My Odyssey in Odisha and Magical Mangalajodi

[xelas]

More and more I am sorry not to be in your company, Chak! The locations you are visiting are so unique, so very "for the travellers". I have no doubts Galana will visit them soon!

[Chakra]

I've just realised that I had  managed to delete nearly three hundred photos from Satkosia including some fantastic close up shots of the Malabar Giant Squirrel. I was not carrying my laptop with me so they were not backed up and in the process of formatting my cards while travelling ( I don't know what came to me) I have somehow managed to do that. 

But quite a few are still there.  Deleted images also included Indian rollers, mynahs, yellow footed green pigeons and a crested eagle. 

All these birds I saw when walking on my own. With a good guide the bounty would have been double I'm sure. 

 

This particular Golden Oriole played with me for good ten minutes

 

 

 

 

 

I like Indian Pratincoles. Small bird with a Big attitude

 

 

 

 

 

 

River Tern 

 

 

Jungle babbler I guess 

 

Magpie robin ?

 

 

River lapwing with a bad hair day

 

 

Sadly that's the best I could manage of the Hornbill. Not sure if it's a Malabar hornbill or not

 

Lovely song but very very skittish bird. Tracked it for good ten minutes. No clue about ID. ? bush lark  

 

Again no clue. Not great quality pic

 

Unidentified : I really need to buy the bird guidebooks  now !!  It's becoming embarrassing. 

 

 

 

 

Brown fishing owl ? This was spotted by Ananada. 

 

 

I think I know the IDs of the next few creatures  

 

 

Barking deer

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Galana]

Some lovely photos there. The Black-hooded Oriole series are excellent.

Yes, you do need to buy a good Field Guide. Not only will it help you know what you are seeing but will make your trip more interesting.

I have struggled with your unidentified offerings tonight and note nobody else has picked up the gauntlet.

I may take a while.

Meantime your Jungle Babbler worries me too. All Babblers have light yellow eyes and this does not. The nearest I can get is Sri-lankan Whistling Thrush. Odd.

To get through a few your Hornbill is Indian Grey. The final bird is White-browed Wagtail.

[Chakra]

Yes it's silly to carry expensive equipment to capture birds not knowing what one is capturing. Being a techy guy I've tried to use the Cornell Lab Merlin App for id but now realize there is no substitute to a book ! 

[Galana]

OK. Much midnight oil and not a little sw perspiration I can maybe sort some of the UFOs.

Back to that Babbler. Here follows the book description:-

"Fairly long-tailed, rufous coloured Babbler." Tick!

"Forehead and forecrown- rufous-buff"    Tick.

"Sides of head and underparts are orange buff."  Tick.

"Upper parts and tail are brown."    Tick.

"Tail has faint barring!"   Another tick.

"Bill is pale pinkish brown.!"  I count that a tick.

"Eye is pale!"   Oh heck! Perhaps the camera angle is wrong.

I am going for Tawny -bellied Babbler.

 

I think the 'nervous songster' is an Indian Robin in poor light.

The shy Pipit is Paddyfield.

And the little guy on the fence post is as near to a non breeding female Desert Wheatear as makes no difference. Distribution chart suggests NW India but "Winters in semi desert" does not rule out Orissa.

 

I don't know of a really good Field Guide but currently use Grimmet & Inskipp's "Birds of India" 2nd Edition.

[xelas]

On 5/11/2018 at 12:11 PM, Chakra said:

I've just realised that I had  managed to delete nearly three hundred photos from Satkosia including some fantastic close up shots of the Malabar Giant Squirrel. I was not carrying my laptop with me so they were not backed up and in the process of formatting my cards while travelling ( I don't know what came to me) I have somehow managed to do that. 

 

Oh boy, Chak, not you?! What on Earth makes you do such a thing?? Yet a good excuse to come back one day ! As it is obvious that you are becoming a birder also . As for the field guide, myself I have had no time or inclination to try ID while in the field; much easier back home, with several books, internet and @Galana to help me out .

[TonyQ]

A wonderful report on fascinating places. A joy to read and excellent photos throughout.

[Galana]

7 hours ago, xelas said:

As for the field guide, myself I have had no time or inclination to try ID while in the field;

Hmmm. After a while you can do most IDs at the time. For the finer points you need a book and having the book with you, you will know which  part of the bird you need to check. These don't always appear in the photo at home.

And all Field Guides I know are fairly permanent unlike yours truly so better to start sooner than later!!

[Chakra]

11 hours ago, TonyQ said:

A wonderful report on fascinating places. A joy to read and excellent photos throughout.

Thanks friend. I am hell-bent on promoting my India beyond the well trodden path and I hugely appreciate your interest.  I'm still not done. Some more wildlife and more interesting landscape to follow soon. 

 

River knows this : there is no hurry. We shall all get there someday. Be like a river. Be open. Just flow.

The great river Mahanadi cutting through the Satkosia Gorge.  I was at peace.
 

[Chakra]

Skimmers ! They really make you wonder what was God thinking to design such an unusual feeding habit for them. And if you are an atheist then you wonder when did the first Skimmer decide to Skim the water surface looking for surface dwelling fish and crustaceans instead of traditional fishing and what is the advantage ?
Darwin was fascinated with them on his voyage on Beagle when he first met them in Argentina, but could not come up with any theory behind this evolution.
The Lower mandible is significantly longer , usually an inch an half, than the upper one and has bright orange with yellow tip : scissor bills !!
They fly at pace with their blade like lower mandible dipped just a little under the calm water. How they keep the lower beak steady while flying is beyond me. Their horizontal cat like slit eyes are designed to prevent the splash of water getting into their eyes.
They "plough" the water and as soon as the beak makes contact with an edible object it snaps shut with the much shorter upper mandible like a trap.
The skimmer lifts it head and lets the water drain from its mouth and often eats the fish in flight.
Unique creatures !
I can't imagine myself adopting the eating habit of a skimmer with my mouth open walking around my house and instinctively snapping my jaw at the first contact with a slice of Pizza but not with my unwashed socks.
Not only feeding but this weird bird has a very un-birdlike habit of sleeping on the sand with its head slumped in front like a puppy. Probably the heavy long bill can't be kept up for too long.
Human encroachment has put them under severe threat and I believe currently there are about five to six thousand left in India. It was on the top of my list.
Dams and barrages are good for irrigation but not so good for Skimmers who depend on the protected sand bars surrounded by water. Because of unprecedented low water levels in winter their nests are nowadays exposed and eggs/chicks are regularly eaten by feral dogs and foxes.
I heard there was a strong possibility of seeing a colony near Satkosia and I was absolutely thrilled to see a moderate sized colony. We maintained a healthy distance from them mot to disturb them so the photos are not great but I was just so happy to see the thriving colony on the sandbars of Mahanadi. I guess I saw the one five hundredth of the entire Skimmer population in India
Well done Odisha !

The Skimmer colony from distance 

 

 

Close up of the tightly packed colony. Difficult to isolate one individual from distance. Photos heavily cropped. 

 

 

Individuals with their slit eyes

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now time for a flight pass 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this small colony goes from strength to strength. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 18, 2018 by Chakra

[Chakra]

The deep Seven Mile gorge at Satkosia. Returning to my first love : landscape photography 

 

Good morning !!  The tents which have sadly been moved away from the dry river bed

 

The sunrise 

 

 

 

Very very basic facilities. Hygiene leaves a lot to desire.

 

 

 

Rising mist from the cold winter morning. My main reason of travelling. Sadly not the best location to shoot that even though I walked and walked. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Gorge itself with reflections of mountains 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Light and shade : on the way to the skimmer colony 

 

 

 

 

Is that the snout of a crocodile ?

 

 

 

 

 

[Treepol]

@Chakra thats a wonderful skimmer sequence!

[xelas]

Your first love, @Chakra  ?! Oh, in photography, yes. And which one is now your photography mistress??

 

And yours are splendid misty landscapes, the one with hills (below Light and shade ...) I like most.

Edited May 21, 2018 by xelas

[Galana]

Just caught up again. Some lovely photographs of both landscape and creatures.

But a month between posts???? I hope all is well.

[Chakra]

On ‎6‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 12:11 AM, Galana said:

Just caught up again. Some lovely photographs of both landscape and creatures.

But a month between posts???? I hope all is well.

Really sorry about losing track of this @Galana

A combination of work pressure, tidying up things before our impending trip to visit  Uncle Sam and the World cup football have really kept me busy. To be honest rest of the trip was not that exciting from wildlife or birding although I did manage to spot a few, sorely missed a trained guide. The sloth bear was way too fast for me and all I saw of the leopard was its poop. Here are a few for all my friends at ST from Debrigarh Sanctuary. I think I was the first tourist there with a foreign passport. 

 

Usually these guys are soaring way above me but here I was on top !! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A series of Unfortunate Events !!
I've been following a group of peafowls for a while, but wasn't getting a clear shot. But after some time some pea hens crossed the road in front of me and looked like the peacock was about to cross the road.
I was all set and it looked very promising when the peacock had a sudden surge of testosterone and decided to fan his tail in entirety and started to vibrate it to impress his girlfriends.
Unfortunately he was facing away from me.
But often they make three sixty degree turns so I waited patiently. He started turning and the whole tail was on display. But just as I was clicking another bloody car came from the other side without any consideration and the peacock ran away !!
That car belonged to a Touron. Touron = Tourist + Moron.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fantail :  after many attempts I eventually managed to get the FANNING of the Tail !! 

 

 

? Buzzard 

 

 

 

Very common spotted deer :chital

 

 

Animals have a habit of sticking their tongues at me. 

 

 

Up side down 

 

 

 

No idea !!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remnant of the leopard's  dinner : something furry 

 

 

 

 

 

300 kgs of pure muscle with a hitch hiker 

 

 

 

Another one making fun of me : sambar deer 

 

 

 

Wonderful relaxation overlooking the massive Hirakud dam with mouth watering home cooked food, specially the freshly caught fried Rohu fish from the reservoir. .

 

 

 

 

The tree behind the kitchen literally bending with so many "ber" fruits : the magnet for bears but they came late in the night under the darkness. 

 

How about some history lesson now ?

 

When the bamboo flowers, famine, death and destruction will soon follow" : old proverb from Mizoram, a state in North-East India and this saying is also well known in China.
Is there any truth in that ? If so then Odisha better take note.
I was absolutely thrilled to come across this rare event of "Gregarious" flowering of Bamboo completely by chance, while hiking in Debrigarh sanctuary.
Bamboo is a fascinating grass. From being the only food for the Panda to its intricate link with Chinese mythology ( remember that sword-fight scene from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon ?), to its multiple use in India, including wide spread use of the word bamboo as slang !!

Woody Bamboo flowering can happen as rarely as once in 130 years and what I find absolutely mind-boggling is that when a certain bamboo species starts to flower gregariously, they do this all over the world for a several year period until the entire forest has died.
So the bamboo plant I saw flowering in Odisha has a brother in China and another brother in Panama, which are also flowering at the same time and they will all die shortly afterwards.
It's like a Genetic Alarm Clock.
So much energy is spent on "gregarious" blossoming that there is none left for the plant to survive the challenge of next summer and it dies shortly.
This is truly a Kiss of Death. The last Hurrahhh !!
The seed of the flower looked exactly like rice. My guide Birat was very excited to see the flowering and after several minutes of conversation I eventually grasped that the tribals of Odisha made delicious "muri" ( puffed rice) from frying the seeds of the bamboo flower.
But is there any truth in this proverb of pestilence after bamboo flowering ? Yes, there probably is.
Dr. John Atkinson, Principal Medical Officer of Hong Kong, noted that in the years of 1894, 1896 and 1898 the bamboo flowered and Hong Kong and parts of China were ravaged by Bubonic plague.
In Mizoram, bamboo forests cover over 26,000 square kilometres and flower en masse every 50 years. The flowering produces such a vast quantity of seed that the rat population explodes, resulting in a 'rat army' of mythical proportions. Once all the seed has been eaten the rats move onto crops, destroying local agriculture and causing widespread famine.
But not only that, the combination of rat explosion and the widely prevalent unhygienic sanitation state of nineteenth century was the perfect mixture for spread of Plague.
This once in a generation event last occurred in 2004 in Mizoram and allowed scientists the opportunity to properly study the phenomenon which had previously only been heard of in anecdotes. The plague was averted but the connection was there to be seen.
So, I did not see any Tigers in Debrigarh but I did see a much rarer natural event. Nature bowls me over every day !!

 

 

 

 

 

The Elephant Ditch to protect the workers who needed these outhouses. It's surprising to see such a mighty animal can't cross this narrow ditch which was not difficult for a fit man. One of the commonest causes of death is in the night when people have go out of their rooms to visit the toilets. 

 

 

My morning walk 

 

 

 

Akundi flower : blossoms at sunset and you can literally smell it from miles away 

 

Splash of colour 

 

 

 

Sunset over Hirakud dam 

 

 

 

I enjoyed Debrigarh sanctuary thoroughly. Big game country it is not, but I'm always happy to meet my Little Five. I walked along red paths in dense forest with Birat as my friend, philosopher, guide and guard ( with one wooden stick !! ). I walked through hundreds of mating butterflies, listening to bird calls, smelling the truly intoxicating smell of Akundi flower opening up at sunset ( I'm telling you Coco Chanel doesn't come anywhere near that) , shared the "ber" fruit with sloth bears ( not at the same time ), followed the pug marks of leopards, heard the skittish deer running away from me and watched the Grebes showing off their diving skills.

I was happy, I was at peace, I felt humbled in the presence of God.  That's all I wanted from Mother Nature. 

Adios Odisha ! 

 

 

 

Edited June 29, 2018 by Chakra

[Galana]

Did I forget to press the 'Submit' button or fall asleep at the desk? I forgot/neglected to put names on your birds and with you dashing off to the Caribbeen it got neglected.

So with apologies for tardiness or senility:-

Your Buzzard has a white eye. Ergo "White-eyed Buzzard."  Using the same basic methodology we now have an upside down bird with a white eye(ring) and as we are in the Orient and not Africa it must be

"Oriental White-eye!"

It does not work for the "no idea bird" but those prominent wing bars tell me it is a Common Iora and the green tail tells me it is a female. I do think it somewhat unkind to name such a nice bird as "Common". It deserves better.

Finally as I flatly refuse to get into Flutterbyes, a Sunbird with all that purple just has to be a

"Purple Sunbird".

 

I am sure you know the last one is Great Crested Grebe but the same method would have let you work it out if not.

Have you got that bird book yet?

[Chakra]

@GalanaOh Old Master ! You probably had one too many nightcaps that night before hitting the submit button. But the logic is impeccable and to come to a sound conclusion about the common Iora just looking at it from backside is truly mind-boggling. Rest of them : I did guess reasonably well but was worried about exposing my ignorance in public. 

Regarding the great Crested Grebe : I have actually seen them much closer to my home at Watermead park , bang in the middle of Leicester. 

Yes, I'm the owner of a Helm field guide on Indian birds now, ready for my foray into the leech infested jungles of  Western Ghat and Nilgiri Biosphere next year ! Malabar Trogons and  Whistling thrushes are just waiting to meet up with me. I've even submitted a funding application to She Who Must be Obeyed about acquiring a shiny new Nikon D 500 camera and hopefully that'll be approved this Christmas, or may be even earlier if I decide to make a trip to Parque Donana. 

[Galana]

One too many? Impossible. Maybe just a senior moment whilst the attention was elsewhere.

Your next step is not to worry about exposing your alleged ignorance. Making the wrong ID actually is part of the learning curve. Nobody laughs and you learn what you missed.

So Christmas may come early to Leicester. Good luck with that. I am afraid that I still cannot help comparing the price of a nice camera with a seat in a plane going somewhere nice and even if I could get passed that mental block I don't think any rationalisation of the need for a new camera would cut much ice with the Memsahib a.k.a.s The true Jewel in the Crown.

But for Parque Donana I can perhaps be more positive.

You need  a copy of this :-

Available on Pdf for a donation to a bird charity of your choice.

BTW. The image is of a duck with a white head. Too easy innit!

[xelas]

Oh, oh, oh ho ho, a new camera, and no less then her majety the D500?! If only the Santa would come even earlier, say before October !!