A monsoon walk in the Aravalli hills

The Aravallis are a chain of ancient mountains stretching diagonally across Rajasthan. They also skirt past the city of Jaipur, and we have had occasion to explore some hills over the years. One of the things that strikes you is their sudden and complete transformation with the arrival of the monsoon. For many months of the year they are dry, rocky, sandy sentinels; looking down at the sweep of urbanization gnawing inexorably at their lower slopes. When the monsoon breaks, almost overnight the greenery bursts forth, with the hardy native plants trying to maximize their window of growth.

Today we have driven up to Udaijit's Dera Amer in the mist and the rain in Dushy's willys jeep. Several days of rainfall has caused forest rivulets to run, and waterfalls to cascade down from hidden folds in the hills that we intend exploring this morning.

Dragonflies and damselflies are plentiful in this season and I am keen to add to my list of species from Rajasthan. In particular, the brilliant sub-families of glories and rubies - many tending to favour forest streams, and of which I do not have any photographs.

 Yellow Staghorn Fungus - Calocera viscosa

Dushy makes this wonderful discovery of a type of jelly fungus sprouting from a tree stump. This is one of the joys of a walk in a forest in the monsoon. There is a great abundance of life forms, small creatures and wild plants that you are only likely to see over these weeks, until the rains roll around again next year.

Flame Lily - Gloriosa superba

In the dry months I wouldn't be able to find this species unless someone pointed it out to me. The plants lie almost dormant, virtually indistinguishable from the usual brown foliage. With the coming of the rains, the leaves tipped with clutching tendrils will clamber over the nearest plant; and the large showy flowers display their lovely colours. In the photographs above and below, this particular glory lily has climbed up a native thor or euphorbia.

Sesamum orientale ?

We have climbed up to some large rocks where a leopard likes to sun itself in the winter. Actually there is a pair of them resident in this area - one of the reasons that there are not many surviving dogs in the farms and habitations around here. These bell-like flowers were sprouting on tall stalks just below the 'leopard rock'.

Bearded Commelina - Commelina forskaolii

I love the scientific description of the 'winged stamen filaments' of the flower. They remind me a little of the tusks of a warthog! Though the analogy would probably make more sense if we appreciated the pugnacious nature of this 'weed': now carpeting the recently barren sandy soil with their rapidly spreading ankle-high stems studded with these tiny blue flowers.

White-naped Tit  - Parus nuchalis

The white-naped tit is now a rare endemic. We know of only a handful of locations around Jaipur that one could hope to come across this species. We have sometimes seen this particular species around Dera Amer, but only single individuals. Thus it is a delight to find 4 birds today. They appear to be two separate pairs, though from their vocalizations and behaviour it could be that these are a breeding pair with two juveniles. They are not very shy but the dense foliage and tangled undergrowth prevent a closer approach and taking of better photographs.

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse

I have sometimes seen the painted sandgrouse around Jaipur, and only occasionally the chestnut-bellied. This pair above and the male below make an unlikely picture in this grassy habitat. They are mostly encountered in sandy habitat as their name suggests.

Nearby, two different species of quails are calling: one, a loud drumming akin to a motorcycle engine (this is the barred buttonquail), the other, a shorter, fainter sound (which could be the small buttonquail or the yellow-legged buttonquail - the latter still on my target list).

Eurasian Cuckoo

The Eurasian Cuckoo is a monsoon breeding visitor to Jaipur. We find a pair together. Even after getting a decent sighting and taking of photographs, it would be difficult to discount some other cuckoo species; but I have heard them calling on other trips and hence the confirmation as eurasian.

Large Grasshopper

This large grasshopper (approx 4 inches) was quite well camouflaged on the stalk of a spider lily.

A small fluorescent green grasshopper. The size varies from a fraction of an inch to this particular individual at perhaps one inch.

Painted Grasshopper

This photograph is from earlier, but we do get the painted grasshoppers in the monsoon too. Their colours and patterning would suggest that they would be more at home at a fashion designer's studio than in the wild.

Common Banded Awl

There are some butterflies that look more like moths; and vice versa. This awl (a family of butterflies) is a good example.

Great Eggfly (female)

One of the largest butterflies that we get around Jaipur. The male is perhaps prettier (than the female above) with larger blue patches on the upperwing.

Bright Babul Blues (Azanus ubaldus)

I would have to say that I find most of the 'Blues' (a sub-family of generally quite small butterflies) very difficult to ID properly. The few books available and the information available on the net tends to be vague (or too technical) in pointing out the subtle differences among similar species.

What came of our quest: searching for the damselflies? 

Well, we did try and look for them near a few hill streams - but I'm going to keep that story for a different blogpost about dragonflies to follow soon.

Meanwhile, if you can help me ID some of the 'unknowns' in this post, please do email me at -

sahdevsingh2004@yahoo.co.in

Bhainsrorgarh - Part 1

It is late May 2012 and Rajasthan is baking.

 We are in Bhainsrorgarh, a short distance upstream of Kota along the Chambal river in Rajasthan. Rajvir and Hemendra have invited us for the weekend, and the boys have brought their fishing rods.

Bhainsrorgarh

In the dry summer months, the Chambal still has plenty of water making it one of the few perennial rivers of Rajsthan. Of course now, there are a succession of dams which have created these large lakes swamping the original boulder-strewn watercourse.  Fish are plentiful, though the apex predator the Gharial is now relatively rare, most having moved further downstream. Yet, Mugger Crocodiles abound.

By daybreak, many Muggers are already active. One of the largest is patrolling the deep waters just below the Fort as we gaze down the cliff. Appendages held motionless by its sides, the powerful tail propels it forward effortlessly.

Anxious to get our lines wet, we clamber down the bridle-path to the Chhatris and the reedy shore below the Fort. Quickly, several baits are cast from a narrow stony ledge below the cliff. Small fish follow the lures being reeled in, but no bites. From previous fishing expeditions on the Chambal Happy and I know that it is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. We have had wonderful days when mahseer, silund, lanchi and other fish have been caught easily, and others when nothing happens. Looks like the first morning will be the latter. As the sun gets hotter, the youngsters' enthusiasm wanes. Just then someone notices a large mugger moving away from us, not 30 yards away ! It had been lying submerged in the dense reed-beds even closer to us at the water's edge all this while. That prompts a hasty retreat for the moment. I can hear someone recounting stories of how a mugger can launch itself out of the water to attack prey.

A group of Small Minivets listens attentively ...

Small Minivet

The movement of the Mugger has alerted a pair of Great Thick-knees. They are obviously protectings their eggs laid on the rocky ground. A few perfunctory raising of the wings in display and a couple of alarm calls are all that are merited in this case.

                                      

                                              Great Thick-knee

                   
 Later in the morning we have a chance to go boating on the river. The boat itself is a large, flat-bottomed affair made from sturdy timber. A couple of oarsmen have to row with much effort as we are fully laden and the craft itself is heavy. Our route skirts the true left bank of the river and then around 'The Island'.                    

The 'Island'.

   



As we glide closer and then slowly around, my appetite is whetted for another visit, perhaps even getting off the boat to explore it more fully. Because there are just so many birds here - and there is a continuous chorus of calls.

Hemendra says that Crocodiles lay eggs on the sandy banks of this island.
 And since it is summer, many species of birds are also nesting here. We rest the oars and spend a few minutes motionless, only yards away from a pair of courting Stork-billed Kingfishers on a tree overhanging the water. Paradise Flycatchers and Golden Orioles flash through the dense foliage. Large Cuckoo-Shrikes vie with Blue-cheeked Bee-Eaters for favoured perches. Amongst the relatively common Herons and Egrets, there are a few Little Herons and Indian Darters.

The tallest trees on the island feature roosting White-backed Vultures.

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Of all the Vulture species, in my experience, this is the one which has been decimated the most over the past few decades, pushing it to the brink of extinction. But that is another story; we are just glad to see good numbers of them here.


In the evening, a dust storm is brewing in the West.



 Shafts of sunlight pierce the angry clouds, reflecting off the placid surface of the Brahminy river, which joins the Chambal just below the Fort. In this tricky light, an unfamiliar dragonfly perches on the tangly creeper just below the parapet pictured above. Excitedly I lean well over the low wall to click some pictures of this small yet brilliant insect just a few yards below me. Later we identify this dragonfly as Rhyothemis triangularis - and from what I have been told by some experts it is fairly rare in India - especially in Rajasthan

Rhyothemis triangularis

 Butterflies are relatively scarce at this time of the year. The dry heat proving a deterrent to most except a few species - Plain Tigers, Common Gulls, Orange Tips and Grass Yellows. But one fast-flying species flashing a superb purple-blue, gives me a run-around. When it does perch the wings are closed showing only drab colours and indifferent markings on the underwing. The Large Oakblue - a lifer for me. Frustratingly, the brilliant upperwing is only visible when it is on the wing.

Tomorrow our hosts have planned an elaborate picnic at 'Lohariya-ka-talab'. From an earlier visit many years before in winter I well remember this wonderful spot by a lake deep inside the forest, so we are all excited. ( this merits another blog posting by itself, so that will follow soon..)

 For the moment we just explore the Fort.

Disused stables happily retain their feudal charm.

Hidden amongst the cracks and crevices are several creatures of this shadowy undisturbed world. I surprise this lizard camouflaged just above an arch, and it uncoils to its full length reluctantly, peering at me in some surprise.

A view from the balcony of  one of the Guest Rooms across the river to the green orchards and the rolling dustplains beyond ....

This is the outer wall which encircles the Fort and the village. Several kms in length it is as many feet thick as it is metres tall.

Till the next post then....