My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
This is a bird I have seen often. It is quite a common bird, and yet, it is always fascinating to watch, especially when it plucks insects out of the air!
I must have watched it for about 15-20 minutes, but the best part was when it caught a butterfly...
For a moment, it appeared as if the butterfly's fluttering wings were part of its mouth... and then the whole butterfly disappeared inside!
And that is why I love watching birds... All you need is patience, and you never know what you might see!
The Little Green Bee Eater is a resident of grasslands, thin scrub land, and forests, and observed all over India. I noticed this one at Dandeli, and, having nothing better to do, simply sat and watched it... and clicked...
I must have watched it for about 15-20 minutes, but the best part was when it caught a butterfly...
For a moment, it appeared as if the butterfly's fluttering wings were part of its mouth... and then the whole butterfly disappeared inside!
And that is why I love watching birds... All you need is patience, and you never know what you might see!
Oh so that was a butterfly! I was wondering why that green bee eater had so much yellow around its beak!
ReplyDeleteYes, Mridula! not what we would expect in a bee eater, right? there is always something to see with birds, as I am sure you will agree :)
DeleteAmazing pictures. They make me want to write a poetry...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Aparna manni! And please do write a poem! and send me the link when you do.. will add it to this post :) collaborative family writing, i think we can call it!
Deletelovely! what is this bird's name???
ReplyDeleteSandhya, the title itself has the name of the bird, and I have also mentioned it in the post :)
DeleteNice pictures! Have you seen it handling a bee? Quite entertaining!
ReplyDelete