The Leopard That Wasn’t

This trip to Turahalli Tree Park had been brewing for months.

CR, AK, CA and I had been discussing, planning, postponing and re planning the outing for what seemed like forever.

Then, somewhere along the way, a piece of news changed the mood considerably: a leopard had apparently entered the park through a breach in the fence.

From that point on, the leopard became a regular participant in our trip discussions, at least as far as CR was concerned.

As the trip drew closer, the excitement was gradually replaced by a healthy dose of caution. On the eve of the outing, after much thought and deliberation, CR finally decided to opt out. And just when we thought the remaining three were set, CA dropped out on the morning of the trip, struck down by fever.

So, in the end, it was just AK and me who carried on.

And as it turned out, we had little to worry about. We came back with a pretty good haul of birds, and, most importantly, a leopard sighting.

Well... technically.

The only leopards we actually encountered were a couple of Common Leopard butterflies.

Here are a few pictures from our morning at Turahalli Tree Park.

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Our first sighting was a White cheeked Barbet, perched nicely on a bare branch against the blue sky.

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AK spotted the crescent moon still hanging in the morning sky and pointed it out: “For the blog!”

Of course, a picture had to be taken.

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The rain had left the trail damp and fresh, making the walk particularly pleasant. Along the way, we spotted a pair of tortoise beetles, apparently busy with matters of their own.

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We also came across this beautiful Red Star Glory flower.

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The morning light was beautiful after the rain. The grass was still covered in droplets, sparkling in the early sunlight.

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We then came across a beautiful Stinking Passionflower. Its rather unfortunate name comes from the unpleasant smell released by the plant when its leaves or stems are crushed. Thankfully, the flower itself was far more attractive than its name suggests!

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The bubbly calls of the White browed Bulbul seemed to be everywhere, echoing through the trees.

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The White spotted Fantail was next, but it certainly did not make things easy for us. It kept flitting from branch to branch at great speed, giving us only fleeting chances to get a photograph.

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The Indian White eye was another lovely sighting. It was busy moving through the foliage, pausing just long enough for us to grab a few shots before disappearing among the leaves again.

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Among the flowering branches, we spotted a female Common Iora.

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The Purple rumped Sunbird was another highlight, especially this gorgeous male feeding among the bright yellow flowers.

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And then came the Common Leopard, not the four legged kind that had caused all the panic, but a beautiful butterfly.

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A honey bee was busy working the delicate pink flowers of the Shame plant.

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Turahalli’s charm lies as much in its open landscapes and skies as in its birds and wildlife.

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While I was posing with the giant ladybird and AK was clicking pictures, a little girl came by and playfully announced, “I saw a tiger!” Her dad immediately clarified that she meant the tiger sculpture nearby, not a real one.

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Sandalwood (Santalum album), a fragrant treasure growing quietly in the wild greens.

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A female Purple Sunbird, quietly perched amid the greenery.

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With about 30 minutes left before the park closed at 10 a.m., we met UV, an ardent birdwatcher who lives nearby. Her familiarity with the area proved invaluable, as she showed us a spot where fantails and flycatchers nest during the season.

UV then showed us the reused nest of a White spotted Fantail. Interestingly, the fantail reuses the nest rather than constructing a new one every season, making this tiny, well camouflaged cup among the branches even more fascinating.

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Just when we were searching for the fantails, an Oriental Magpie Robin suddenly emerged and gave us a pleasant surprise.

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The Blue faced Malkoha was playing hard to get, keeping itself deep within the foliage and revealing only tantalising glimpses through the leaves.

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Finally, we got a good shot of the White spotted Fantail, its fan shaped tail beautifully spread as it stood on the forest floor.

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And then, another fleeting moment, a White spotted Fantail caught in mid flight.

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And then, Asian green bee-eaters.

And in the end, although the only “leopards” we saw had wings, Turahalli still gave us exactly what we had come looking for: a morning full of surprises.

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Beyond the Usual

I’d taken enough photos of flamingos over the past four months, but I still headed to Hoskote Lake to see them one last time. They were gone. Thankfully, a few other interesting sightings made their departure a little easier to take.

Here’s the photo story.

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I went straight to the spot where the flamingos had been seen last. They were nowhere to be found. Instead, a pair of Black-winged Stilts was quietly working the shallows, making for a rather nice consolation prize.

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I managed to capture a little of their morning routine on video too.

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Further along, I found a pair of Little Grebes keeping close company.

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A Purple-rumped Sunbird mistook its reflection in a bike’s mirror for a rival, leading to a rather amusing standoff.

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A lone Black-winged Stilt stood quietly in the shallows.

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A Glossy Ibis flew past, its dark plumage revealing flashes of gloss as it caught the morning light.

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A Black-winged Kite perched quietly on a post.

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An Indian Roller suddenly took off from the fence, flashing its brilliant blue wings.

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A female Pied Bushchat perched on a mound, quietly watching the activity around the lake.

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The Black Drongos were putting on quite a show, chasing each other through the branches and taking turns in the air.

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The Red-wattled Lapwings were hard to miss, with a few taking off while others stood watch nearby.

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A Zitting Cisticola perched neatly on a dried stalk, giving me a chance to appreciate one of the lake’s smaller residents.

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A couple of Paddyfield Pipits were busy on the ground, picking their way through the grass and mud.

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A pair of Red-rumped Swallows caught my attention, resting on the wire between quick flights around the lake.

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An Asian Green Bee-eater paused on a thorny branch.

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The most endearing sighting of the day was an Indian Nightjar, beautifully camouflaged and quietly revealed along the trail.

Some Nightjar facts:

• Spends much of the day resting quietly on the ground, blending into the leaf litter
• Large eyes are well adapted for seeing in low light.
• Mostly active at night, feeds mainly on flying insects.
• Lays its eggs directly on the ground.

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A little Asian Green Bee-eater perched quietly on a thorny branch, glowing softly against the blurred woodland.

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I waited for it to take flight, but it was busy preening. So I kept the camera rolling until it finally flew.

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Amid the blooms of Parthenium, a Baya Weaver paused with a tiny morsel in its beak before taking flight.

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A quiet moment followed between two Green Bee-eaters, one pausing to preen while the other watched patiently from the same thorny perch.

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I kept the video rolling until they finally flew off together.

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I paused for a moment to take in the vast blue sky stretching over Hoskote Lake.

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My last sighting of the day was this Oriental Skylark. Its crest kept changing with every movement, making for a wonderfully memorable final encounter.

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The flamingos may have been gone, but Hoskote Lake still had plenty of stories to tell. A rewarding morning of unexpected sightings and quiet moments.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.