you need to join the trail. 

This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around three to four hours.

We recommend car pooling.

Also request the participants to observe and note the sightings and share it on bngbirds@yahoogroups.com. 

We also look forward to see  our photographs of the trail on the forum too...:-)

For bus/route details to reach the nearest bus stop Koppa Gate ( around 3.5 kms from the meeting point ) you can log on www.tellmyroute.com

In case you find it difficult to locate the meeting point, please call Subir at 9731395620 to get the direction.

Happy Birding,
Geetanjali

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail - Shivanahalli - 19th August 2012 ( World Photographer's Day )

Its time again to reconnect with nature and enjoy the flora and fauna around Bannerghatta.This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 19th August 2012.The meeting point is Ramakrishna Mission School ,Shivanahalli at 6.30 am.

Wikimapia coordinates : 12°43'21"N 77°34'18"E

Trail route is Ramakrishna Mission School to Bannerghatta Forest Patch behind the school campus.

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap, water bottle,binocular ( if you have), a camera ( if you like to shoot) ,rain wear and snacks ( if you don't mind sharing with others..:-))is what you need to carry during the trail.The trail is free and open to all ages who can walk till around noon.(PL. NOTE THAT THIS TRAIL IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN )

August 19th of every year is celebrated as 'World Photographer's Day'. This year we would like to celebrate this special day with a free session on photography after the third Sunday birding trail (Post Lunch session from 1.30 pm onwards). 


Photography is a unique blend of technology and art that has invaded our lives. More often than not that this unique blend enriches our lives in many ways. From a tool for documenting to a medium for creating long lasting memories to being a hobby or a recreational activity photography can be seen in many avatars all around us. Specifically these rules and tips would be with respect to the composition aspect of photography. 


It is an inherent nature of humans to want to improve whatever one is doing. So on this year's World Photography Day Arunaya Foundation and Ramakrishna Mission,Shivanahalli would like to share with you some rules and tips to improve your photography in whatever avatar it is being used. Girish Mayachari ,who was trained under Anand Sharan, an internationally acclaimed photographer has generously agreed to conduct this session.

A sneak peak at the topics that would be covered during the session
  • A few basic things to remember about handling a camera
  • Composition - what is composition and why is it important
  • Rules of composition
  • Some tips for better photographs
  • A few Dos and Don'ts
How to reach Shivanahalli ? Take the Bannerghatta Road from the Bangalore City. Cross the Bannerghatta circle - the road curves to the left at that junction near the Bannerghatta Police Station. Proceed further towards Jigani Industrial township. Halfway, on the right hand side at Raagi Halli Bus Stop, you will see the Ramakrishna Mission, Shivanahalli hoarding. (You will also notice a Swamy Ayyappa temple hoarding). Take a right turn there and drive for about 10 kms. Do not take any side roads (rare and few) that you will come along . Travelling through the Bannerghatta National Park reserved forest, you will have to cross the Ragihalli village to come over to Shivanahalli. The Ramakrishna Mission School is located at the entrance of the Shivanahalli village.

We recommend car-pooling between participants. While confirming participation please also indicate your contact details and the route you will be taking to reach.If traveling in your own car, please do indicate if any spare capacity is available.

NOTE : During all our previous Shivanahalli trails, Swami Vishnumayanandji, has been hosting us for tea/snacks/lunch for the participants.And many of the participants have been donating pooled money to Swamiji for his kindness and the good work he is doing for the school/village and the park.Swamiji has requested that whosoever would like to donate, pl donate individually and directly to him, so that he can meet each of them, howsoever small the amount may be.

Kind request is to fill the below form which will help us to organize the lunch and the session on photography accordingly.Needless to say, we will not be able to accommodate more than 25 people for the session.Hence the selection will be on first cum first replied basis on the following link.


IMPORTANT NOTE : 

We as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the programme or expenses incurred - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,injury or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.Hence, request you all to follow and be with the Ashram's resource person for the day.

Happy Birding!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Third Sunday Trail - 15th July 2012 - Kaleshwari

The day started on a wet note with drizzles greeting our morning. By the time we reached Ragihalli Gate the rain intensified and we had to wait for a considerable time for it subside a bit. As expected the turnout was low.Couple of people in the group went to the small water-body around the forest boundary where there was lot of bird activity  happening. Once they were back we decided to explore the Ragihalli Tank after our dosa break The tank was being cleared and and there was lot slush around. In spite of the showers, we managed to spot many birds around the Kere.In fact there was lot of activity on the path to the Tank.All in all it was a rainy yet enjoyable trail.


Myself ,Subir and our daughter Avantika spent considerable time around the villages for some other work. During our Dosa/tea break I had met one of the forest watcher whom we had gifted the torch earlier,  mentioned to me about three boys from the city having ventured inside the forest and one of them missing. At  that point he was confident that, the boy must have reached one of the villages as till then they did not find any evidence of any animal attack . But by late afternoon , we could see that the search was still on when we reached the sheet rock while returning home. We met one more of my known watcher, who at that time was sounding little worried and we saw the relatives anxiously waiting for some news...


And today it really saddened me to note that Satwik's dead body was found somewhere close to Kasavana Kunte. I wish educated, young people like him take proper precautions before venturing into any such adventure. Its quite dangerous out there and you won't even realize where and how you lost your way when you are inside a forest. If an extremely careful and "no nonsense while in the jungle" person like me can loose my way along with few others during one of our Third Sunday trails in spite of three guides accompanying the group, it is so easy to get lost when you are on your own in a forest where at any point of time you have 10- 15 elephants roaming around in this range apart from Leopards, Dholes, Jackals and bears.May his body rest in peace and others like him learn lessons from this incident.


Here is the list compiled by Deepa Mohan


Babbler, Jungle
Babbler, Rufous-fronted
Babbler, Yellow-eyed
Barbet, Coppersmith
Barbet, White-cheeked
Bee-eater, Small Green
Bulbul, Red-vented
Bulbul, Red-whiskered
Bushchat, Pied
Bushlark, Indian
Bushlark, Jerdon's
Buttonquail, Barred
Coucal, Greater
Crow, Jungle
Crow, Large-billed
Dove, Laughing
Dove, Spotted
Drongo, Black
Egret,Cattle
Egret, Intermediate
Egret, Little
Flameback, Black-rumped
Flowerpecker, Pale-billed
Heron, Pond
Kingfisher, White-breasted
Kite, Brahminy
Kite, Black
Koel, Asian
Lapwing, Red-wattled
Leafbird, Golden-fronted
Malkoha, Blue-faced
Owlet, Spotted
Parakeet, Rose-ringed
Pipit, Paddyfield
Prinia, Ashy
Prinia, Plain
Robin, Indian
Robin, Oriental Magpie
Sparrow, House
Sunbird, Purple
Sunbird, Purple-rumped
Swallow, Red-rumped
Swift, House
Tailorbird, Common
Treepie, Rufous
White-eye, Oriental


Butterflies


Blues, various (too muddy to go closer up, Rohit!!)
Cerulean, Common
Crow, Common
Emigrant, Common
Jezebel, Common
Psyche, Common
Rose, Common
Rose, Crimson (at last, something where the name is not "common")
Yellow, Spotless Grass
Yellow, Three-spot Grass


Several grasshoppers, earwig, antlion, katydid, ants and several
others. I am sure there were ticks, which will make their presence
felt shortly.


Mammals:


Boar or Sloth Bear (heard)
Macaques, Bonnet
Members of Bird Watchers' Field Club


And here is the link to her photographs taken during the trail .
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150965005698878.433356.587058877&type=1

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Third Sunday Trail - 15th July 2012 - Kaleshwari

This month's Third Sunday Trail will be on 15th July 2012.

Place :Kaleshwari and nearby places

Meeting Time : Between 6.15 am - 6.30 am

Meeting Point :Ragihalli Gate Bus Stop ( 12°48'0"N 77°35'55"E )

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, a cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular (if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot) and rain wear/umbrella is what one needs to join the trail. This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around four to five hours.

We recommend car-pooling between participants. While confirming participation please also indicate the contact details and the route you will be taking to reach Ragi Halli Bus Stop, where you will alight in case of travelling by bus. If traveling in own car, please do indicate if any spare capacity is available.

For bus/route details to reach Ragihalli Bus Stop, log on www.tellmyroute.com

Call at 9845383882 or click on this event page to confim.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/cuirimdrc7qvj8q7k59gu7eogbo/105190205087249862331

Important Note :We, as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred or injuries - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.

Photos from the Third Sunday Trail - 17th June 2012-Kalkere

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Posted by Picasa

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Third Sunday Trail - 17th June 2012-Kalkere-UPDATE

This month's Third Sunday Trail will be on 17th June 2012.

Place :Around Kalkere

Meeting Time : Between 6.00 am - 6.15 am

Meeting Point : At the gate of the Office of Dy.Conservator of Forest,Bannerghatta National Park, Near Koli Farm Gate Bus Stop.( Wikimapia coordinates : 12°50'28"N 77°35'18"E)

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, a cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular ( if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot) and rain wear/umbrella is what one needs to join the trail. This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around four to five hours. 


This trail however is not recommended for children below 12 yrs .


Kindly note that Kalkere Forest comes under Banneghatta National Park,hence a forest guard will accompany the group for the trail. With great difficulty I could manage to get permission for thirty adults to enter the park.People who confirm in reply to the blog post http://www.bangalorebirding.blogspot.in/2012/06/third-sunday-trail-17th-june-2012.html on first cum first replied basis will only accompany the guard. If you are sure of coming, only then pl. reply to the post..Rest of the people can walk through the Sakalavara Village, which also is a good place for birding.


We recommend car-pooling between participants. While confirming participation please also indicate the contact details and the route you will be taking to reach Koli Farm Bus Stop, where you will alight in case of travelling by bus. If traveling in own car, please do indicate if any spare capacity is available.

For bus/route details to reach Koli Farm Bus Stop, log on www.tellmyroute.com

Call Geetanjali at 9845383882 or mail at itnatureclub@yahoo.com once you reply to the blog post.



Important Note :We, as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred or injuries - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.


Confirmed participants so far :


1) Chandu Bandi
2) Thomas
3) Narvir Sud
4) Yogesh
5) Sandeep Menon
6) Arvind Ramamurthy
7) Anjali
8) Mamta
9) Vijay
10) Dr.Moorthy
11) Bikramjit Maitra
12) Sudhir Naik
13) Anil Kumar
14) Vishwa
15) Shilpitha Srinivas
16) Sheela Srinivas
17) Bhanu Kiran
18) P.Karthikumar
19) Ulhas Anand
20) M B Krishna
21) Pradiptamohan
22) Neel
23) Vijay
24) Srinivas
25) Geetanjali
26) Subir
27) Sandeep
28) Sandeep's wife
29) Sandeep's daughter

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail - 20th May 2012

Hi!

Its time again to reconnect with nature, and enjoy the flora and fauna around Bannerghatta.

This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 20th May 2012.

Place : From Nandanavana Layout walk towards Bannerghatta National Park

Meeting Time : 6.30 am

Meeting Point : Hanuman Temple gate at Nandanavana Layout

Wikimapia Coordinates: 
12°46'21"N   77°36'45"E

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular ( if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot),rain wear/umbrella and a note book & pen if you like to list the things that you see, is what you need to join the trail. This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around four to five hours.

We recommend car-pooling between participants. While confirming participation please also indicate your contact details and the route you will be taking to reach Nandanavana .If traveling in your own car, please do indicate if any spare capacity is available.

For bus/route details to reach the nearest bus stop Koppa Gate ( around two kms from the meeting point ) you can log on www.tellmyroute.com

Pl. call me at 9845383882 to confirm.


Happy Birding,

Geetanjali

Bird List of Third Sunday Outing of April 2012 ( Anekal Lake)


1 Little Grebe
2 Little Cormorant
3 Little Egret
4 Purple Heron
5 Eastern Cattle Egret
6 Indian Pond-Heron
7 Painted Stork
8 Indian Spot-billed Duck
9 Black Kite
10 Purple Swamphen
11 Common Moorhen
12 Eurasian Coot
13 Pheasant-tailed Jacana
14 Bronze-winged Jacana
15 Red-wattled Lapwing
16 Green Sandpiper
17 Wood Sandpiper
18 Common Sandpiper
19 Black-winged Stilt
20 Blue Rock Pigeon
21 Spotted Dove
22 Rose-ringed Parakeet
23 Jacobin Cuckoo
24 Grey-bellied Cuckoo
25 Southern Coucal
26 Spotted Owlet
27 Asian Palm-Swift
28 Common Kingfisher
29 White-throated Kingfisher
30 Lesser Pied Kingfisher
31 Indian Roller
32 White-cheeked Barbet
33 Wire-tailed Swallow
34 White-browed Wagtail
35 Western Yellow Wagtail
36 Red-vented Bulbul
37 Bay-backed Shrike
38 Ashy Prinia
39 Plain Prinia
40 Purple-rumped Sunbird
41 Red Avadavat
42 Common Myna
43 House Crow

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail - Anekal Lake

Friends,


Its time again to reconnect with nature, and enjoy the flora and fauna around South Bangalore.


This month's Third Sunday trail will be on 15th April 2012.

Place : Anekal Lake


Time : 6.00 AM


Meeting place :At the end of the Anekal lake(If you are coming via Jigani Anekal Road) .You can park your vehicles on the newly tarred road here.


Wikimapia Coordinates for the Meeting Place: 12°43'12"N 77°41'24"E


Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular (if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot) and a note book & pen if you like to list the things that you see, is what you need to join the trail.Kindly apply mosquito repellent creme as we will walking around the lake bed. This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around three to four hours.


We recommend car-pooling between participants. While confirming participation please also indicate your contact details and the route you will be taking to reach Anekal. If traveling in your own car, please do indicate if any spare capacity is available.


Call Geetanjali at 9845383882  or email me at itnatureclub@yahoo.com


Important Note :We, as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred or injuries - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Third Sunday Trail - March 2012 - Bird List

Early summer had made us decide to pre-pone the meeting time to 6.00 am. Though most of us could reach the meeting place in time, by the time we reached Urugunadoddi after a leisurely "Chai" session it was almost 7.15 am when the trail began. Sighting was not great in numbers.The entire landscape seem to be changing faster than one can imagine. We could see many layouts being formed and the massive quarrying going on all over the place.We also saw the medical waste being dumped there....couple of us will take this issue with the local authorities soon.


As soon as we reached the spot we saw a flock of Red Avadavats flying from one bush to the other.I did not see any male in the flock. Not sure if others saw one. Couple of us also spotted Common Kestrel on our  way back.


List :
1) Barred Button Quail 
2) White-cheeked Barbet
3) Indian Roller
4) Green Bee-eater
5) Greater Coucal
6) Rose-ringed Parakeet
7) Rock Pigeon
8) Spotted Dove
9) Laughing Dove
10) Red-wattled Lapwing
11) Black Kite
12) Black-shouldered Kite
13) Oriental Honey Buzzard
14) Common Kestrel
15) Little Egret
16) Cattle Egret
17) Indian Pond Heron
18) Bay-backed Shrike
19) Long-tailed Shrike
19) House Crow
20) Large-billed Crow
21) Eurasian Golden Oriole
22) Black Drongo
23) Ashy Drongo
23) Oriental Magpie Robin
24) Common Myna
25) Jungle Myna
25) Great Tit
26) Barn Swallow
27) Wire-tailed Swallow
28) Red-vented Bulbul
29) Red-whiskered Bulbul
29) Pied Bushchat
30) Plain Prinia
31) Ashy Prinia
32) Oriental White-eye
33) Common Tailorbird
34) Indian Bushlark 
35) Rufous-tailed lark
36) Purple Sunbird
37) House Sparrow
38) White-browed Wagtail
39) Paddyfield Pipt 
40) Red Avadavat
41) Indian Silverbill


If I have missed anything there, pl add up to the list.


Those with facebook account can check few of the photos taken during today's trail from this pic onwards.


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=3621029083033&set=a.1239761032820.2037694.1193123621&type=3&theater 


Here is Deepa Mohan's album about the trail.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150632763353878.402098.587058877&type=1 





Thursday, March 15, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail - 18th March 2012-Uruganadoddi

Its time again to reconnect with nature, and enjoy the flora and fauna around Bannerghatta.

This month's Third Sunday Trail will be on 18th March 2012.

Place : Road connecting Uruganadoddi to Harohalli ( Wikimapia Coordinates :12°44'17"N   77°36'16"E

Meeting Time : 6.00 AM

Meeting place : Koppa Gate ( 4th bus stop after Bannerghatta Circle on Bannerghatta - Anekal Road )

Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, a cap, water bottle,binocular ( if you have), a camera ( if you like to shoot),and snacks is what you need to join the trail. This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail for around four to five hours . 

Please note that there is no direct bus connectivity in the morning to Urganadoddi. Whoever is opting to travel by bus can reach Bannerghatta Circle ( Good bus connectivity )and join the others who will be coming by their own vehicle.While confirming participation please also indicate your contact details and the route you will be taking to reach the venue. If traveling in your own car, please do indicate if any spare capacity is available. 

Important Note :We, as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred or injuries - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.

Geetanjali Dhar
9845383882

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Third Sunday Trail - 19th February 2012-Jaipurdoddi

Friends,

Its time again to reconnect with nature, and enjoy the flora and fauna around Bannerghatta.This month's Third Sunday Trail will be held on 19th February 2012

Place : Around Jaipurdoddi Village

Meeting Time : 6.30 am

Meeting Point : Balaji Tea Shop in Jaipurdoddi Village

Wikimapia Coordinates: 12°42'30"N 77°34'10"E

Reaching Jaipurdoddi : Take the Bannerghatta Road from the Bangalore City. Cross the Bannerghatta National Park - the road curves to the left at the Bannerghatta Police Station. Proceed further towards Jigani. Halfway, on the right hand side you will see the Ramakrishna Mission, Shivanahalli hoarding. (You will also notice a Swamy Ayyappa temple hoarding). This is Ragihalli Gate Bus Stop.Take a right turn there and drive for about 11 kms. Do not take any side roads (rare and few) that you will come along . Travelling through the Bannerghatta National Park reserved forest, you will have to cross the Ragihalli village to come over to Shivanahalli.Once at Shivanahhalli Village, take the new road on the right which leads to Jaipurdoddi. 


Comfortable clothing,good walking shoes, cap,snacks,water bottle,binocular ( if you have),camera ( if you like to shoot),rain wear/umbrella and a note book & pen if you like to list the things that you see, is what you need to join the trail.Pl. also use mosquito repellent cream
while on this trail. This outing is free and open to all ages who can walk the trail of around four to five hours.

We recommend car-pooling between participants. While confirming participation please also indicate your contact details and the route you will be taking to reach.If traveling in your own car, please do indicate 
if any spare capacity is available. 


Pl. call Subir at 9731395620 if you find it difficult to locate the place.

Important Note :We, as organizers shall not be responsible for any delays & alterations in the program or expenses incurred or injuries - directly or indirectly - due to natural hazards,weather,or any untoward incident that may happen during the trail.



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Third Sunday Nature Trail-15th January 2012

Pic by Arun Ramu                                        
Hi Friends!!

Like the previous year, this year too I wasn't expecting many people to turn up for the Third Sunday Trail because  it was also the day of  HSBC Bird Race...hence it was really nice to see so many friends joining us for the trail to Hulimangala. The day was foggy with hardly much to spot when it started ,however slowly opening up as the sun rose. It was exciting to see the Mottled Wood Owl taking its place in the list for the first time for Third Sunday Nature Trail, so was white-eyed buzzard ..No No I am NOT claiming that it wasn't there earlier, just that it was spotted for the first time during any Third Sunday Trails so far..:-)
Pic by Arun Ramu
As far as I am concerned, it was an amazing day indeed as I was taking part in the event for the first time. Bumping onto friends , spending a whole day birding lazily. ( Yes, lazily as we also managed to catch up with some sleep on the way..:-) apart from eating a hearty meal at Ramakrishna Mission school.Best part of the whole exercise for me was to meet up with friends and seniors in the evening and relishing the good food.
Pic by Arun Ramu
Congratulations to all the teams and lets carry on birding & bird watching which will add to the fun n joy as well as help in compiling data for the benefit of the Grey Celled Birders.

Bangalore birders rock..and lets keep rocking!!

Cheers,

Geetanjali

Bird List compiled by Sudhir Naik

1 Little Cormorant
2 Little Egret
3 Cattle Egret
4 Grey Heron
5 Purple Heron
6 Indian Pond-Heron
7 Woolly-necked Stork
8 Oriental Honey-Buzzard
9 Black-shouldered Kite
10 Black Kite
11 Brahminy Kite
12 Western Marsh-Harrier
13 Shikra
14 Booted Eagle
15 Grey Francolin
16 Purple Swamphen
17 Red-wattled Lapwing
18 Wood Sandpiper
19 Green Sandpiper
20 Common Sandpiper
21 Blue Rock Pigeon
22 Laughing Dove
23 Spotted Dove
24 Rose-ringed Parakeet
25 Asian Koel
26 Greater Coucal
27 Barn Owl
28 Mottled Wood-Owl
29 Spotted Owlet
30 Common Kingfisher
31 White-throated Kingfisher
32 Little Green Bee-eater
33 Indian Roller
34 Common Hoopoe
35 White-cheeked Barbet
36 Coppersmith Barbet
37 Black-rumped Flameback
38 House Swift
39 Barn Swallow
40 Red-rumped Swallow
41 White-browed Wagtail
42 Grey Wagtail
43 Paddyfield Pipit
44 Tree Pipit
45 Red-whiskered Bulbul
46 Brown Shrike
47 Oriental Magpie-Robin
48 Ashy Prinia
49 Blyth's Reed-Warbler
50 Clamorous Reed-Warbler
51 Booted Warbler
52 Greenish Warbler
53 Pale-billed Flowerpecker
54 Purple-rumped Sunbird
55 Purple Sunbird
56 Rosy Starling
57 Common Myna
58 Jungle Myna
59 Indian Golden Oriole
60 Black Drongo
61 Ashy Drongo
62 House Crow
63 Indian Jungle Crow



If I have missed anything here, pl add up to the list. Thanks


Here is the link to the few new and old photos of the Third Sunday Trails

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1239761032820.2037694.1193123621&type=3&l=fafed8af97

Jayanta's beautiful pictures of the day can be seen in this link

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3143232698880.166017.1206858108&type=3