It was KM’s “birth star” today, and our friends had said they had fixed up an “abhishekam” at the local temple for us. We agreed, and went to their home to find that they had made quite a big deal of it….

Some of the people I invited called for the Devanarayadurga trip pleaded off saying they were busy, and apparently (from their blogs) they have gone off to other birding destinations. Humph. I think there is this whole big snootiness about not going with a “less experienced” birder, or going with a “more experienced” birder…. and also going with someone who will “have more sightings” as someone helpfully explained to me. Also, I have slowly come to notice that when these others go birding/wildlifing, I don’t get calls from THEM, and only see by their blogs where they have been.

I received an ad asking for children to be sent to a Nature Camp. Here are some excerpts:

I am truly struggling with an internet connection that is like the Sardarji’s car turn-indicator (someone asked him, “I will switch on the indicator, let me know if it’s working,” and his reply was, “It’s working,it’s not working, it’s working, it’s not working….)..it comes and goes and comes and goes and a post that should take a few minutes has taken HOURS. But I will be victorious and make the post yet….

It was a day where all the senses were fully engaged, at Devarayana Durga (Phonetically, dEvarAyana durgA…durgA means ‘fort’.) The Devarayanadurga State Forest (DDSF) area is one of the most beautiful I have seen, in the District of Tumkur, which is also home to the the endangered Slender Loris and the Blackbuck . The awe-inspiring rock formation, and the variety of fauna and flora that can be found, made me decide to visit the place.