Sometimes the birds co-operate, sometimes they don’t…the trip that we took to Turahalli cannot be termed highly productive in terms of large numbers of birds and raptors sighted…but like all trips to the wilderness, it was always enjoyable, and the company was great, too!

Let me start with this dew-bedecked flower of the wild jasmine, that smiled at us everywhere on the rocky outcrops:

Here are , Garima ,and Vijay... And Jaimon, Priya , and Mahesh Priya has just won a blog award for that blog site that deals with food and cooking! :) Obviously, the authorities had set a controlled fire to avoid a raging summer fire later, but it was really sad to walk over the blackened slopes... But all the charred grass and dried up plants could not take away from the beauty of the patterns on the rocks: Though we did see both the MOTTLED WOOD OWLS near the banyan tree, it was too dark to get any photographs; again, when I sighted the EURASIAN EAGLE OWL, I could not get any pictures, though Anush got some shots that he has put up in this post . But it was great fun to watch the BRAHMINY KITES and the BLACK KITES wheeling overhead. Here's a juvenile Brahminy, accompanied by a black kite: Priya, Mahesh and Jaimon had left, when we decided to check out the housing developments a little further. There we saw a BANYAN TREE which seemed alive with birdsong: We found that a huge flock of ROSY PASTORS (also called Rosy Starlings) were feasting on the figs in the tree, as well as BRAHMINY STARLINGS, and RED-VENTED and RED-WHISKERED BULBULS. Here's one Rosy Pastor, feasting on a fig: As we approached the tree, the whole flock took off, making a lovely sight: But a few of them didn't go too far, and I got this snap of a musical score of birds, with the notes being provided by Brahminy Starlings, a Rosy Pastor, and a Red-Vented Bulbul! </lj-cut> To provide a finale to our outing was this beautiful BROWN SHRIKE on the wire, which, according to Garima, was cocking an inquisitive eye at us, trying to get an id of the birders below! With the onset of summer, I guess my birding trips will peter out...but until now, they have been great outings!