another cycling expedition in the western ghats of India...

This is my first post of the new year and a few of you would remember how I promised last year that 2013 will start with a new chapter. Well, chapters of life sometimes change abruptly and sometimes they just slip in quietly and deceptively, sometimes we have to make an effort to start a new chapter.

 I told you my angel has done a miracle to me and the new chapters will all be full of that light. This new year already started with a refreshing note, on the 4th of January we started another biking (cycling) expedition into the western ghats in south Goa. Myself and the husband both together this time.

We cycled on the long beaches, jungles and villages of Goa seeing the real beauty of the place. The fisher women selling fish along the roads, the country variety of small bananas being sold, paddy fields being planted, rough roads with deep red dust and much much more. An enriching experience, quite challenging physically but absolutely worth it. We were breathless on the uphills, joyous on the slopes and generally exploding with happiness all this while.  There was so much beauty to be absorbed, song of nature to be tuned into, every thing that makes my heart sing. Yes, there were plenty of birds too, there was never a dull moment.

This expedition was organised by YHAI Goa, a state division of the Yhai India (Delhi) who had organised the Kullu to khardung-la biking expedition back in 2011. This Goa biking expedition is organised every year in December and January and about 5-6 groups are flagged off to the cycling track decided by the Yhai Goa team.

Here is the Yhai Goa base camp with all the tents and open dining area in sight.

The bicycles were arranged under a tree and we had to clean them ourselves as the previous batch had returned on the same bicycles, the dusty rough route makes sure that every hinge of a bicycle looks tortured and neglected. Covered with a tick layer of muck.

We cleaned every bit of dirt and got our bottle clamps etc fixed on them. Got the breaks etc checked, seat height adjusted and then had a ride around the sports authority and neighboring areas.

Then after lunch we had a ride to Dauna paula beach and back to get a hang of the Goa traffic. We were a bunch of 11 cyclists, a really jovial group that bonded well during the expedition. Here we are after our ride to Dauna Paula, enjoying sea breeze..

Next day (5th Dec) we started the expedition. This is the route map of all places we passed through.

It is the area of western ghats so you get a taste of mountain biking as well with the uphills and slopes but yes, it is not comparable with Himachal or Jammu and Kashmir mountains.We cycle for about 50-60 km every day with our baggage for the whole expedition  that means our clothing, toiletries, dry snacks and electrolytes etc tied on the cycle and stay in camps in the night. The camps are either tents or some local rest house with just the basic facilities. We used to get tea soon after arrival to each camp and then we used to take bath and wash our lunch boxes. The Yhai team had stationed cooks at every camp site for us who used to cook hot dinner for us and make sure we eat properly. After some chit chat and discussions we used to sleep on floor, blankets were provided which we had to fold neatly before leaving the camp. In the morning we used to get ready, have tea and breakfast and packed lunch and start again every day as early as possible.

 Here is our group at the time of flag off from the base camp.

Pedaling towards Dauna Paula again to get a ferry to cross the stretch of sea to reach Mormugao port..

Our bicycles were loaded on the ferry and we proceeded towards Vasco..

We unloaded our bicycles at Mormugao port and carried them to the road, adjusted out bags and started towards Airport, via Baina to Mangor hill junction. Here is Arvind, all geared up to cycle ..

We passed through BITS Pilani campus and then took a turn towards Cansaulim beach. That was a wow moment for all of us seeing an endless stretch of beach to cycle upon, with frothy waves occasionally touching our tires.

The only traffic we encountered here were the thousands of crabs running to their holes when they saw an army of cyclists approaching. Star fish were also spotted but they were not moving, some were dead but I could not collect any as there was no safe storage space on the cycle.

We cycled 26 kilometers on the beaches of south Goa, taking a lunch break at Colva beach and starting again in glaring sun. It felt too hot and sunny but the sea and the crabs kept us entertained. Also the many foreign tourists who were either sunbathing, playing with their kids or surfing on the waves.

This guy was surfing endlessly and a dog had took fancy to his parachute The dog kept following him in the sea wherever he surfed on the waves. Can you see the dog braving the waves in this picture? It was a sight to watch.

Cycling along the beach was one of the best moments to cherish, and we just soaked into every moment.

Mobor beach was our last point along the sea, overlooking Arabian sea. From there we took the road to catch a ferry again to reach village Assolna. It was a 10 minute ride after the ferry, here is me reaching Assolna village.

The camp was in a football ground rest house. We were all tired after the first day's long ride and the boys just spread themselves on the football ground. The well kept grass was really inviting..

This is the group having morning tea the next day ..

And then we started again for our next camp, that was Netravalli.

Passing through Banda to Cuncolim market on NH 17 to reach Forest office Balli. There were terrace fields on the way and then a very rough road as we passed the stone quarries. It was quite dusty too.

The pictures are taken only in the cleaner areas as we could not stop and breathe in the dusty patches. Here we are resting at a turn. We normally used to catch up with each other on turns so we stay together during the whole ride.

Later we passed though the mining belt to reach Cavrem piria panchayat ghar and then we proceeded to a historical pond.

This was really interesting as this pond is known as the Bubble pond, actually a natural spring around which stone steps have been made. The water keeps coming from the joints in the steps and bubbles keep coming up when we rest our feet there. There are numerous small fish and they come to your feet to nibble onto the dead skin. Pedicure done by fish in natural environs. It was amazing, we rested here for about an hour before reaching to our camp that night.

The camp site was a spice farm known as Tanshikar farm. It's a nice place to holiday if you want to connect with nature. Here we are parking our bicycles near our mud houses.

These mud houses were cold and wet and we felt really cold during the night as the blankets provided seemed to be wet as well. But we got to eat some Goan food in this camp and I bought some Cocoa and Coffee from there. They grow and sell several spices as well.

We started early in the morning from the spice farm as the next day was to be quite challenging.

We traveled through Forest range office at Kurdi range and passed through Mahalaxmi temple and then the Villem bhatti temple. Again some mining areas and then dusty red roads. We used to stop at such places to have our lunch. These were the fun moments we loved so much.

Later we crossed Shigao junction, Collem railway station and reached a stream that we had to cross to start on the way to Doodhsagar falls.

Here is the entry to the National park where the doodhsagar fall is situated. No one is actually allowed to stay inside this gate after 5 AM, but Yhai has made a provision for a campsite for their hikers and cyclists. We felt privileged.

The way to doodhsagar camp was tough, dusty and uphill roads with steep turns. This one is a straight road where we could stop and click pictures. On difficult roads one never thought of clicking pictures.

Another stream to be crossed before reaching the campsite.

The Doodhsagar camp had no electricity and a stream was where we had our bath. The food was served in the light of solar lanterns and we slept early. We sighted a giant squirrel in the morning but could not take a picture as it was way into deep foliage and focusing was difficult.

We climbed up again the the morning to reach the actual fall. Sat there for about an hour absorbing the beauty abound. This waterfall is at 310 meters, tallest in Goa and 5th tallest in India. Mandovi river makes this waterfall in the western ghats.

This is tiered waterfall and the uphill part is the border of Karnataka state. Situated inside the Mahavir sanctuary, it is a peaceful place in the morning. Many tourists visit after about 9 AM, I was curious about why only foreign tourists were all we could see coming in huge SUV's while coming back from the waterfall. The sanctuary closes doors after 5 PM and all vehicles are required to come back by that time.

Here is the lower tier of the fall...

Returned on the same route after seeing Doodhsagar falls and then moved further to Mollem junction and then to Tamdi surla. There is a detour to left from Mollem road which goes towards a canyon called Devil's Canyon. The same river Mandovi makes this canyon after the waterfall when it flows in a serpentine manner between crevices of solid rocks.

This is situated in jungle and there is no road to reach this place, just a narrow pathway that is strewn with large stones and we cycled with great difficulty to this spot. But it was well worth it.

After this we rode again to reach Bondla forest office to have lunch there and then started again via Satpal Arboretum towards Sakorda village and then towards Bondla arch. From there it was a really difficult climb on a rocky pathway inside the jungle area. It was just a 6.6 km climb but we all got drained at the end of it. We sighted a few Bisons, monkeys and macaques on the way and many wild ants and spiders. many varieties of butterflies too. There are many other wild animals and reptiles also in this jungle but we didn't get to spot them.

Finally reached the Bondla dormitory which was our night camp that day.

The famous resort Wildernest is adjacent to the dormitory and we are planning to go there sometime soon. Staying into a cottage within a jungle will be enchanting for sure. We crossed the gate of this resort, climbed up again and finally reached the Bondla dormitory which was a pleasant change from living in tents. I also cooked in the kitchen of this camp but unfortunately no one thought on clicking a picture. Cooking rejuvenates me for sure even after an extremely tiring day.

We spotted a few spotted dears around this dormitory, a few peacocks and hens and giant squirrels too. It was too dark to take pictures of all these but we got a shot of spotted dear the next morning.

This was our last camp and were were excited for the last ride together. Had a group photo before leaving Bondla sanctuary.

On a slope coming out of the Bondla sanctuary.

The view was the best in this area as we were not climbing any difficult uphills. Roads were very good and the uphills were enjoyable. The only trouble was the harsh noon sun which seemed to drain all my energy. We crossed Gangem and Usgao villages and saw rice fields being planted.

Many birds were spotted in this stretch as we were little relaxed now, despite the harsh sun. Took a few more resting breaks than earlier so the birds were easier to spot and click. Will share the birds in mt next post I promise.

Later we crossed Khandepur, Betki and Marcela to reach Khamburja ferry. Crossed the river to reach Old Goa.

Old Goa has it's own charm. Old fashioned bungalows and smooth roads. The sun was not as harsh as the day time so we felt more relaxed and enjoyed the ride more.

Beautiful homes and small churches were seen..

And then came the road along the Mandovi river, a 13 km ride which felt like a quick breeze along the river. Pond herons, Kingfishers, and Egrets are spotted playing around.

Reached back to the Base camp in record time. The earlier cycling batches had all reached the base camp by 6 PM but we could make it around 4.30 PM.

Here is the group rejoicing in glory just after finishing the 5 day ride spanning about 300 km. ...

Everyone covered with dirt and sweat and yet so happy and energised. This is the beauty of doing something we don't do in our normal routine. Something that makes us test our capabilities both physically and mentally.

Isn't that a great start to a new year? And did I tell you I was the oldest in this group of 11 people who were part of this expedition? Yes these were all 22-26 year old kids and I was almost double the age of the youngest kid there. It feels really nice to finish such a challenging ride successfully. That too in the lap of nature, tuning in my soul with mother Earth.

Wishing you all a happy new year with a refreshed heart.

PS : Please take care to carry your own good quality bungee chords, biking gloves, water bottles, lunch boxes, electrolytes, sunblock, caps and dry snacks or chocolates etc if you are going to a Yhai biking expedition. You can carry a spare bottle clamp and a handle bag to be fixed onto your bike for convenience. It helps you keep your electrolytes, sunblock, a small camera, mobile phone and other essentials handy. Also, try and save all the empty packs of electrolytes into your own pocket rather than throwing them all on the roads and dump them into the dustbins or the pits at campsite.

Cycling shorts that are padded at the bottom are advisable for long distance cycling and so are shoes. But we chose to wear open sandals with socks as we knew we had to cross rivers and shoes will cause water logging for the feet. Yhai provided backpacks as well but it is advisable to carry your own sturdy backpacks with multiple pockets. Yhai also provides helmets but this time we decided to not wear them as we wanted to have a cap that protected from the harsh sun. I also used a cotton stole to protect me from dust that is so prevalent in mining areas.


# all pictures are taken by myself and Arvind.

making small discoveries while being a tea drinker...

I seriously need a way to make a good cup of chai without boiling it on a gas stove.

Now you would say why not a gas stove. After all the whole world..ah okay..the whole of India... okay at least the whole of north India makes (read boils) chai on a gas stove. We like our chai boiled for a while with the ginger and masala in it and then we add some milk and boil again. Right?

I have tried making chai in microwave and in a kettle but these electronic equipment are good only for the green tea and the black tea. Brewing the tea if I say technically. Boiling the tea is still not something an electronic equipment would do. Not at all the milky masala tea. But wait, let me tell you why I am complaining. Wanting to have an alternate to this gas stove method at least.  I have had a few too many accidents while boiling my masala tea on the gas stove. It's a pain to make tea when you want a cuppa while working. It's okay when you are already in the kitchen, working on something and the tea is made on the sly. But I rarely feel like having a tea when in the kitchen. It is most required when I am neck deep in work and want a breather. It's a pain when you want it the most and you are working full swing on your desk. Now do you get my point?

There is more to it. I often go and fill required amount of water in the pan, add tea leaves and ginger etc and place it on the burner to boil. And then I am tempted to reply to that one mail or finish that one para I was writing. Time flies in such times and I peel myself off from this stupid chair when I smell something burning, or feel some smoke in the house. No smoke alarms yet, but it's a scary feeling. Every time I curse myself for being so forgetful, but to no avail. It has already happened a few times and my maid knows it so well. She would smile and start rubbing the pan with a steel wool scrubber again. I have changed two saucepans in the last six months.

And I made a few discoveries with these accidents. Serendipity.

The saucepan gets all sooty and the carbon sticks to the base if you have added sugar to the boiling water and it just turns to gray ash if you haven't added any sugar to the boiling water. Easier to clean it later. Although it is common sense that sugar will caramelise and become a sticky residue, I never had imagined seeing a perfect ash forming in my saucepan.

So people, don't add sugar to the boiling water when making tea my way. Or just keep standing there to enjoy the bubbling tea over the gas stove. Inhale some and make yourself a better tea drinker.

Please don't forget to tell me a way to boil/make tea without standing by the gas stove if you know. And please don't ask me why I am having more tea than usual these days ...

my signs to stay positive, stay blessed ...

Woke up early after a long time. Working like a maniac, not sleeping properly and seeing ungrateful, unethical people around had left me feeling like a buzzing head. Just a buzzing head, not with ideas but a numbing buzz.

The husband had to leave early today, and I decided to water the parched garden after days of neglect. Some insects have made the plants sick, yellowing, falling leaves were picked and thrown away. Some insects were buried into the soil alive. Yes, I was ruthless to them.

The three musketeers, the Bulbul chicks greeted me with a child like chirp. Hopping here and there, this time I didn't feel like going to grab the camera and click, they were happy playing, the camera makes them conscious. They huddle together like this when they see a prying eye, aided by a lens.

I know the picture is not good, was clicked 2 weeks ago late in the evening. The chicks have grown bigger now, more confident and have started teasing us like the adults do with their acrobatics. The wee birds haven't learned acrobatics yet but teasing they know how to go about.

Then I saw something unexpected. I was so lost in my own stupid  world that could not smell these beautiful Parijaat (Prajakta or Shiuli flowers) quietly cascading down the shrubs in the garden, just behind the Lemon tree. Picked them up, came inside, dusted this earthen plate and placed it in the waiting tray of my morning cuppa. Before settling down lazily to have my Darjeeling, brewed for long 15 minutes.

It was then I decided to look for my phone, clicked a picture and thanks to a smart phone in my hands now, uploaded the picture on facebook. This Poetry was born within minutes, courtesy Suranga who writes Gappa and Strewn Ashes, apart from a few more blogs. I am overwhelmed at the positive signs thrown at me by the universe. Thank you Suranga , this poetry felt like someone ran her fingers through my hair and blessed me with a smile.

This was when last night I was thinking how easily I am able to detach from the people who have been mean to me. I get completely blank of emotions for a few such people however sensitive and empathetic I used to feel for them. Jut one thing I need to learn and practice. No one ever should be able to influence me with a mention of Mithi, I just tend to open my heart like a fool, not valuing my own real estate.

On a mission to fortify myself against a few parasites and pests now. The changing weather must help. The Paarijaat brings me a new message.

I know I will be taken care of by the nature, giving me my signs when I need them the most.
Waking up early and stepping bare feet into the garden will be my effort.

Zomato Restaurant Guide 2012

Who needs a restaurant guide for the city?

In a printed form that is. May be some tourists who are not connected to the internet all the time or someone who actually wants it offline. The internet is there otherwise.

Zomato has quite a good online presence and this print version could have been a nice way to explore some of the possibilities around restaurants and fine dining establishments offline. But this print version in my hands has failed to deliver to a person who wants a place to eat in a certain locality, if searching on the internet is not an option. This is how I feel this guide fails...

There is no index to guide you through the localities. 
Many restaurants have been listed, all in alphabetic order. Who would know the names of restaurants without knowing the locality? 
There is an index in the contents list which enlists the restaurant categories. There are only three cuisine categories listed , Asian and Oriental, Italian and European and North Indian and Mughlai, broadly covering the cuisines and not specifically enlisting.  
All other categories go like Casual dining, Catching up, Legendary, Notables etc etc. A person new to the city wouldn't know how to find a place.


Okay there are a few categories which might make sense.  Beer in a Bar, Best wine list, Business and Travel, Late nighters etc.could make sense for someone who really wants the information.


There should be a folding map of the city dotted with the eateries around so the tourists would be benefited. I have needed such a food guide always when visiting a new city and I was looking at it from that point of view. It disappointed.


The index in the back pages could have been better categorised too. I didn't see many places I already know  listed in this restaurant guide. Every city has so many small restaurants serving local cuisine and that should find a mention too. I would prefer a separate section for local street food in such a guide. Only some Mughlai eateries are listed and that is not sufficient in my opinion.


This restaurant guide disappoints me absolutely. Hoping for a better compiled edition next year.


Zomato restaurant guide 2012 was reviewed for Blogadda under the sponsored book review program.

Bobby Abraham, an artist par excellence...

Here is an artist who can connect with a pure soul instantly. And permeates that connection to you too when you see his portraits.

It was a painting and sculptures exhibition held at the Palm court, India habitat center. It was inaugurated yesterday (19th June) and will be up till 24th of June. Go take a look if you want a breather from the Delhi heat. Inauguration was done by the eminent artist Vijendra Sharma and the collection is curated by Radhe Shyam.

Invitation to this exhibition was a pleasure and I promptly landed up with my camera in tow. Summer heat of Delhi doesn't stop you from enjoying your love for art. Some soulful portraits, some sculptures and some mixed media by different artists was on display. You are going to read some more posts about a few of those art pieces in my next posts here. Those ones really touched me.

But the most intriguing pieces were the ones who just trapped your gaze as you entered the hall. As if those eyes were looking at you. The colors inviting you. The deep wrinkles about to tell a story and the knitted brows inquiring all about you.

These are the sadhus of Bobby Abraham. The honest wrinkles of time have made their faces like a mirror of life. Nothing to hide, nothing to camouflage. Pure simple human life dripping in each line. The soul crystal clear, the eyes deep. Those are not strokes of an artists brush, those are actually the strokes of life...

The hot colors would make you connect deeper with the sadhu's soul. Take my word.

Do you see those intriguing eyes? As if they have a direct connect with the other world and still know all about your world. Sneering at your 'trapped in mayajaal status'.... yet not calling you to theirs.

I felt like I met these souls and got enriched in my soul wisdom.

The gaze is still with me. Making me be in peace through my own ways. Energised me with with a new vision.

These are such larger than life paintings you would forget about he brush strokes and tonality. The depth and dimensions. The light or the shadows. Being all these perfect is what takes you to the soul.

If you are in Delhi, don't miss this opportunity to meet these sadhus of Bobby Abraham. They would welcome you and treat you well :-)

Containers, Bowls, Baskets whatever....

Clicked this picture yesterday thinking I'll post it on the blog and ask for suggestions. Suggestions for balancing this little container of coconut shell that I used for planting this beautiful Jade plant. I love little plants in cute little containers around the house. Wish I had more space for all my plants. Most of them are outdoors, a few twigs find their way into small cute containers now and then.

So this coconut shell broke into two unequal halves. The bigger half had the hole which is naturally there for the coconut seed to sprout. I filled soil into the bigger half, planted the Jade in it and placed it into the smaller half so the water that drips from the main container is held by the smaller one. Now the problem was to balance the round bottomed natural container that it was. I placed an old glass bowl under it and kept it in a ceramic wide bowl which is again placed inside a cane basket. Yes, keep counting how many containers and baskets are there :-)

The problem is, I have way too many containers, pots, fruit bowls and baskets for a small home I live in. So I end up placing them one inside the other like this.

The suggestion that I wanted for this coconut container, how do I balance it on a plain surface? Any other ideas than the glass bowl. It does not just look right for a natural container.

Incidentally, this picture was clicked yesterday, that was a Thursday and today I see Bikram's post on containers, the theme for the current Thursday challenge. I wanted to post this picture immediately. And here it is.

Your suggestion is welcome....

The Devotion of Suspect X , a review...

I had never ever read a Japanese author and that is a shame because the Japanese culture has always been fascinating for me. A few travelogues and stories about japan written by Indian authors is all I remember reading here and there. So when this book was up for review on Blogadda, I was curious about it.

Reading the introduction, I knew it was a suspense thriller and must be little to do about Japanese culture. I picked up the book for review because it had been a long time I read some thriller. This is the kind of novel that would revoke your interest back to thrillers if you have lost it.

The story begins rather slow, giving a glimpse of a river side population of homeless and struggling people. A Maths teacher Ishigami is walking to work crossing these areas watching a few characters whom he meets on the way. This part of the story moves slow and you might think you wouldn't be able to get a hang of this book.

Hold on to a few more pages and a mystery would unfold and you would get hooked.

Here is a lady Yasuko, living with her daughter, working in a Bento shop and living a peaceful life. She has worked in a bar earlier and has been abused in the past as a wife of a drunkard. She has managed to get a divorce and get away from her ex husband so she can live a decent and undisturbed life with her daughter. She joins a couple who have opened this Bento shop to get her daughter a decent upbringing.

It is a story of how a woman whose ex husband appears one fine day and demands money deceptively, to which she has to give in. The ex husband then goes on to pass lewd remarks on the daughter and in a whirlwind of dramatic events the ex husband is killed.

The novel revolves around solving the mystery of this killing. I wouldn't spoil your suspense by further revealing the story. Read the book if you want to see a puzzle being unfold.

The translation of this book is excellent and you don't realise while reading that this novel was written in some other language.

At 350 INR, and a gripping reading ensured, the novel is a good pick. Authored by Keigo Higashino and translated by Alexander O.Smith with Eley J.Alexander.

This book was sent to me by Blogadda under the book review program. You can also get a book to review by signing up here.

A new bird spotted : Indian black Ibis...

Yesterday I decided to go for a morning walk cum bird watch walk with my friend Sukanya Dutta. She is an avid birder too and we started with our camera in hands at around 7 AM.

IARI campus at Pusa institute is a green place with huge old trees and a trained staff to maintain trees and the fauna around. We spotted many bird boxes hung over the trees for House Sparrows. But sadly there were no sparrows in sight, though we see few in our vicinity. The boxes were inhabited by Common Mynahs.

There is a favorite spot of mine in this campus, a huge Arjuna tree (Terminalia arjuna) where we hear a loud noise always in the morning hours. To this date we used to think they were Vultures as the birds looked huge and their cry was harsh and reminded of Vultures. We could see the long necks and huge black birds to confirm our knowledge. The long straight beak was never noticed by the myopic eyes as we (me and my husband) never wore spectacles for morning walks. We have marginally myopic eyes by the way, which doesn't affect normal activities but to see a bird perched on a really tall tree is something else.

So I was wearing my spectacles, and we stopped as usual near the Arjuna tree to see the 'vultures'.

Sukanya is a popular Science writer with NISCAIR and has written 16 books including science fiction and children's books. She has been in this area for the last two decades and has always heard about the 'vultures' roosting in IARI. Yesterday this information was proven wrong.

So as we were looking at them, with bespectacled eyes, I told her these are not vultures for sure as the beaks are just too long. But she was backed by a two decade old knowledge and denied initially. And then I spotted the red head with the slightly powerful lens of my camera (18-105 mm). She was sure then that these were not vultures and kept wondering what could it be. It was a first time spotting of this bird for her as well.

She later confirmed, it was the Indian black Ibis.

This is how I clicked the first picture as in the past too I had always saw them sitting in the nests mostly in pairs. So naturally the camera was pointed towards a nest...

Long beaks evident...

And then one of them stooped his head. It was red. Red signal for us to look out for identifying the species.

And then I spotted a few loners...see the beak...

And the red head...

It raises it's head...

Moves the neck...fluffed up to scare us may be. Birds are always aware someone is watching.

And then smoothing the fluffy neck....if our goose bumps were so easy to hide :-)

Another one looking like an Ostrich...

This one showing it's red head....

And this one guarding the nest while the female is incubating the eggs ...

I noticed the nests looked as if tied with a light colored rope or something, to the branch it was located. See the light bands below the nest marked on the branch...

I was amazed how the birds could have done it. It was later when Sukanya called me up within an hour of returning for the walk, with excitement that she has searched and found what species it is. And when I reminded how the nests looks tied up with a rope she told it could be the bird droppings which trickles down. She knows better.

It was unbelievable though, as those bands looked so uniform... Later when I cropped my pictures, it was confirmed these markings were actually bird droppings.... See the next picture...

The liquid droppings have trickled down on the sloping branch...

See the next , where the bird sitting in the nest is watchful of us, the male on guard looks lazy and the dropping markings are clear...but looking like the branch has been wrapped with light colored rope or something....

Look at the markings more clearly...from below the tree we couldn't have imagined these were bird droppings. looked exactly like someone has tired up the nests for support..

The male guard has started preening...bored of his job of a watch guard ...

But he checks out the nest in between....

Another nest, another female sitting pretty ...

These two are looking like they lost something...

I was calling them redheads all this while...It was only later that we knew the name thanks to the enthusiasm of Sukanya Dutta. I was having my cup of tea when she was searching the internet frantically...No wonder she is a scientist...

Look at the dropping markings again...

This bird made our day.

And this was not all we spotted yesterday. We found a nesting heaven for Yellow footed green pigeons. There were a few dozens of them perched on almost every branch of a Causuarina jungle of sorts...

A Drongo, a few Brown headed Barbets and a couple of Woodpeckers, some Grey Hornbills and many more.

It was a great walk indeed.