open space around mandya

Mandya’s usually considered as an intermediary milestone along the way to Mysore or any other place… we never imagined we’d actually go to this place for a visit. But when we did go to a homestay over here, the surroundings were quite unexpected. We’d probably gone at the perfect time, just after the monsoon, and there was a lot of water around – in puddles or streams or of course the venerable Cauveri river. When we left Bengaluru where it had been raining heavily, in just half an hour’s drive there wasn’t much rain and it was beautiful sunny and windy weather. When we actually reached the homestay, the surroundings were like a bird-watcher or naturalist’s paradise.

The homestay – ChukkiMane‘s owner Sanjay was a nice hospitable gentleman and provided a comfortable stay. The pictures below are from the surroundings of ChukkiMane where we went around either by walk, or bicycle or even at one time a bullock cart ride.

Walking is the best, when we can tune in to the different kinds of music we get from walking around different areas having various kinds of flora or fauna. Going out in the night was equally amazing where we could see a whole lot of fireflies it was totally out of the world.

(disclaimer: had picked up a dslr after a long time so pics aren’t that great)

A painted stork stands elegantly among the other birds mostly egrets…

All of them so motionless except when they see their food…

A lot of birds flying around… here’s an Egret…

Its quite an experience just standing amidst a vast green field…

A dove seems to be shy 😉 maybe taking a nap..

A lot of birds lined up along the green fields…

Some black headed ibis are standing out here…

There was no dearth of natural beauty…

A red-naped ibis calls out… sounds like an arrrrrr sound 🙂

A purple heron flies by… sometimes called a snake-bird…

A pelican seems to be effortlessly gliding along…

…though only the pelican knows how much its paddling under water 🙂

What perspective to pose in?

We came across a well, and a boy alerted us to a terrapin in it basking in the sun…

On the way we see a lot of these nests…

Such a beautiful nest… a baya weaver bird hard at work building one of them…

Inspected carefully…

Nice location, but not an easy job…

Another bird foraging on the ground…

As we walk further, we see a Brahmini kite having a meal on an electric pole, while another looked on endlessly waiting for a share…

A drongo seems to be eyeing a meal

These were really tall… the time after the monsoon is quite beautiful with a lot of pretty streams…

We visited a dam and there was a turbulent flow of water…

Swirling waters…

This cormorant seemed to be enjoying the roller-coaster ride 🙂

Finally taking off…