2021

When the kids had Kinder Joy after eight years

More Sahayadri goodness

We went splashing in the Sanvordem waterfall today. Much fun, jumping into the cold water, and being chased by fishies trying to get a nibble at us. The trek was quite strenuous and one of our friends got hurt 😐

This gentleman owns a tools stall in Mapusa Municipal Market. Doesn't have a lot of stock like the big shops, but he had one each of every conceivable tool. A man's man.

We have a visitor

Another pic of the #temple eaten up by the #jungle, 'coz y'all apparently like this sort of thing

All over rural Maharashtra, tea is served in these tiny shot glasses. Why?

The jungle reclaims a temple in a relocated village.

And the not-so-rolling rock, has gathered moss and some more

The road less traveled... has grown a mohawk

Our forest guide told us that the forest is walking into what were earlier farms. It is slowly reclaiming land at its edges. The forest department is not planting trees.

Meeting spot

Once manus leave...

#river #water

Jungle

Always a sucker for electrical engineering

#windmill #windmills #sugarcane #maharashtra #sahayadri #caravan

The caravan is back in action after many months, traversing the Sahayadris

Looks like we are still decades away from artificial lenses accurately capturing the beauty of the night sea. Another half assed attempt at depicting the moon reflecting off the sea.

The moon and the earth, paint pictures for us

S discovers pressure washing, and is rather overjoyed.

(I had to eventually request her to give the machine some rest.)

Edible art, that tastes good too.

'Morning

Things you meet when out for a walk

'Twas a good day to be out surfing

Went for a morning walk after many weeks. The sky was rather dramatic. And I met this interesting guy, Subodh Kerkar, who lives in Saligao and runs the Museum of Goa. He was seriously interviewing a ragpicker who was busy making a living out of cleaning up trash. He then proceeded to ask me probing questions about my work. Almost gave me the impostor syndrome - do I really do anything of value?

Do you do anything of value?

The sky was very dramatic, all day long

Just pics of people looking cool on a yacht.

Did I mention that we all caught a cold. But it was 💯 worth it.

The current was strong enough to require tethering at all times - with two hands, or hands and feet. Otherwise we'd end up in the sea.

The high point was definitely jumping into the river while the boat was anchored. The fast flowing current whisked us away as soon as we hit the water.

Random gorgeousness

Most of these pics haven't been taken by me. Which explains how they've turned out so beautiful.

Although it might appear from this pic that he is being towed, M1 did kayak back and forth quite independently.

My prior experience with kayaking 🛶 was a bad one 20 years ago. This was definitely a lot of fun, and something I'd like to do over and over again.

So, you know, we could do this if you come visit us.

We went kayaking to an island that appears and disappears with the tide.

The sunset was gorgeous. Such colours in the sky. The photographs do not do justice.

The changing light at sunset time meant that each photograph has come out applied with its own unique filter.

Someone actually took a pic of me... although it isn't a flattering pic at all.

The boys had a lot of fun ❤️

Sunday was spent sailing on the Chapora River

You'd think the Goa life is all sun and sand. But I'm at the beach after 1.5 months.

I should do this more often. If only it weren't raining incessantly.

This is how smart boys go to school.

When we were young, sparrows would visit our home near Yusuf Sarai in Delhi. We'd have to rush and open the French windows of the house, and turn off the ceiling fans to protect them.

As we grew up, the birds around us seemed to have learnt to stay out of human homes. Until this month. Here in Goa, we have scaly-breasted munias visiting us sometimes. And, well, they're stupid. They keep fluttering against the fixed glass panes of the windows for an agonisingly long time, when there is an open window right underneath (see the pic for context).

I suppose the spotted munias forage in the paddy fields around our house. And visit us to snack on all the insects we harbour indoors. Perhaps I'll have the kids put stickers on all the fixed panes, to alert the birds.

(These social, communal birds are frequently caged. The pet trade calls them the Spice Finch. Its... so sad.)

Got fully vaccinated today.

What a lovely experience. The staff at the Government District Hospital in Mapusa were more organised and helpful than the fancy Medanta Team that gave me my first dose.

This is what freedom looks like. Kavin's cycle has finally arrived from Gurgaon, so I no longer have to ferry him to school on a scooter.

It's drum circle season

Winters... when the boys were learning salsa on the beach.

The rains are nice. But the winters are better.

Have you wished the birthday boy yet?

The rain makes everything so beautiful. Pictured outside the children's school. Spot the ant if you can.

The Green Bee-eater, पतेना

Trypophobia isn't real. Its a social media invention. Get over it.

What the Lotus Pond in Gurgaon is famous for...

Icarus

The Oriental Magpie-robin

The Himalayan Blackvein butterfly.

Sind Sparrow. गौरैया।

"Whaddaya say buddy. Do we go in?"

We were lucky to come across a hoard of birds and animals, clustered around the foliage under a tree. I suppose an animal had died there, and they were all having a morning feast. We saw what we thought was a dog, but @upcycling.artist identified to be a jackal. What luck!

The Greater Coucal.

Rufous Treepie.

Can you identify the trickery involved in this photograph.

Black Drongo. Contemplative.

"Sharing is caring". "No, you're the wrong species, dimwit. Birds of a feather flock together. Look at yours and look at mine."

Actually the Robin did not reply to the Sunbird. If it opened its mouth, the insect would be gone.

"I have the goods. In my mouth."

This Indian Robin flitted about for a very long time, from branch to branch, tree to tree, with its catch in its mouth. Was it trying to impress someone?

The Purple Sunbird, female. I've always only photographed the male before, with its striking colours.

And the cuckoo flies away

Would you mind if I posted another couple of pics of the Jacobin Cuckoo. This is the first time I've seen this bird and it is indeed spectacular.

The Jacobin Cuckoo. In India it is considered to be the harbinger of rain. Indeed it had rained in Gurgaon the night before I captured this pic.

तोता। Rose-ringed Parakeet. Just look at the details on the feathers.

Black Kite. चील। This one was really close - so close that I had trouble taking a picture.

It was scavenging from a garbage bin - which is sad.

Guess where is this place

[This was at Sanjay Van, Delhi. We visit again on Wednesday morning. Care to join us?]

Binge watch the entire series, they said. What could go wrong, they said. Now look at me eyes.

Blue Whisting-thrush. Again, not a crow as you might assume.

Are you having trouble spotting me on the tree? That's the whole point genius. Its called camouflage.

Just hanging about. Doing my thing. Being plump.

Ninja. I'm a ninja girl. Hai-ya!

Ei! Freddie! Are we doing this or what?

See boss, the thing is, it's the little one's birthday today, and I don't wanna get home all wet and mottled.

The mooning continues. This time by a White-throated Laughingthrush.

My face isn't just stuffed full of food. My face is stuffed IN food. Nom yum yum.

Did you think I'm done with his majesty the Magpie? You thought wrong.

Behold the long tail of the Red-billed Blue Magpie

Excuse me while I puff up my chest to thwart any other birds trying to get at this buffet.

The Red-billed Blue Magpie, y'all. Wait till you see its tail in the next post.

A Plum-headed Parakeet couple, om nom nomming. Repeat after me - awwwwwwwww

La Plum-headed Parakeet. तोता.

I'll be walking.
Walking in the rain.

The Oriental Turtle Dove. Who names these things? Isn't कबूतर enough?

Le Plum-headed Parakeet, तोता. Who refused to eat the plums I offered it, eating बाजरा (millet) instead.

Not your ordinary crow. This is the Grey Treepie.

You have been #mooned

See, bite, gobble.

These pictures of the lesser yellowpane were taken at what is called a "hide". After all the traipsing through rainy Uttarakhand forests with leeches and bugs harassing us, we thought it would be nice to just sit back and have the birds come to us.

A hide operates by offering food to birds. The birds flock to the food and you can observe them from up close. Its what we do in our backyards all the time, and think nothing of. But when you do it commercially, next to a forest, you risk turning wild birds into feral ones.

Not an experience I'd repeat again, most probably. Even though the food offered was just fruit and बाजरा.

When wet in the rain, all birds resemble a chicken 😂

Lesser yellownape woodpecker, कठफोड़वा

See how beautiful the feathers are, of a yellownape woodpecker (कठफोड़वा)

The lesser yellownape woodpecker. कठफोड़वा.

Obligatory abstract Insta travel pic. With filter.

Asked M2 to choose the filter. He is now super stressed. Eyes twitching and all.

#Mantis. Yes this pic is about the last moments of a mantis. The #Black-headed #Jay is incidental.

M1 calls this Big Chungus Burdus. Mind it.

All fruits

Flutterfly

Dahlia?

A Black-headed Jay with a grub in its mouth

Yes yes yes! Finally captured a Khalij Pheasant, तीतर.

In capturing this Ox-eye Daisy, M1 realised how hard it is to bend over with a phone and get the right angle and depth.

#butterfly #butterflies

#ruins #clouds

One last pic of the Verditer Flycatcher

A Common Tailorbird making its getaway

The Black-throated Bushtit, all wet in the rain.

The sunlight made the #clouds its canvas

The #Myna might be Common, but that doesn't make it any less majestic than other birds. मैना.

Kindly appreciate the funky hairstyle of the Himalayan #Bulbul बुलबुल

The humble #sparrow. But then, where do you get to see it in the cities any more.

M1 wants you to consider the possibility that not all birb pics are aligned center

The Verditer Flycatcher, with what else but a fly in its mouth

The Verditer Flycatcher, on its way to catch a fly

A wet and hungry floof with food in its maw

The Eurasian Jay

Peek-a-boo

A Blackbird giving poses in the jungle

Do these look yum or what? If you're a bird, this is what you feast on all day in the mountains.

It's swallow time again

To rainwashed mornings

Some paintings that the clouds made for us

गुल और जाले

The butterfly Aporia on a Creeping Thistle. Pic by M1.

कोहरा या बादल?

Pahadi ruins

Yellow-breasted Greenfinch. Got a better look today.

Can you help me with the names?

Yellow-breastfed Greenfinch in the house, y'all

Are these two the same species of birb?

गोबदू wren's सिलहुट्टी (silhouette)

To perfectly capture a swallow in flight is a life goal 😁

Babblers don't leave me alone anywhere

Noisy little fellows

In case you wish to travel to the mountains, here is what you need to know: https://www.indiatoday.in/travel/story/planning-a-trip-to-himachal-uttarakhand-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-about-travel-restrictions-guidelines-1813387-2021-06-10

You do not need an RTPCR negative report, or an epass, to visit Himachal. Shops and hotels are open.

Uttarakhand requires an RTPCR negative report, advance confirmed reservation at a homestay/hotel, and an epass, to visit. Markets and cafés are closed; you can only eat what your homestay cook serves you.

If you choose to travel, stay quarantined for a week. You can always step out for solitary walks. But partying, drinking, loud music, dancing with other guests is ruled out (I hope it stays that way forever).

Little buggy
Blue buggy
Buzz buzz buzz

(sung to the tune of soft kitty)

Your ancestor's direct gaze

Yep, been living in the same ₹200 super soft T-shirt for a couple of days now. You don’t have to remind me to change.

Ah. Looks like the camera lens needs cleaning.

Loving all the layers that are visible around this place.

The Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher. Leeches are common in the Himalayas during the rains, and we should have been more careful. When M1 finally looked down to see leeches crawling all over our feet, our panic must have been a comic sight to see. The only time before that I've had leeches on me was in 22 years ago, in the Western Ghats. And it wasn't fun even then. Ugh.

The Grey-winged Blackbird. We got attacked by leeches while photographing this guy.

The Pied Bush Chat

The Verditer Flycatcher

Looking sideways. Coz never can keep my eyes off the monkeys on the hills.

Never too old for Crax. Never too old for the cheap toys in the Crax bag.

Even as the sunlight fades away, the day is a glorious, colourful wrap

बादलों के ऊपर - above the clouds

We skipped town. Again.

Cormorant, drying its wings