Wildc*rds

Intelligent Spot-billed Pelicans

2008-12-10T00:29:00.009+05:30

This was one of the most curious things that I have seen in a while! On the 30th of November 2008, M. B. Krishna and me decided to take an early morning walk through Lalbagh. What we had not expected to see were a pair of Spot-billed Pelicans (Pelecanus philippensis) fishing in the most ingenious ways possible.

They were waiting near the bridge with other domestic ducks waiting for people above to throw bread-crumbs and other feeds for the fish. The ducks, I guess were feeding on what was thrown for the fish. The fish (cat fish?) would surface to eat the food and become a meal for the waiting Pelicans!

Once they'd gulped down a fish, the Pelicans would go for a short swim of about 10-20 meters and wait. As soon as they'd see some food being thrown, they'd swim back to below the bridge and again feast. They were almost like pet dogs waiting for someone to feed them!

Here's an article about this the next day in The Hindu.

Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

The Indian Coral Tree or Tiger's Claw or Sunshine Tree

2008-11-29T04:18:00.005+05:30

The Indian Coral Tree or Tiger's Claw or Sunshine Tree (Erythrina variegata or Erythrina indica, as it was earlier known) is a beautiful native tree that has some remarkable flowers. The flowers are long and brightly colored, the reason for some Erythrina sp. to be planted as decorative trees in gardens. The tree is visited by a host of birds including Mynas, Parakeets, Bulbuls and Sunbirds. One of those trees that is worth having in any garden!
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Scarce Shot Silverline

2008-11-27T01:02:00.008+05:30

A rare one, the Scarce Shot Silverline (Aphnaeus elima Moore or Spindasis elima Moore, as it was earlier called) is an uncommon butterfly preferring the drier regions. This one was photographed while mud-puddling at B. R. Hills near a roadside water hole towards VGKK. A lifer for me.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

The Tailed Jay

2008-11-26T01:53:00.006+05:30

The Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon) is a common swallowtail butterfly in Bangalore. It is a restless flier and can be more often seen hovering around the False Ashoka Tree (Polyalthia sp.) and the Champaka/Sampige tree (Michelia champaca) that happens to be this butterfly's food plant. I have reared this butterfly in a bottle many times, when I was in school. It is very active in flight and has a fast and rapid wing beat. It is mud-puddling here and this was shot in B. R. Hills near one of the roadside water bodies towards VGKK.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Common or Gray or Hanuman Langur

2007-12-27T19:10:00.001+05:30

The Hanuman or Gray or Common Langur (Semnopithecus entellus dussumieri or Semnopithecus dussumieri) is found commonly in forests in South India and also in urban regions in the North. They are distributed across the sub-continent. This species has now been sub-divided into 7 species from the earlier 15 sub-species that were classified. This one is the southern race of the species and was photographed at Mudhumalai, near the Bandipur National Park. It is one of the old world monkeys and subsists on a diet of leaves and fruits. They are considered holy in the Indian mythology and are believed to be the members of the original वान्नर सेना of Lord Rama when he crossed over to Sri Lanka. The black face is attributed to Lord Hanuman getting burnt when setting fire to Lanka. These monkeys are the eyes of the forest and usually call out when a predator is around. They form an alliance with the Spotted Deer or Chital (Axis axis) and warn them of predators that they see. They in-turn are benefit from the keen sense of smell of the Chital to detect the presence of predators. Both these animals are usually found foraging together. The alarm cry of the Langur is very unique and forms a part of the experience of an Indian jungle.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Rosy Periwinkle

2007-12-25T23:11:00.000+05:30

The Rosy Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) or Vinca rosea as it was known earlier, is a native of Madagascar and is found commonly growing around human habitations in India. This plant is considered to be highly medicinal and was known to African tribals for various cures. In the modern day it is used to cure certain types of cancer in children. The alkaloids present in the flower, vincristine and vinblastine, are used in chemotherapy for childhood leukemia. The plant is a known hallucinogen and is toxic if consumed orally. Shot at Masinagudi.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Pongam or Honge or Indian Beech Tree

2007-10-18T19:07:00.002+05:30

Pongam or Honge (Pongamia pinnata) as it's called is a native of India and grows in profusion, generally planted as avenue trees by the forest department. It's renowned for its shade and is well known in traditional uses for its medicinal properties. It is also grown as a host plant for lac insects. The tree is also one of the food plants for Common Cerulean (Jamides celeno). The seeds contain pongam oil - a red brown inedible oil - that is now being explored as an alternate fuel source. This was shot at Cubbon park.

Here are a few more pictures from Foodista

Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Pink Shower Tree or Java Pink Cassia

2007-10-18T18:08:00.000+05:30

The Java Pink Cassia or Cassia javanica is a beautiful deciduous tree with clusters of pink flowers and pods that are long and tubular. The pods contain coin-like disc shaped seeds and smells plain yucky! As the scientific name suggests the tree is a native of Java and Asian tropics. This was shot in Cubbon Park.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Moulmein Rosewood

2007-10-17T21:17:00.000+05:30

Millettia peguensis/ovalifolia or Moulmein Rosewood as it is called is native to Lower Burma and Siam. This is a relatively rare tree as compared to Pongam that is very similar looking, but more common in India. Pongam has white flowers while the Milletia flowers are bright pink. Pongam has more elongated tip to leaves, while this is more oval. Will try and upload complete tree and leaf images to make it easier to distinguish. This was shot in Cubbon Park.

This whole lot of pictures are processed purely using FOSS. The RAW processing was done using RawTherapee and the final image labelling and compression through ImageMagick. All on Ubuntu Feisty.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Frangipani

2007-10-17T20:58:00.000+05:30

One of the loveliest smelling flowers, the Frangipani (Plumeria rubra) or Temple Tree as it is known in India. These trees are more commonly found planted near a temple and hence the name. The flower is called चंपा in हिंदी and Deva kannagle in Kannada. It is more commonly recognized as the flowers that the Hawaiian dancer wear as a garland.

They are pollinated by moths in the night. Not too sure if there are any in India that pollinate it as it is a native of tropical America. This was shot at Cubbon Park.

Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Gecko

2007-05-02T20:18:00.000+05:30

This guy was almost our pet at home :) He'd be there everyday on our walls catching insects, with special favorite being the pesky cockroaches. This guy was able to devour even the biggest of them, being 8-10 inches long. He'd also defaecate only in one place, right below the shower in our bathroom. Talk about toilet training! Don't see him around much nowadays - but a slightly smaller one (about 6 inches long) is now a regular. Miss him for all the cockroaches that he'd get rid of and for being such a nice gentleman! Don't know the species for certain. Will add it up once I find out.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Giant Wood Spider

2007-05-02T20:13:00.000+05:30

This is a Giant Wood Spider (Nephila maculata) found usually during the end of the year monsoons in Bangalore outskirts. This one was shot at Valley School, against the light. This is one of the two types that occurs in Bangalore. The other one being the black and red Nephla kuhli. The two tiny spiders, in the frame towards the top-left and between the last two legs on the right, are the males of this species. Talk about size difference! The female also promptly eats-up the male after intercourse!

Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Blue Porter

2007-04-27T21:09:00.000+05:30

Another shot of the Blue Porter Weed (Stachyptarpheta indica), a native herb in India. Shot at Valley School, this was the first time I was trying out a HDR (High Dynamic Range) image and this picture is in fact a composite of 3 images shot at different exposures.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Elliot's Shieldtail

2007-04-27T17:10:00.000+05:30

This is an endemic snake found only in South India and parts of Sri Lanka. It belongs to a family of snakes belonging to the family Uropeltidae. They are so called due to a shield-like tip to their tail. They are burrowing snakes and usually are found out during dawn or dusk and sometimes on cloudy days. This individual was shot at Valley School outside Bangalore and is the only type recorded from Bangalore. In all likely possibilities an Elliot's Shieldtail (Uropeltis ellioti).
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Pale Grass Blue

2007-04-27T16:54:00.000+05:30

This is the South Indian race of the Pale Grass Blue (Pseudozizeeria maha). This was shot at Valley School outside Bangalore. This is one of the more common butterflies that can be found around Bangalore.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Lime Butterfly

2007-04-25T20:56:00.000+05:30

The Lime Butterfly is commonly found hovering around lower flowering bushes and uses the lime plant as it's food plant, hence the name. Shot at the Butterfly Park in Bannerghatta National Park.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Striped Tiger

2007-04-25T20:25:00.000+05:30

The Striped Tiger (Danaus genutia) is found almost thru the world, but known by different names like the Milkweed butterfly or the Monarch. This individual was shot at the Butterfly Park in Bannerghatta National Park.
Contact: ulhaspa@gmail.com

Fly Wipers

2004-12-10T09:25:00.000+05:30

Another fly shot on the same day at Lalbagh. This guy was using his legs to as wipers to clean his eye (the water droplets?). Superb design on the eye.
Contact: ullaspa@gmail.com

Fly Again

2004-12-10T09:22:00.000+05:30

Same Fly, Same Place, Same Leaf!
Contact: ullaspa@gmail.com

But fly!

2004-12-10T09:15:00.000+05:30

Shot in Lalbagh, this fly gave me enough time to go around and shoot it from the back side. The abdomen is golden in color and it shows! It was on a slightly drizzling morning as the drop of water shows.
Contact: ullaspa@gmail.com

Tree in brackets!

2004-12-10T09:13:00.000+05:30

This was the mother lode and I have never seen a tree so fully covered with mushrooms before! Again at B.R. Hills!
Contact: ullaspa@gmail.com

Orange Bracket

2004-12-10T09:11:00.000+05:30

One more beautiful bracket fungi from B.R. Hills. This one was totally orange, but strangely the others in the bunch were faded buff!
Contact: ullaspa@gmail.com

Bracket Fungi - Brown

2004-12-10T09:09:00.000+05:30

After a long time of absence and getting thoroughly stuck in work - here goes. A beautiful bracket fungi bunch shot in B.R.Hills.
Contact: ullaspa@sify.com

Blue Porter Weed - 2

2004-06-08T03:54:00.000+05:30

A closer crop of the Blue Porter Weed.

Contact: ullaspa@sify.com

Blue Porter Weed - 1

2004-06-08T03:42:00.000+05:30

This picture shows a full view of the Blue Porter Weed found commonly in our scrub forests. Though a weed in other countries, it's a native to India and grows naturally here. This is getting slowly replaced by other invasive true weeds like Eupatorium and Parthenium.

Contact: ullaspa@sify.com