Mountains & Mangroves

Before I begin, I'd like to thank my Parents, my Uncle and my friend Mr.Shiva for making this trip happen.

Kudremukh Wildlife Sanctuary

The cold wind blew across my face as my friend Mr.Shiva and I rode towards the mountains. The sun had just begun it's journey towards the sky and life had just re-started after the long pause of night. The sky was clear and sun was bright. We were heading towards Kudremukh for birding and Mr.Shiva had brought his beast-of-a camera along with him. Before we hit the ghats, we got to see some great birds, many of which were first-timers for me. We spotted the Pompadour Green Pigeon, Green Leaf Bird, etc.

Magical mountains

Once we were on the ghats, the chill increased ever more. The slopes were covered with thick vegetation, and the trees grew so tall, you would have to turn your head all the way till your back to see the end. Birds? Well, we didn't get to see many birds, but ofcourse we could hear them. Birds calls from faraway and near, mixed together, to produce music better than the best rock and roll on my player. This music seemed to fit in perfectly with the energetic sunlight and the ticklish chill. We kept riding towards the Hanuman Gundi falls, and constantly kept a watch for any signs of activity in the trees. There were many Blue Tiger moths flying around and there were so many in number, that they appeared like falling leaves.

Blue Tiger Moth

Ocassionaly we did get to see the Giant Malabar Squirrel, which is as big as a cat. It's call was as loud as a horn in the vast jungle. As we stood at a corner, we got to see some warblers, which for most of the time were hidden in the bushes, some macaques( monkeys) and others birds. At some point of time in our journey, we were surprised at the strange absence of many birds on such a sprightly day. Then we spotted a Fairy Blue, a spectacular bird with a dark blue coat with a few strokes of bright blue, also we got to see the Ruby Throated Bulbul. We rode on till we came to a clearing in the forest which overlooked a huge valley.

The vast expanse

The view was spectacular! The mighty mountains of the Western Ghats stood proud, the sunlight brightening every peak. The shola forests were clearly visible, seen as patches covering the grass, growing on the mountain slopes. This peaceful scene reminded me of a mother's lullaby, enough to soothe anyone's senses.Riding further, we passed the falls and stopped at a bridge and lo and behold, we got to see three rare birds. A Nilgiri flycatcher, a Rusty-tailed flycatcher and a Black Eagle. I was fascinated by the size of the Black Eagle. It glided majestically, high over the tree tops and quickly disappeared behind some trees. It now remains a memory in my mind and a pretty good photograph in Mr.Shiva's camera :D . After spending a good amount of time in the Hanuman Gundi falls area, we headed back to Karkala, the place from where we had started. On our way back, we decided to go to Chitrapu in the evening. This was my most awaited trip yet and all thanks to Mr.Shiva.

Chitrapu...mangroves

Located near the small, sleepy town of Mulki, is an area bustling with winged migrants. This locaton is an estuary(where the river meets the sea), and has vegetation chiefly consisting of mangroves. This place is famous among local nature enthusiasts for it's winter visitors.

Path leading to the shore

On this trip we were joined by Mr.Avinash another friend of Mr.Shiva. The path that led to the shore of Chitrapu was slushy and lined by mangroves. It was quite an interesting experience, because getting my feet covered by brackish, muddy slush was a first- timer. To my surprise, I saw little Fiddler Crabs scuttle into their holes.

Fiddler Crab (male)

This was the first I had seen these crabs and I was very excited. They were small yet were beautiful with their intricate designs, they looked like tiny dolls. I wasn't able to get many photographs because they were too impatient and escaped at the slightest movement. However, I was able to shoot one, which was showing off it's oblong and unsymetrically large claw.

Shore of Chitrapu

As soon as I entered the shore, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the place, water almost everywhere and in the middle were sand banks, laden with birds, they were full till the edge. At a little distance from us into the estuary were fishermen, working with their nets, they floated along with their boats. On the sand banks, as if the activity wasn't less, Lesser Sand Plovers scurried from place to place. A few Western Reef Herons foraged and the Oystercatchers, well, they had their eyes focused into the shallows. On one bank, two mongooses patrolled as if to check if everything was all right.

Crossing a stretch of water

To catch all this action, we had to walk through the slushy mud and had to cross stretch a of water to get to a sand bank from where we had a good view of all that was going on. A few locals warned us to return by dusk, as the waters of high tide would return and drown the sand banks. It is a fantastic place where everything was controlled by the tides.

Sand Bubbler Crab

On the sand banks, when we walked, the sand suddenly came alive. Hundreds of crabs would disappear to the saftey of their lairs. It was like a chain reaction, where one crab would intimidate all other crabs to run.

Boatman by the sun

The sight of the setting sun was magical. Everything was preparing to halt again and so were we, to depart. I never felt like leaving the place. I felt that I had so much more to do there. Looking at the last of the setting sun rays, we left.

If you love looking at water birds, this is one great place for you. In the month of December, you will get to see loads of migratory birds. The mangroves host an array of creatures, like molluscs, crustaceans, birds, and a few mammals. Chitrapu is a fine example which portrays the scenic beauty of southern coastal Karnataka.

For more photographs that I have shot, visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adityagkamath/

For photographs which Mr.Shiva has shot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shivanayak/

Creatures spotted:

Kudremukh Wildlife Sanctuary:

1. Pompadour Green Pigeon

2. Small Minivet

3. Wire-tailed Swallow

4. Green Leaf Bird

5. Golden Oriole

6. Chestnut-headed Bee Eater

7. Malabar Giant Squirrel

8. Golden Langur

9. Greenish Warbler

10. Racquet-tailed drongo

11. Ashy Drongo

12. Ruby-throated Bulbul

13. Fairy Blue

14. Jungle Crow

15. Red-whiskered Bulbul

16. Little Egret

17. White-breasted Kingfisher

18. Honey Buzzard

19. Yellow-browed Bulbul

20. Rusty-tailed Flycatcher

21. Nilgiri Flycatcher

22. Black Eagle

23. Lorikeet

24. Purple-Rumped Sunbird

25. Common Tailorbird
26. Malabar Parakeet
27. Golden Oriole
28. Black-hooded Oriole

Chtrapu:

1. Indian Roller

2. Common Kingfisher

3. Red-watled Lapwing

4. Unidentified Pipit

5. Western Reef Heron

6. Osprey

7. Lesser Sand Plover

8. Oystercatcher

9. Little Heron

10. Red Shank

11. Indian Pond Heron

12. Mongoose

13. Sand Crabs

14. Hermit Crabs

15. Unidentified Gulls

16. Osprey

17. Pacific Golden Plover

18. Brahminy Lite

19. Black Kite

20. Ruddy Turnstone

21. Blue-tailed Bee Eater

22. Greater Sand Plover

23. Command Green Shank

24. Terek Sandpiper

25. Grey Sandplover

26. Black-headed Gulls

Directions: Well, I'm not very good at giving directions, but I will tell you how you can get there. Mulki, is a town located around 30km from Mangalore. So, you can take a bus from Mangalore and arrive at Mulki Bus Satnd. Now from here, you can ask any autorickshaw to take you there. Remembr to ask them to take you to 'Kandlavana' meaning mangrove forest. Say you're going from Mulki towards Mangalore, then you'll have to take a right somewhere on the highway to go there. There is no sign board which indicates the way and you'll have to ask someone to tell you the exact route. Chitrapu is not a tourist place, and not many people other than nature lovers and photographers visit this place. Happy Birding!

Here is a satellite photograph of Chitrapu:

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