Birds...

Red-whiskered bulbul

This snap clicked from Wayanad, Kalpetta near to home on 19th May 2017 in Nikon D3300, AF-P NIKKOR 70-300 mm 1:4, 5-6.3G ED.

The red-whiskered bulbul (Pycnonotus jocosus), or crested bulbul, is a passerine bird found in Asia. It is a member of the bulbul family. It is a resident frugivore found mainly in tropical Asia. It has been introduced in many tropical areas of the world where populations have established themselves. It feeds on fruits and small insects. Red-whiskered bulbuls perch conspicuously on trees and have a loud three or four note call. They are very common in hill forests and urban gardens within its range.

Verditer flycatcher

This snap clicked from Wayanad, Kalpetta near to my home on 22nd April 2017 in Nikon D3300, AF-P NIKKOR 70-300 mm 1:4, 5-6.3G ED.

The verditer flycatcher (Eumyias thalassinus) is an Old World flycatcher widespread in Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, especially in the Lower Himalaya ranging across Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Thailand and Vietnam. This species is named after its distinctive shade of copper-sulphate blue and has a dark patch between the eyes and above the bill base. The adult males are intense blue on all areas of the body, except for the black eye-patch and grey vent. Adult females and sub-adults are lighter blue.The verditer flycatcher is also interesting among the flycatchers in that they forage above the canopy level and perching on electric wires or exposed tree top branches. This species was earlier placed in the genus Muscicapa and it has been suggested that it is closer to the Niltava flycatchers.

Flying Egret

Clicked from Avalahalli (Near to KR Puram, Bangalore) on 23rd June 2017 in Nikon D3300, AF-P NIKKOR 70-300 mm 1:4, 5-6.3G ED.

An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season.

Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and "brush", referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.
Several of the egrets have been reclassified from one genus to another in recent years: the great egret, for example, has been classified as a member of either Casmerodius, Egretta or Ardea.

In the 19th and early part of the 20th century, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless plume hunting, since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded large numbers of egret plumes, leading to breeding birds being killed in many places around the world.

Several Egretta species, including the eastern reef egret, the reddish egret, and the western reef egret have two distinct colours, one of which is entirely white. The little blue heron has all-white juvenile plumage.

Courtesy: Wikipedia for write-ups and description for each photo 

Mountain Mist

I feel Mountain Mist will be the best suitable Title for this post. Wayanad is known for its lovely mist clad hill stations, sprawling spice plantations, luxuriant forests and rich cultural traditions. These snaps I have clicked on 20th August 2011, it was around 5’o clock evening full of mist and I was not able to drive due to heavy mist (fog). All the vehicles slowly started parking near to the view point, only red indicators were visible at that time. About half an hour I spent watching the chilled weather of Green Paradise.



The distance from the mean sea level and the amount of forest cover creates a pleasant climate in the region. Generally the year is divided into four seasons; cold weather (December to February) hot weather (March to May) South West monsoon (June to September) and North East monsoon (October to November). During the hot weather the temperature goes up to a maximum of 35 °C (95 °F) and during the cold weather the temperature goes down to 07 °C (45 °F). The greater temperature variation in the last 5–6 years is in the range of 18 °C (64 °F) to 28 °C (82 °F). The average rainfall is 2,500 millimetres (98 in) per year.



Lakkidi: One of the highest locations in Wayanad, Lakkidi also commands a picturesque scenery. It is about 58 kms. north east of Kozhikode and five kms. south of Vythiri. Lakkidi, the gate way of Wayanad, lies atop Thamarassery, a ghat pass at an elevation of 700 m. above mean sea level.The lofty mountain peaks, the gurging stream, luxuriant vegetation and the bird's eye view of the deep valley on the south, with its winding roads, are breath taking. The 12 kms.long journey from Adivaram to Lakkidi through ghat road with nine hairpin bends amidst thick forests, is a fascinating experience.

Cocoa

These snaps I have clicked near to my sweet home, Wayanad, Kerala, on 2nd Feb 2009

The word "cocoa" is derivative of "cacao". "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or to a mixture of cocoa powder and cocoa butter
The cacao tree is native to the Americas. It may have originated in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America where today, examples of wild cacao still can be found. However, it may have had a larger range in the past, evidence for which may be obscured because of its cultivation in these areas long before, as well as after, the Spanish arrived. It was first cultivated by the Olmecs at least 1500 BC in Central America.

Immature cocoa pods have a variety of colors, but most often are green, red, or purple, and as they mature their color tends towards yellow or orange, particularly in their creases. The pods on a tree do not ripen together; harvesting needs to be done periodically through the year. The ripe and near-ripe pods, as judged by their color, are harvested from the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree with a curved knife on a long pole. Care must be used when cutting the stem of the pod to avoid injuring the junction of the stem with the tree, as this is where future flowers and pods will emerge. The pods (or the seeds extracted from them) are transported to the fermentation area on the plantation.

Hope this helps you to know about Cocoa fruit and its role in yummy chocolates

Coffee

Coffea canephora (Coffea robusta) is most largely cultivated plantation crop in Wayanad. Coffee based farming system is a notable feature of Wayanad. Coffee in Wayanad shares 33.65 per cent of the total cropped area in the district and 78 per cent of the coffee area in the state.
The fruits, coffee cherries or coffee berries, most commonly contain two stones with their flat sides together. In a crop of coffee, a small percentage of cherries contain a single bean, instead of the usual two. This is called a peaberry. As coffee is one of the world's most widely consumed beverages, coffee beans are a major cash crop, and an important export product for some countries. Coffee powder is prepared from roasted seeds, called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. Coffee beans are found in coffee cherries. Coffee can have a stimulating effect on humans due to its caffeine content. It is one of the most-consumed beverages in the world. These photos I have clicked from my estate, Lakshmi Gardens, Kalpetta, Wayanad.
The traditional method of planting coffee is to put 20 seeds in each hole at the beginning of the rainy season; half are eliminated naturally. A more effective method of growing coffee, used in Brazil, is to raise seedlings in nurseries that are then planted outside at six to twelve months. Coffee is often intercropped with food crops, such as corn, beans, or rice during the first few years of cultivation. There is some controversy over whether the caffeine in coffee causes headaches or helps relieve headaches. In a 2000 controlled study by the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, revealed that adults who took ibuprofen, an over the counter pain killer, combined with caffeine or one cup of coffee had increased effectiveness against tension headaches. The study did not recommend that the caffeine and ibuprofen combination was effective against migraine headaches. A
Johns Hopkins controlled study has linked drinking coffee with addictive withdrawal headaches, even with those who drink coffee in moderation. A 2009 Norwegian University of Science and Technology controlled study claims that heavy coffee drinkers, four cups a day, are more likely to suffer occasional headaches than persons who have low coffee or caffeine consumption. The stimulant effect of coffee is due to its caffeine content. The caffeine content of a cup of coffee varies depending mainly on the brewing method, and also on the variety of bean.

The Chain Tree

The Chain Tree
Nearer to the gateway of wayanad we can see the big chain tree.The story says like this: An Adivasi (tribal) named Karinthandan, who discovered the route to Wayanad through the difficult mountain terrain. A British colonialist killed Karinthandan in order to get the credit for finding the route through the jungle. People believe that Karinthandan’s ghost had been haunting later travellers. It was calmed only after a priest chained the spirit to this banyan tree. There is a small temple near to this tree, people believes that the God of that temple protects them from the troublesome spirit of Karinthandan.

This place is called Lakkidi, blessed with a fantastic view and great weather. It is the border of Wayanad district. Lakkidi is a popular halt for tourists on their way to Ootty and Mysore/Banglore.
I have painted this picture in the year 2003 January for Wayanad Flower Show 2003, in the water color media, and clicked this snap in 2009.

Once this story has been telecasted by Asianet, a popular Malayalam television channel.

Team Work

Team Work

These types of ant are usually called Weaver ants, Red ants or Green ants and seen in coffee, coco, mango trees, jack fruit trees etc. This photo I have clicked on 15th Feb 2009, from a coco plant near to my house, they are looking so brighter in the sun light because of the peculiar red color and the transparent sort of body with some fluids inside.
Weaver ants are known for their unique nest building behavior where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk. Colonies can be extremely large consisting of more than a hundred nests spanning numerous trees and contain more than half a million workers. Like many other ant species, weaver ants prey on small insects and supplement their diet with carbohydrate-rich honeydew excreted by small insects.
Construction without destruction
The weaver ant's ability to build capacious nests from living leaves has undeniably contributed to their ecological success. The first phase in nest construction involves workers surveying potential nesting leaves by pulling on the edges with their mandibles. When a few ants have successfully bent a leaf onto itself or drawn its edge toward another, other workers nearby join the effort.

Wayanad ghats.

I am inviting your attention to my home district, Wayanad. Wayanad is a hill station of Kerala state. This ‘green paradise’, is the border world of greener part of Kerala. Clean and pristine, enchanting and hypnotizing land has a history, mystery, culture and social epistemology yet to be discovered. This green paradise is nestled among the mountains of westernghats and is located at a distance of 76 kms from the nearest sea-shore of Calicut and 280 kms from Bangalore. The leading tourist centers of South India like Ooty, Mysore, Coorg and Kannur are around this region. The name Wayanad has been derived from the expression 'Vayal nadu' (‘vayal’ means paddy field and ‘nadu’ means land) the land of paddy fields. The district headquarters of Wayanad district is Kapletta.
These snaps clicked by me last year on the way to Wayanad from Kozhikode. The green Ghats enroute to Wayanad has nine hairpin bends, each turn taking one to a higher altitude offering a better view of the picturesque plains below. This route explored by a tribal was developed by the British. This is the main route which connects Kozhikode and Bangalore.

A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.If we pass through this Ghats, feels like we are touching the heights of sky. The chilled breeze invites you to the green paradise warmly.

Chain tree.
Nearer to the gateway of wayanad we can see the big chain tree.The story says like this: An Adivasi (tribal) named Karinthandan, who discovered the route to Wayanad through the difficult mountain terrain. A British colonialist killed Karinthandan in order to get the credit for finding the route through the jungle. People believe that Karinthandan’s ghost had been haunting later travellers. It was calmed only after a priest chained the spirit to this banyan tree. There is a small temple near to this tree, people believes that the God of that temple protects them from the troublesome spirit of Karinthandan.