We missed the Dussera holiday outing.mainly because of my laziness and bad planning, and was desperate to go somewhere during the Deepavali holidays. I was interested in getting some nice driftwoods for my fish tank, and so I suggested about Bhimeswari to Shukla. K & P visited our house on Friday and we decided to go together..actually it was a boon for us, as we were little bit worried, if we will be allowed in the campus during the rush holidays for a day trip(actually we found out, that it would have been difficult if not for K)

Sunday morning we started from Bangalore at sharp 6:00 am in the morning. The plan was to rush to JLR before the breakfast time is over. Till Halaguru it was an uneventful journey except a stop in between to shoot rufuous-tailed lark. We took the turn at Halaguru and bypassed the villages. K spotted a Black Ibis on the village farmland, for which we stopped for few minutes. All of us was a bit hungry and we wanted to reach JLR as soon as possible…I was going at quiet a decent speed when a Grey Patridge ran across the road. I was in a turning, otherwise I would have been a bit careful. Anyway I hit the brakes hard, and ran out in the bush with my camera, hoping the bird will still hang around there.. but it had vanished completely. Came back in vain to find a Blue faced malkoha vanishing in the bush, leaving me red-faced.. Shukla had given prior warnings to me that she had seen a bird with a long tail entering in the bush and I completely ignored her. A small distance ahead we went, and two huge raptors took off from the right side of the road, crossed in front of my vehicle and settled down on a dead tree branch. This time we didn’t take any chance. Since it was on K’s side, asked him to fire ample number of shots. The birds were sitting with the sun directly behind them and so we were worried if we can get a decent enough photograph to identify them. I decided to get down from the vehicle and take chance to find a better angle. I did able to shoot one of the fellow with a stop of over-exposure, and later after posting in the www.indianaturewatch.net I came to know that its Bonelli’s Eagle. My first sighting of the bird. We reached JLR and finished breakfast. Shukla decided to hang on around the river side on a hammock. Me, K and P decided to try our luck elsewhere. Walking along the river side didn’t yield much luck, except for the sighting of a lesser fishing eagle with a huge fish. I was fortunate to capture a shot of the fellow before it vanished elsewhere. A confrontation with a spotted deer and few munias and green bee-eaters.

We decided to finish of lunch and head for the Galibore camp through the forest . After a sumptuous meal, all of us were feeling sleepy. The hammocks by the river side was tempting enough. We somehow resisted the temptation and started walking towards the parking lot. K was telling stories, how this place he had trekked and had first reported the presence of Grizzled Giant Squirrel, the northern most range of the species. ..when shukla spotted one on the canopy. And then off we went clicking. We came to spot two more in the tree, all quiet playful and cuddling each other. Unfortunately light was low under the canopy and missed the shot. A call came from K , that a Osprey was up in the sky and it is about to cross the small pathway opening in the sky. I just didn’t wanted to miss the chance, and came out just to take a few shots. The lens this time in light performed flawlessly, capturing the bird in that small window of opportunity.

We started from the jungle lodges at around 3:00 pm. Took the forest road by the side of the river. We had never traveled this one before and was a bit thrilled. The road has a few bad patch (read river boulders on a 40 degree slope with jagged side rocks ) and was a bit tricky to maneuver the vehicle. The road proved immensely lucky for us. Just after entering few birds took off from the road side tree. My first sighting of the imperial green pigeon in the wild. Unfortunately the birds were not co-operative enough to take any pictures. A few moments after we got a flock of chestnut headed bee-eater on the road-side tree. The highlighted sighting on this road was a painted spurfowl. The bird gave us ample time for photography and viewing before it vanished under the thick undergrowth. The other sightings was of a blue faced malcoha and grey patridge.

We reached Galibore at around 5:00 pm. Its already getting pretty dark. Had a cup of tea and we started off from Galibore. An uneventful night journey through the forest roads and then through village tarred roads till Kanakpura, though we were praying for the sighting of civet or at least of a nightjar.

Reached Bangalore at 9:00 pm.

Too much hectic schedule since the last entry. A couple of holidays in between, but we couldn’t make use for the most of it. Managed a Mydenahalli trip on an in between weekend. Never been to this place before.. although I have travellled ninety percent of the road once while going to Siddarabetta. An amazing place, though I warn you to carry all the necessary stuff along with you. Nearest decent hotel is at Tumkur, a fifty km drive from the place.. and the place is bone dry, so you won’t find drinking water anywhere nearby. Road surface via Tumkur is quiet decent except for few bad patches. Driving through the sanctuary is through jeep tracks(if you know what it means).

Well the place is a scrub forest land and vast open grassland, a perfect country for the Antelope called Blackbuck(In Bengali we call it Krishnasar Harin). As soon as we left the tarred road we spotted one at a distance. They move around in between cultivated fields and open grasslands. Quiet a fast runner, they were continuously disappearing as soon as I tried opening the door of my vehicle. We managed a few decent shots just by sitting inside the vehicle. The place has a nice shaded watch tower, where we finished our lunch. Took a few more rounds in the jeep track inside the sanctuary which resulted in a few nice deep scratch in my vehicle body from the acacia thorns…a very cheap price to pay for a few decent shots of Antelope cervicapra

Another dull morning in Hebbal. The Sun keeps hiding behind the thick monsoon clouds. I kept my finger crossed and just wanted to get something worthy enough for shoot. Well the wait was fruitfull and I got to shoot this beauty all draped up in new colors.

I was just waiting for the weekend to get a chance to go out with my new lens. .and Hebbal is a backdoor birding area, which I go when there is no place else. So off I went on last Saturday. The morning was cloudy and gloomy and I just lost all hope of getting any decent images. Last weekend to Devrayanadurga became unsuccessful because of the same cloudy condition. Ganesh was already there shooting some macro on dragon flies with the lens front element almost touching the dragon flies wings :). Anyway I wished him a good day and proceeded towards the secret hideout of the spot billed. ..I got to see the duck with 6 ducklings following the mother at a distance. Took a record shot of the same. In rains the back portions of the lake almost becomes inaccessible. With water reaching almost the level of the road and the muddy track it becomes difficult to venture. Neverthless I pushed myself… with 5 kilos of mud in each sole of the shoe, its not an easy feat… I reached the hideout to see a duck watchman keeping an eye on the tresspassers.. and soon enough gave a warning call. Obviously there are more somewhere there.. I ducked behind a small bush. .Anyway I am spotted and the guard kept a keen eye on me. I slowly crawled forward. .This is the best way you can go near when you are out all open..Well the guard have vanished from the pill box. I tried to lift my head and immediately another warning call came for a distance. Ohh what an intelligent fellow.. he just moved little bit distance, and still keeping an watch for me.. I waited for around fifteen mins..taking a few shots of the guard.. Bye the time it became little easy with me and I gave another try. This time though it kept its stare, but it remained calm.. I moved to the edge of the water body, so that I get to see the fellows for whom this one is keeping a watch. Sure enough there were five fellows on the water. Just waited in the water edge to motionless and they came nearer and nearer..

Upgraded to a 400 mm F/5.6 L . Well a 100 mm shorter than my zoom..so why do I go for it. One thing is because its in the same league of the Canon’s legendary L series lens. Though quiet an old lens (been in the line for the last 9 or 10 yrs it seems), its very very simple in design, abosolutely minimum moving parts( the focus ring) and so robust in design(even the hood is made all metal) and dust proofing. Has a lightning fast focussing system(more so to me as I was a sigma user all the while), and its absolutely light…so light that I have started handhold photography once again. Well Karthik helped me to procure the lens..Thanks to him, the lens landed on Friday and Saturday morning I got to see it. A lovely piece of glass and comes with a nice pouch. Looking forward for my next trip into wilderness. A highly recommended piece of glass who are looking for a budget long focul length. Putting up two images from the lens. The first one is a 100 % crop test image to show what details it can render. Both image are handheld shots.