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.

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