Footprints...: 2015

Backpack with all the equipments, charged batteries and cellphones, spare memory cards and a few clothes, ready for a vacation to the wild.

6th September 2015

Started at 4.00 AM from Sunday i.e, 6th September towards Mysore. Took Kanakapura road suspecting traffic in Mysore Road.

We drove at a very moderate speed enjoying the nature around. The morning dawn was soothing and adding more cool with the background melodious song playing.

We stopped to have the breakfast in Kollegala in a small canteen, and a tea from a nearby bakery and started off heading towards KGudi.

Here are some of the pics.

Break

Green fields

Entering BRT

Took off to the road, very silent and slow, so that we could spot some wildlife. Started heading towards KGudi, half way we took a turn to visit Bili Giri Ranganath Swamy Temple, as we had come so far, thought of visiting.

After having the darshan in BRT, it was around 11.30 AM. So headed towards Bandipur via KGudi, which as well is a reserved forest. So, we are alert and trying our luck to find some wild animals.

Here are some of the pics we found on the go.

Finally, we reached Gundulpet at around 2 PM, as told earlier, we were very slow. In Shabari Udupi restaurant, sumptuous meal gobbling soon as we would miss first safari in Bandipur at 3PM otherwise.

Reached Bandipur before 3 PM, checked in the rooms there, took the tickets. What a relief !

We often do this, we go to back to back safari, went two safari's the very first day in twilight.

Safari is entirely based on luck, and I wish to tell we are the lucky guys. So was expecting some rare carnivorous animals to sight. Lets see...

Here are some of the pics

After the safari, knowing that the vehicle which left after had sighted the tiger. Before leaving, our driver had different plans, suspecting that the tiger would appear from the other way so we took that route. But Couldn't find much. :(

Ok, time to tickle our taste buds, huh :P

Drove in the evening after safari to relish the street food at Gundulpet. Would recommend anyone.. Wow, so YUMMY.... Don't indulge in simply eating those tasty foodie, need to come back before 9PM before Bandipur Gate is sealed.

We came back by 8.45 PM, discussing about what happened to our lucks, we couldn't sight any such interesting animals. :(

No dejection, there always next time, so consoling ourselves on this went to bed so that we can grab the tickets for next day safari at 6 AM.

7th September 2015

Lot of enthusiasm, strong desire to sight the tiger, we got into the safari. We have good rapport with the staff, so they took us where there is a possibility of sighting a tiger. But these areas fall in the actual buffer zone not in the core forest regions.

Remember, my last blog where we had sighted the tiger, the same one has being followed now. So we took off, closely looking into the tiger. But we could only see the fresh pug marks.

But we saw some wild animals, here are some the pics

But we never left behind our desire, we caught the next safari. We started again looking closely, fortunately, there was the sighting of tiger to a bunch of guys of last safari. Our driver now knows the right location of the Tiger. By the time we go there was huge line already :) . There were around 3 buses, Safari Jeeps and a documentary gypsy, awaiting the tiger to appear from the bushes. We waited patiently for 5-10 minutes. Enough, we decided, will roam around and come back. After coming back the same scene, still people are waiting. So, we thought again we will be disappointed. Taking a last chance, our driver told, lets look at it one last time, we came this time, there were no buses, we didn't find. As we were about to take the turn, there was that majestic, king of jungle, sitting and relaxing. We took the turn, he started walking again into the bush. Our Driver drove the other side, and surprising it appeared from there. We are very busy in shooting from our DSLR, like firing rounds after rounds from a automatic gun. :)

It sat just some meters away, as if fed up and wanted to give us some shots. These are best shots I had ever got. People are surprised to hear we always sight tiger in Bandipur.

Also, there is an interesting story about how we found the tiger this time. Let me narrate you.

On the day we camped in Bandipur, the tiger which is named as Prince, was looking desperately for a a kill, and wandering tirelessly for that. The officials could easily spot the tiger as it would be looking for its prey instead of resting in camouflage.

Here are some of the best shots.

Later, we thought of visiting some other places as there would be no safari after 9.30 AM. Ok, Did I tell you that the safari timings is from 6 AM to 9 AM in the morning and 3 PM to 6 PM in the evening.

So, just to while time, we thought of visiting the Himavat Gopala Swamy Temple, which can translated as the Hima in kannada (meaning such as ice, dew, mist, snow) Gopalaswamy another name for Lord Krishna, so in total Lord Krishna on Snow. I am not exaggerating, If you visit this place, you could actually fell the clouds, the coolness would reach deep into the soul.

Here are some of the snaps

Again, we drove very slow enjoying the nature around, it was around 1.30 PM we realised we need to get the safari tickets for afternoon, again we drove to Gundulpet to the Udupi Restaurant to have our meal. We rushed back to Bandipur at 2.30 PM to get the tickets in first row.

Again, we had a sighting of Tiger Prince, it was looking to kill a Indian Gaur, it was separated from its herd, looked restless. We saw the tiger again in a close proximity out of the bush. But somehow the Indian Gaur survived this time. We could see the fear. There was a alert call from the animals around, deers, Indian gaurs were all alert and vigilant. We waited it to come back. But in vain we couldn't find out after it disappeared in the bushes after our safari vehicle approached.

Here are some of the pics.

That's how we spent the second half of the day. There is a saying "If the objective is achieved at the very young age you lose the reason for living". Similarly, we sighted the Tiger, the very second day, and were content.

Has delicious street food in Gundulpet and started discussing about the day's event.

That night, there popped up new desires, like how about sighting a Leopard, Black Panther or a Sloth Bear tomorrow. Finally, we got back our goal to continue the trip :)

8th September 2015

Got up early to get the tickets again, we went for two safari's back to back, we missed the leopard in few minutes where another vehicle has sighted it, but by the time we came there it wasn't there, same was the case with Sloth Bear.

Here are some snaps

We thought of going to Nagarhole through Sultan Bateri via Metikuppe. But we missed the road and took the other road through Dammankatte-HD Kote- Metikuppe-Moorkallu- Nagarhole. It was a round about, but it's fine we got to know that even Dammankatte has a Safari.

By the time we reached Nagarhole it was around 5 PM, we took a home stay near by. Fill some stomach filling and dozed off.

9th September 2015

We had heard, there is always very sighting happening in Metikuppe road. So, we tried our luck in the morning instead of depending on any Safari.

We found some elephants, Indian Gaur, Barking dear, Malabar Squirrel etc. But nothing great to excited.

Here are some of the pics of the morning drive.

At around 11AM we left the homestay to Dammankatte for the safari. Safari was to start at 4PM. We had high expectation in this safari because there was a black panther in this region.

We had some nice sighting here, but nothing great again. Here are some of the pics.

After all these, we thought whether to head to Kabini or back to Bangalore. We decided to head towards Bangalore. Had delicious street food and chats in Mysore, reached Bangalore around 11 PM.

Packed up the gears, got monopod, jumped in car, started on Wednesday evening 6.30 PM from Bangalore. But to where ? It should obviously be Mysore. Mysore has places such as Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary near by, Kukkarahalli Lake, Karanji Lake where birds prefer to nest.

Reached Mysore at 8.30 PM

So this time, thought of exploring kukkarahalli Lake in morning.

But the problem in shooting Morning is the lighting, also with the minimum equipment I have like 250 mm lens, you need an extra favor, i.e the proper natural light.

I myself consider lucky this time, to have wonderful lighting also spotted great birds.

Left at around 6.30 AM. These are some of the snaps.

Shooting concluded at 8.30 AM as it would be late for Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary.

Here are the few details, I searched, thought would be helpful to pen down. Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary is located on the banks of river cauvery. Its near Sri Rangapatnam, Mandya Distict. It has an entry fees of 60 INR includes your camera charges. But Lens above 500mm is charged heavily.

Reached Bird Sanctuary at around 11 AM, went to get boat, the boat charges are again 60 INR per head, but can get a special boat for yourself for 1000 INR and extra privileges are given, like longer rides and into interiors where more rare birds can be sighted.

But went for a normal ride as this is not the season. Visiting in February will have more chances of sighting some rare birds.

And please visit in Weekday, if you are a serious bird photographer. Otherwise, fine to visit in weekends.

Here are glimpse of the birds at Sanctuary.