Welcome to 'What's around us to explore'! It was a pleasant morning that day and it was my fourth visit to Kukkarahali lake. Started my lake marathon, as I walked on the ways of the lake, cool morning breeze from the Lungs of Mysore was hitting my face and whispered 'this is the life'.
A new day, new surprises awaited. A golden sun rising slowly, spreading its colour around it and reflecting a tinge on the lake water. What a hypnotizing sunrise it was!
Munching on my previous thoughts, there are many a times when I attempted to do something adventurous and every time I used to be distracted by something or the other. Now that I have made up my mind that I should take my Lake Marathon to the next level.
As I walked with my camera turned on, a stranger wished me and asked whether I have completed the birding cycle for the day? Well I said I just started with my rounds. Conversation went on and I got to know that he was a former birdwatcher and visits local lakes regularly. He had quite a good number of bird photos clicked and blogged it. Now he has taken a break and is a passive birdwatcher. He suggested me have a look at owlet chicks on the birdwatching tower seen far off from the place I was standing, but I couldn't cover it that day due to lack of time.
I was quite inferior about that, well I am just a beginner and I'm not gonna stop this for anything. Let me see where the lake marathon will take me too.
As I continued exploring Kukkarahali Lake, found this beautiful Solanum flowering plant.
Solanum species
A scenic view of green bee-eater. Hundreds of bee-eaters perching on most of the branches were simply easy on eyes. Colured leaflets of rain tree was enhancing the view. In my childhood I used to call this bird as a fairy bird, as its tail resembles fairy. Those days I was not familiar with the names of birds and birdwatching was not popular among us. Now I know at least hundred local birds name, feeling proud of myself.
Can you count the number of bee eaters seen in this pic?
Merops orientalis (Green bee eater)
Fully bloomed stinking passion flower. Heard its fruit and leaves are edible and have medicinal properties in it. I have never tried though.
Passiflora foetida
On this Eichhornia marsh I could see many varieties of birds, starting from median egret, jacana, ibis, purple moorhen, little egret, common coot, herons and so on.
Ardea intermedia (Intermediate egret)
Metopidius indicus
(Bronze winged Jacana)
Herons are found everywhere in Kukkarahali lake and here are some of the pond herons I spotted.
Ardeola (Pond heron)
Indian black ibis found wadding on the Eichhornia marsh
Pseudibis papillosa (Black Ibis)
This is my first spotting of little egret in the season,
Egretta garzetta (Little egret)
A pretty little bird whose name is purple moorhen
Porphyrio porphyrio (Purple moorhen)
3 cormorants are busy drying up their wings, showcasing some remarkable colonial behavior.
Here in a corner I found a great big bird, a proud peacock, foraging near the bushes.
Lovely flowers witnessing a beautiful morning
Dragonfly species
Never caught a Kingfisher in my camera any time. Very shy and sensitive bird I have seen.
White throated Kingfisher
Magpie robin walking near the path of lake.
Copsychus saularis (Magpie robin)
Ipomoea species
Some of my best pics of grey heron, I have observed this great bird for more than half an hour to get some of its best shots.
Ardea cinerea (Grey Heron)
There were many red wattled lapwings in the field next to lake. I could capture one
Vanellus indicus (Red wattled lapwing)
I was not so familiar about this bird so far, until I repeatedly saw this in Kukkrahali lake, a black crowned night heron.
Nycticorax nycticorax (Night heron)
Common Coot, I have spotted this bird multiple times and have posted in my previous articles.
Common Coots
A snake bird or oriental darter perching on the branch. And one of the most found species of Kukkarahali lake
Anhinga anhinga (Snake bird)
One of the common plant species of Kukkarahali lake, Chinese violet or creeping foxglove.
Asystasia gangetica (Chinese violet)
Found a tree inflorescence which is not clear in this pic, not sure about the nomenclature.
Common crows a regular member to be included in this lake
Common crow
Could find 2 more species of mushrooms this time.
This was an interesting thing I saw on the bark of a tree, not sure what it is.
A dwarf gulmohar flower, found on the garden area of the University building
Finally the flying foxes waving good bye
Hi folks! This was my first episode of Lake marathon. In the lake marathon, I will be visiting nearby lakes and try to explore the key species found in there and the biodiversity richness of the place. I have many lakes to be covered in my bucket list and will see you soon with yet another episode of Lake Marathon, till then keep reading "What's around us to explore"! Bye bye.
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