The

Valley School area

is one of the favourite birding destinations in south Bangalore

On two days, I was privileged to do two different kinds of birding there.

One outing, on 110514, started at dawn:

On the 11th, we started from Shoppers' Stop as a group of 9: At the MCS, L to R: . Karuna, Janani, Siva, Varun, Aravind, Venkat, Ragini, Janhvi, yours truly, and Ganesh. As more friends joined us at the Valley, and we met Swethadri and Kamal Hari, the group swelled to 15! On this outing, we walked the trail, actively looking for birds, such as this ROSE-RINGED PARAKEET on the Silver Oak tree: a CRESTED SERPENT EAGLE: the WHITE-RUMPED SHAMA: with many birds, we ended with this HOOPOE on the path: Of course, I like to see the trees and plants around, too. I could not id this tree: The beautiful trunk of a TAMARIND: and its tiny flowers: the beauty of the GULMOHAR under which I sat for a while: the petal of its flower: Photography was an active pursuit, too. I am not lying, but the photographer is! Ganesh is carefully documenting an insect... When one of us got a good shot, the others enjoyed it, too: There were quite a few butterflies, and I clicked this DANAID EGGFLY: Some of us wound up with brefus at Udupi Banashree (Yashpal, extreme left, has joined us!) This active seeking out of the birds is one kind of birding, and on this morning, we were very successful in our quest. We wandered over the bamboo thickets and liana areas, and a variety of bird sightings rewarded us. On the 13th, it was just Rosita, her son Mark, who's an excellent bird-spotter, and me. This was in the late afternoon and evening... Once we reached the end of the path where the ABANDONED HOUSE (familiar to every birder, I would think, in south Bangalore...I'll make another blogpost about it. Thanks to Mark, I entered it and looked around for the first time in so many years!) We just stayed there, not moving very much. The Banyan tree with the last of its figs was a kind of "bird Darshini (eatery)" for birds, so we just watched the birds in, and near, the majestic tree. Later, we walked around the abandoned house. Mark didn't even take a minute to see the SPOTTED OWLET: The JUNGLE BABBLERS kept us company: This ASHY PRINIA its cousin, the Plain Prinia, and the Common Tailorbird, hopped through the undergrowth: First one LARGE CUCKOO-SHRIKE and then two, delighted us: The INDIAN LABURNUM was in flower everywhere: MISTLETOE (Loranthus) grew on the nearby tree: Looking carefully at the adventitious roots of the Banyan showed me ANTS farming the aphids: This ROCK AGAMA male, coming into his breeding colours, looked askance at me: The difference between the two kinds of birding is very marked. One means active walking around, seeking the areas where some birds are likely to be. The other means staying in one place, passively content with whatever birds show themselves. But both are intensely satisfying. A large group vs. a very small one also makes a big difference to what one sees. In one, the chances of sighting the birds actually increase, if everyone is a careful birder. But a smaller group can be just as good. With both kind of birding, there is the happiness of learning from others, and being able to share a sighting...sometimes with everyone in the large group In the "active walking" mode, it's looking for the birds; in the "passive waiting" mode, it's about watching the birds that do appear, and soaking in the whole atmosphere. Morning birding and evening birding, too, have different kinds of light for photography (and sometimes even seeing the birds.) You can click here for the visit where 15 of us enjoyed the morning and here for the visit with Rosita and Mark 110514 bird list: Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Yellow-billed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, White-cheeked Bee-eater, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Small Green Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, White-browed Bushchat, Pied Bushlark, Jerdon's Buzzard, Oriental Honey Coucal, Southern Crow, House Crow, Jungle Cuckoo, Common Hawk (heard) Cuckoo-shrike, Large Dove, Laughing Dove, Spotted Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Black Eagle, Crested Serpent Egret, Cattle Egret, Little Flameback, Black-rumped Flowerpecker, Pale-billed Flycatcher, Asian Paradise Flycatcher, Tickell's Blue Flycatcher, White-browed Fantail Francolin, Grey (heard) Iora, Common Junglefowl, Grey (heard) Kingfisher, White-breasted Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Koel, Asian Lapwing, Red-wattled Leafbird, Golden-fronted Malkoha, Blue-faced Minivet, Small Myna, Common Myna, Jungle Oriole, Eurasian Golden Parakeet, Rose-ringed Peafowl, Indian (heard) Pigeon, Blue Rock Pipit, Paddyfield Pitta, Indian Prinia, Ashy Prinia, Grey-breasted Quail, un id Robin, Indian Robin, Oriental Magpie Roller, Indian Shama, White-rumped Shrike, Long-tailed Sunbird, Purple-rumped Swallow, Red-rumped Tailorbird, Common Wagtail, White-browed Warbler, Greenish 130514 bird list: Babbler, Jungle Babbler, Yellow-billed Barbet, Coppersmith Barbet, White-cheeked Bee-eater, Blue-bearded Bee-eater, Small Green Bulbul, Red-vented Bulbul, Red-whiskered Bulbul, White-browed Bushchat, Pied Bushlark, Jerdon's Buzzard, Oriental Honey Coucal, Southern Crow, House Crow, Jungle Cuckoo, Common Hawk (heard) Cuckoo-shrike, Large Dove, Laughing Dove, Spotted Drongo, Ashy Drongo, Black Eagle, Short-toed Snake Egret, Cattle Egret, Little Flowerpecker, Pale-billed Flycatcher, White-browed Fantail Francolin, Grey (heard) Junglefowl, Grey (heard) Kingfisher, White-breasted Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Koel, Asian Lapwing, Red-wattled Leafbird, Golden-fronted Malkoha, Blue-faced Myna, Common Myna, Jungle Owl, Mottled Wood Owlet, Spotted Parakeet, Rose-ringed Peafowl, Indian (heard) Pigeon, Blue Rock Pipit, Paddyfield Prinia, Ashy Robin, Indian Robin, Oriental Magpie Roller, Indian Shrike, Long-tailed Sunbird, Purple-rumped Swallow, Red-rumped Tailorbird, Common