A Naturalit's Diary: 12

29th June, 2010

Went down to the river this morning. Mahseer spawning, a great deal of activity in the shallows bordering the bank. I intend to try and videograph this tomorrow morning and photograph it the day after.

I heard a single Golden Oriole this morning. I also hear the Indian Cuckoo (Hierococcyx varius) which I did not hear for the first few days after my return from Delhi. The Common Hawk Cuckoo (Cuculus micropterus) is very audibly present and one can appreciate why it is called the Brain Fever bird. Its incessant and ascending brain fever, brain fever, BRAIN FEVER, is taxing in this heat and humidity.

A Naturalist's Diary: 11

28th June, 2010


We had a good shower here this morning. After the shower I went down to the river and it was boiling with water levels the highest of the season. The river was turbulent and brown and seething with silt. Tadpoles, big fat ones, crabs, and a snake had been stranded by receding waters.


The humidity had dropped considerably after the shower, but it is now back with a vengeance.

See the Kosi video on the Infinity Resorts Blog.

A Naturalist's Diary: 10

27th June, 2010


From the 26th evening I have spent time trying to capture moonscapes. Faced an onslaught of winged termites the previous night and managed to wait it out by staying low. Whilst photographing, a sambar belled just opposite me. I could not locate it, but it only belled once; I assume it was alarmed at seeing me on the jetty.


I was able to achieve an excellent HDRI panorama of the Kosi yesterday morning, my first ever and this opens up a lot of possibilities.


The weather is dreadfully humid. I will move the cameras into the bedroom as it is less humid there.

A Naturalist's Diary: 9

26th June, 2010

There have been many changes to the avifauna around the resort. I do not hear the orioles anymore. Their mellifluous and rich notes are prominent by their absence. The Asian Paradise Flycatchers (Terpsiphone paradisi) are gone. The Red-breasted Parakeets have replaced the Rose-ringed (Psittaculla krameri). I went down to the river this evening and there were huge overflights of P. alexandri. In flight they are darker than the Rose-ringed and have shorter tails. And, of course, they have their characteristic honking.


I saw at least five Striated Herons (B. Stiatus) by the river and they seemed intent on beating up one another, constantly engaged in minor turf wars; fishing rights, as it were.


Three young Rhesus Macaques emereged from the forest and approached the channel by the resort. When I looked again, one was on a rock surrounded by swirling water, another was in the water but then hastily regained the bank. When I looked again they were not to be seen. I wonder if they actually crossed the river? If so it would be an amazing feat considering that the pull of the current is very strong.


In the matter of The People versus the snails, it seems that salt or copper piping will work. The copper tends to generate an electric current when the snail tries to climb over it. Salt is, of course, like acid, and we don’t want that.


Almost forty-five people bathing in the river this evening. Unsightly, but they are homeless or if they have quarters have no facilities. And they are all employed by the resorts surrounding the park and by new constructions.

A Naturalist's Diary: 8

25th June, 2010

Glad to be back at Corbett after an absence of ten days. It rains odten and is very, very humid, but it is far better than being stuck in the furnace that is Delhi.

A very positive sign here is the constant and very noisy presence of Red-breasted Parakeets (Psittacula alexandri)! When I was left they were very evident on the metalled road to Mohan which is the boundary of the park, but now they are in the resort as well. However, parakeets are not the easiest birds to photograph!

It’s that time of the year again when we hear the crunch of snails underfoot. I must try to find a solution to this and stop the slaughter.

I saw the Little / Striated Heron (Butorides striatus) by the river this morning which is a first. Until the 15th of June it used to be present only in the evenings. Most of my day today has been spent on the computer and I want to try and do some bird watching tomorrow morning. Hopefully the rains would have resulted in some new visitors.

A Naturalist's Diary : 7

24th October, 2010.

Finally back at my beloved Corbett. Delhi was blighted, as usual. By the time the train reached Hapur, the weather had cooled. Ramnagar was mess with a wedding going through town complete with a brass band and men carrying fluorescent lights mounted on poles. This was followed by a gaudy horse-drawn (!) carriage where the be-turbaned groom, who looked to be in his early twenties and completely bored with the proceedings, sat surrounded by a screaming mass of children. Perhaps he viewed it as portentous!

Corbett very humid but I could hear a myriad frogs last night whilst smoking my post-prandial cigarette which is a good thing.

A Naturalist's Diary : 6

Back to Gurgaon after a break in Bangalore and en route to Corbett. Temperature here at about 41 celsius with 30% humidity! Can't wait to get out.

Images of the workshop will be up on Facebook soon.

Workshop at Canon Image Lounge

19th June, 2010. For DSLR users. Ashish and Apana will be there.