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Showing posts with the label offthebeatenpath

Pesky peacocks and the hungry tigress

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Early in the afternoon we saw the tigress disappear into a tall clump of grass lining the lake’s edge. When she didn’t re-emerge even after 20 minutes, we deduced that, she is planning to hunt. The deers come to the bank of the lake to drink water in the late afternoon and it would present a perfect opportunity for the tigress to stalk and hunt. Excited, with the prospect of watching the hunt from close, we selected a spot diagonally opposite to the patch of grass and started a vigil . Intermittently, we could spot her in the grass, when she would raise her head to check the movement of the deers. After a wait of nearly 1.5 hrs, with the dusk approaching, appeared the pesky peacocks. One of them soon spotted the tigress and immediately started a alarm call, initially in a low volume which kept climbing higher and higher with the other two joining in a chorus, alerting the deers nearby. With her cover blown and prospect of a meal disappearing, eventually the tigress came out of hiding, ...

Mumbai Flamingos

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  Come January and parts of the Mumbai city will don a layer of pink, as flamingos (mostly lesser, and some greater too) fly for over 600 km to make Mumbai their home until the first monsoon showers arrive at Sewri. A large number of flamingos reach along with their babies from their breeding area in Kutch. Flamingos were first spotted in Mumbai back in 2000, and large flocks have since been seen here every winter from 2003. Their time of migration and the number that arrives in the city depends on various factors like the weather and rainfall in Kutch, as well as the suitability of the wintering habitat, level of disturbances, and hazards in the flying route Since their first visit, flamingo numbers have grown; the numbers seem to be stable for the last couple of years. In 2017, more than 20,000 have been recorded. By May end the birds start leaving for Kutch and by the first week of June, the last batch leaves. The scenery is a contrasting one with thousands of flamingos, mud...

Offbeat Wildlife Lodges in India

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  From the high altitude terrains of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh to the Sunderban delta near the Bay of Bengal, from the dry scrublands of Gujrat to the lush hills of Kerala, from luxury abodes to simple lodges, we list some of our favourite wildlife stay recommendations for your next wildlife holiday. We have selected only those, where your experience is likely to be extraordinary and immersive. These are not the usual lodges / resorts dotting around the popular national parks. Each of these are situated in gorgeous locations and offer experiential wildlife stays where location, ambience, food, activities and wildlife encounters converge to create a magical time. Some of these lodges are spartan in nature, but that helps to keep the wildlife areas clean and conserve nature.  You will have an unfolding of wildlife ‘magic’ every minute of the day. Nomad's Cottage in Himachal Pradesh The Nomad's Cottage is located approximately 140 kms from Manali, in the untouched wild beauty of ...