Thattekad, a small hamlet in southern Kerala with rich biodiversity is well known for various species of flora and fauna. The habitat contains numerous tropical and temperate tall trees that makes an absolute home for so many species of birds. Undoubtedly, one of the best place for birding and to experience wild life.
The place was specially recognized by the bird man of India:- Dr. Salim Ali, who explored the length and breadth in search of different species of birds, both resident and migratory.
Thattekad is also otherwise known as "Salim Ali Bird sanctuary" because of his extensive work towards avian fraternity and his contribution in making Thattekad as a bird sanctuary.
I have been longing to visit this place for many years now as it brings lot of migrants species, apart from the resident endemic species. For a lot of reasons, I wasnt able to...until the start of this year.
Having heard about his amazing spotting skills and knowledge about the birds found in and around Thattekad, I decided to rely completely on
Gireesh. He lives with his family in a modest house that is located inside the bird sanctuary.
Session I:
The park itself is so huge that it takes a lot of time to venture..! So, I took the entry ticket and started walking on the dusty paths of the sanctuary.
It was perhaps 10 in the morning but I could still trace the birds through their calls. There was quite an activity at that point of time considering intense heat. But, someone wished me as soon as I entered its territory.
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| This guy flaunts its ribbony tail to attract females. Known as Indian Paradise Flycatcher, this bird can be usually found in the thickly wooded areas as it feeds mainly on flies and moths. |
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| Brown Capped Pygmy Woodpecker--- I actually saw two of these pecking and making a hole on a tall tree. This bird is small in size as compared to other species of the woodpeckers found in India. |
There were flame throated bulbuls building a nest, there were yellow browed bulbuls exploring the yellow copper pods, there was a velvet fronted nuthatch crawling backwards on the bark of a tree, asian fairy bluebird on silk cotton tree, couple of malabar grey hornbills alerting the avian community about human intrusion; so it was like a fun filled neighborhood and I was a foreigner who got so much involved in this hustle that I didnt know what was coming my way.
An Indian Rock Python..!!
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| While I was busy looking up for birds, this guy was next to me trying to cross the path. I could sense movements on the grassy patches adjacent to the dusty path way. Upon looking closely my first impression was that of a Kind cobra, but I was wrong. The early noon sunshine sparkled the scales of the Python and I felt I lost my feet..! |
I could feel the chillness in my spine when I recall the moment of truth. I was so close to this stealthy monster and yet managed to escape an attack from it.
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| The distance between the grassy edge surface and to me was merely few feet. |
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| With an impulsive rush, I took few steps away from the snake and started taking photographs of it. As it emerged out of the grassy patch, what I saw was indeed nail biting. It was not a small one..! |
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| Observing its bulged belly, I was pretty sure that it had a hefty recent meal which was a lucky reason for my survival. |
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| What a stealthy predator..! This is perhaps one of the Pythons strategy to attack its prey. I could not make out its presence until the I saw the shiny scales on its body, just imagine what would have happened to other animals..!? |
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| Slithering through the patches without any care or mercy, this reptile surely wanted to take a dip into the water because of unbearable heat. The lake was at the other side of the dusty walk way. |
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| This picture gives an idea about the length of the reptile. It may have been between 8-10 ft. |
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| With no more action or pondering, the rock python went inside the bushes only to leave me unharmed and I thank god for that...! |
After this unexpected meeting, I returned to the homestay and caught up with a pair of Dracos-- The Gliding Lizard.
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| The rubber trees serves as a great food source for this amazing creature. Masters in camouflaging techniques, these gliding lizards are extremely elusive and swift in nature. |
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| The bark of the tree and texture of the lizard is similar in this picture. One of best strategy posed by the gliding lizards to protect themselves from predators. |
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| These creatures feed on insects and flies a lot. Spiders are its favorite food. |
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| Gliding lizard's main attraction are the wings and a fan on the throat that serves as a display act to attract its mate. This could be a rare sight. |
I followed the dracos for about an hour and got tired. As much as I loved the first session of nail biting experiences, I was waiting for the evening session for some amazing nocturnal birds....and I was not disappointed.
More action covered in
Part II, stop by and say Hello..!
Beautifully captured!
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