Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary birding

Just about a distance of 100 odd kms from Bengaluru is the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary. To be precise, it's a pretty huge area that falls under the sanctuary limits but the roads around that lead to and some places on the way offer excellent birding opportunities.

Cauvery river forms a natural boundary between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and closer to Bengaluru, just on its rural area periphery is the Cauvery river and the other side is part of Tamil Nadu. So, naturally the forests around the river basin are rich in flora and fauna and this green belt in a way connects to the Western Ghats (some dry patches cut them though) region if you closely look at the maps in a way which is wonderful continuous corridor we have for the wildlife considering the 'development first' scenario we are in!

Muttathi, Sangama, Mekedatu are the touristy spots on the banks of the river where hordes of people visit and unfortunately where many lose their lives too... sad, but true. Picknicker's paradise, drunkards heaven, family outings, couple's getaway are some of the adjectives that can be used to describe these places. Jungle lodges (www.junglelodges.com) has two excellent properties at Galibore and Bheemeshwari in the surrounding areas of these touristy places.

Birding on the way to i) Dodda Alahalli to Sangama ii) Sangama to Galibore JLR property iii) Halaguru to Bheemeshwari JLR property is good and would yield some wonderful sightings if the observation is keen and sharp.

Below, I'm sharing a few images from multiple trips done to this place and many a times I just would prefer to see and enjoy rather than using the camera :)

(Ashy Prinia)

(Green Imperial Pigeon)

(Indian Silverbill raiding a Baya Weaver's nest)

(a passage migrant - European Bee-eater)

(Brown Fish Owl)

(Baya Weaver - male in all its glory)

(A specialty of this region - Grizzled Giant Squirrel)

(a closer look at the grizzled fluffy wonder)

(Elephantscape - can you spot them?)

Just for the numbers sake, we sighted/heard over 110 species in about 2-3 trips to the region and 8 mammal species including Elephants, Jackals, Giant Squirrels etc.

Points to remember:-
> Wander around in these regions in a group and not alone (there have been some mugging incidents unfortunately and camera's are a real attraction for muggers.
> Carry adequate water and some food (Kanakapura is your best bet else Sangama has good hotels availability for those going towards Galibore. No good options towards Bheemeshwari.
> Do not get off your vehicle inside the sanctuary limits or park your vehicle causing disruption towards traffic.
> Do not litter and leave no trace.
> Carpooling is a better option.
> Do not get into the waters at Sangama / Mekedatu as there are strong under currents and many lives have been lost there.
> Stay safe and happy birding :)

Nandi hills..a re-visit

Nandi Hills, closer to Bengaluru is crowded like hell, I repeat crowded like hell, especially on weekends and holidays but the fact remains that it is one of the better birding hotspots in and around Bengaluru amidst the same maddening crowd... sounds dizzy but true!

Every time, I've been there, I keep on adding one or the other new species to my list seen there and the list is increasing every time, such is the bounty of varied birds that you can find atop Nandi hills.

Also, I should point out, other than birds and a leisure spot, there is plenty to see and watch, be it the flowers or the horizon scape or the landscapes that bowl you over or the rich forest feel that you get nowhere else closer to home, truly a paradise in itself.

The place was filled with trash, dizzying amount of vehicles and people, numerous stalls selling food items and unlawful activities happening but over a period of time things have been controlled and the now the place looks better and organized (no where I'm mentioning it is the best... but it is far better than what it was earlier).

Below are a couple of images from there other than the obvious bird images I would have gotten from there, a change for once.

Also, listing out all the birds that I have seen at Nandi Hills for reference.

Sit back and enjoy :)

Cumulative of all my visits, here is the list...
Indian Scimitair Babbler
Puff-throated Babbler
Tawny-bellied Babbler
White-cheeked Barbet
Tailor Bird
Red-whiskered Bulbul
Oriental Honey Buzzard
Grey-bellied Cuckoo
Ashy Drongo
Black Drongo
Black Eagle
Indian Spotted Eagle
Asian Brown Flycatcher
Asian Paradise Flycatcher
Red-breasted Flycatcher
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Ultramarine Flycatcher
Verditer Flycatcher
Common Iora
Common Kestrel
Nilgiri Wood Pigeon
Olive-backed Pipit
Indian Pitta
Indian Blue Robin
Crested Seprent Eagle
Shikra
Red Spurfowl
Blue-capped Rock Thrush
Malabar Whistling Thrush
Orange Headed Thrush
Pied Thrush
Grey Wagtail
Greenish Leaf Warbler
Oriental White-Eye

Rewind 2014

Coming from 2013, this has been a fast year...a very fast one indeed :)

2014 has been exciting in more than one ways for me and I personally am ending it on a high and very well looking forward to 2015.

January - A start to the year with a visit to my personally favorite destination, Dandeli. A solo trip and a nice meet up with some wonderful travel bloggers. Another trip back our favorite jaunt, this time with the group and the year starts with a bang with a much cherished sighting of the Great Hornbill, something that I was waiting for years.

February - A special day when your blog is recognized as the 'best travel blog' by BlogAdda here. Bird survey at Melagiris and a much awaited visit to the Seethanadi camp kept be busy through the month.

March - Awed by the sight of congregation of more than 5000 Bar headed Geese at Magadi lake, Gadag... a conservation success story indeed. Bird estimate in Nilgiris (around Mukurthi) and some fine birding there at Ooty.

April - June - dry months for the year... probably a first time witnessed such a lean period due to hectic work schedules.

July - A long pending trip to the heaven, Kashmir/Ladakh, courtesy Amith, the traveler and a wish fulfilled and a dream accomplished... way to go!
After the Adda award, a quick weekend to Goa to test drive the new Tata Zest as a top blogger, an event where I met a lot of awesome bloggers from different worlds.

Aug-Sep - 2nd set of dry months for the year... well...!

Oct-Nov - the volunteering work started in full force... volunteering for crowd/traffic management at Bandipur during Dasara/Deepawali and jaathre (temple fair) times, lots of appreciation and new learnings.

Dec - Closing the year with yet again a trip to our favorite jaunt, the Old Magazine House at Ganeshgudi.

Been a hectic and a fast paced year that had a lot of challenges for me and ending the year on a high with an apt change in the professional life and looking forward to 2015 with a lot of plans and hopes.

Being true to self, blogging took a backseat and I appreciate all the readers/followers who have steadfast been with me, trust and hope will be posting more content on regularity henceforth :)

Three Cheers!