I suppose it can be shared. Out of the blue, K2 suddenly went up to his mother (he’s all of 3) and exclaimed, “Amma, are you wearing a DRA??”
Where he heard this, and why he wanted to check, we don’t know…and don’t want to ask!
More K2 fun….from 8 years ago.
May 13, 2024Education has become an absurdity
May 13, 2024It grieves me to see full-page, front-page advertisements in the newspapers, boasting about the rankings of students in the IIT JEE, or NEET….if the particular coaching class course is paid for and taken. What has our education come to?
J E E stands for Joint Entrance Exam. N E E T stands for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test. These are gatewaysfor admission to actual coursesof education, and they themselves have no educational merit whatsoever.
Now, to cap this absurdity, I see an ad which boasts, not even the actual rankings of students in the NEET examination, but the expected rankings, and obviously asking for children to be admitted to the coaching course (I don’t know how much the fees are).
Why have we become so foolish that we have to make our children struggle through such obstacles, to cram for examinations that are only an entrance to a course? Is this not an absurdity? How many of the people who pass out of the IITs ever use the knowledge/information that they have gained in the courses?
Education seems to have turned into a mercenary business, with employment and salaries being the only goals.
PS. please don’t lecture me about protecting the privacy of the students. I have not hidden the names of, since the photos and names appeared on the front pages of a well-known newspaper (Deccan Herald).
Mother…child…mother
May 13, 2024What makes a mother?
First and foremost, a child.
And by some miracle, given the fact that I am far from perfect….mine is just wonderful. She is artistic, articulate, warm-hearted, generous, hardworking, and has dealt with many difficulties and crises with courage and grace.
On Mother’s Day, , take a bow. I think you are a far better person… and mother…than I am ❤️.
Yelahanka Kere: DMW, 120524
May 13, 2024Group at the start of the walk
Gaita, Srikant (spelling?), Vidyut, Tara, Shalini, Apoorva, Damini, Priyanka, Lakhan, Digil. Gaita’s daughter Seher joined just after I took the photo.
Announcement:
Where: Yelahanka Kere
Meeting time: 6.30am
Meeting/Parking point :
https://goo.gl/maps/fPecGViPep2iiGxw8
Bring: Binoculars, cameras, bird books/apps, pads/pencils if you like to sketch or take notes.
Level terrain. Participants can leave whenever they wish to. Washrooms not available.
Wear: Dull-coloured clothes, hats/caps, comfy walking shoes Rainwear if there is rain forecast.
Bring plenty of water… and snacks if you like to share (we do!)
The walk will be for approx 2 to 2.5 hours. Not a circular trail, people can leave whenever they wish to. The lake gates close at 9am.
Those who would like to come to this outing can join the WA group at
https://chat.whatsapp.com/D4frqcvEaiUBGDYvmoNW21
Post- birding breakfast point:
New Udupi Veg, location
https://goo.gl/maps/TMVggjYhrfp7ut327
In case of need/emergency, please contact
Deepa Mohan, 99800 10366
Savitha Rajesh, 81059 21125
Shalini Ukunge, 78291 55214
See you on Sunday!
Cheers, Deepa.
eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S173809503 (68 sp)
Shared with: pinkoriole,shalini_ukunge,mddigil,apoorvasr,gaitih
iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-05-12&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any ( https://tinyurl.com/pptcu8w5 )
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720316898363 (69 photos)
FB:
Good filter coffee/chai right opposite Mini Vidhan Soudha, at Samrudhi Chaha, location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/4561STya6ozuqsHe8
Mini Vidhana Soudha, Yelahanka
Purple-rumped Sunbird shaking off the wings of a termite prior to eating it
Fish in the lake
Streak-throated Swallow
Streaked Weaver
Checkered Keelback
Yellow Bittern
Snack time
A dead Common Krait with its tail cut off as well
Train on the opposite shore
Juvenile Common Moorhen, and adult
Tara, and her husband Shrikant, encourage Vidyut’s interest and knowledge about Nature
Ants farming Aphids
Common Cerulean
Videos:
0044 Checkered Keelback taking a fish to the reeds:
0053 Yellow Bittern:
0058 Yellow Bittern (2):
0080 Peacock dancing, back view:
KBW, 110524…also Endemic Bird Day
May 11, 2024Most of the group at the start
Announcement:
Kalkere Biodiversity Walk: Saturday, 11 May ’24: Registration will open at approx 8pm, Monday, 6 May ’24
The Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bannerghatta, is pleased to announce the Kalkere Biodiversity Walk for May 24
IMPORTANT: Registration for this walk will open at approximately 8 pm on Monday, 6 May. Please do not try registering before this time, as you will get a “no longer accepting responses” message..
Where: Kalkere Reserve Forest
When: Saturday, 11 May ’24
Meeting Time: 6 15am.
The groups will start the walk by 6.30am. Each group will be accompanied by at least one Forest Guard/KFD official.
The walk is restricted to 40 people in 2 groups of 20 each.
The walk will end at 9.30am.
There will be a forest entry fee of Rs.150 per participant (Children, and students who show valid ids, will be exempted.) The fee will be collected by the volunteers and given to the KFD staff (BY CASH) before the participant joins the walk.
Those who are interested in participating can register on the form after 8m on Monday, 6 May 24, at
https://forms.gle/kQRUfaQ6XG9bkQMv7
PLEASE READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU FILL UP THE FORM.
Each participant, whether adult or child, has to be registered individually. Please do not include a spouse or other family member in the registration.
If there are children to be registered, please give their names and age (on separate registrations) on the form, registering separately for them. You will have to use a different mobile no. for each registration.
Selected participants will be informed by email. They will be confirmed ONLY when they join the WA group for the walk. Further instructions/guidelines will be given on the WA group.
IMPORTANT, please read and fill the form carefully:
- Please fill all fields. FULL NAME required (there are often two identical first names like Srinivas or Pirya, etc.) Improperly filled forms will have to be disqualified for selection.
2.. Please give only a mobile no.on which you use WhatsApp. Selected participants will be added to the WA group for the walk on that number.
- Your proper postal address is required. “Bangalore” is not a valid address as everyone joining this walk is likely to be from Bangalore
4.. Please wait for the confirmation email which will also give the link to the WA group to join. This may take a little time as the KFD has to release the list. do not pass on the WA group joining link to others. The link will be reset after all the selected participants have joined the WA group.
- Please check for the confirmation on the same email id that you have given on the form. * PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOLDER TOO* .(There have been repeated problems with people not checking their spam folder and saying they have not got the email)
- If you are not selected, please do not arrive at the Reserve Forest Office asking to be included. This is unfair to participants who have taken the effort to register. Unregistered/unconfirmed participants will have to sit in the office until the walk is concluded.
Welcoming you to the walk,
DCF/ACF/RFO, Bannerghatta.
KBW volunteers
Selection email:
The Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bannerghatta, welcomes you to join the Biodiversity walk on Saturday, 11 May ’24
PLEASE GO THROUGH THIS EMAIL IN DETAIL, THE INFORMATION IS RELEVANT.
Please confirm your participation by joining the WA group for the event on this link:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/LWwShwOt5LkDKUAgJW1VoA
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE CONFIRMED FOR THE WALK ONLY WHEN YOU JOIN THE WA GROUP.
‘
Children who are not using mobile phones can come with their parents, IF their names are on the registration list.
If you are unable to join, please let us know at once, so that another participant can join.
Meeting Point location: https://goo.gl/maps/Gs2JDdqprYLLGubNA
Meeting Time: 0615hrs Walk begins at 0630 hrs.
(Several cars can be parked in the compound of the RFO, but car pooling is strongly recommended and will reduce the number of vehicles.)
The RFO is on the routes of all BMTC buses going through Bannerghatta Road (365, 366, 369, 371, G4, etc.)
IMPORTANT:
- Please report at the Reserve Forest Office, Kalkere (location given in the WA group description) , a little before the meeting time, leaving yourself enough time to park the car, make the forest entry payment, set your cameras, and so on. . The two groups begin their walk at 6.30am and will be accompanied by forest guards. Latecomers will not be able to join the walk.
- Wear: Dull-coloured clothes, hats/caps, comfortable walking shoes.
- Bring: Binoculars, cameras, bird books/apps, pads and pencils if you like to sketch or take notes.
- Bring plenty of water.. Water will also be provided at breakfast.
- Washrooms are available on the first floor of the Reserve Forest Office.
- If you are driving, enter the gate and take the left-hand side path and drive down until you reach the forest office. The guards sometimes make you park near the gate, but tell them you are coming for the walk and drive in.
- Both groups meet up at the office building after the walk, at 9.15 am. A simple breakfast will be served after the walk.
- Please do not bring unregistered friends or family members along. The KFD has the list of registered participants who have joined the WA group. Others will have to sit out the walk.
- This is a forest area, so please always keep with the group and do not stray away. If you find something interesting or want to photograph it, please draw the attention of the volunteers to it, the whole group can stop.
- Please upload your images to the album, on this link:
- Please feel free to email me with any queries NOT covered above, at mohandeepa@gmail.com
The volunteers for this month’s walk are:
Deepa Mohan
Shalini Ukunge
Sivakumar Mallya
Cheers,
Deepa Mohan
for Kalkere Biodiversity Walk Volunteers.
eBird: My list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S173364492 (60 sp)
Siva’s list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S173378386 (56 sp)
Trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/235196 (69 sp overall)
iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-05-11&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any ( https://tinyurl.com/38wwdsza )
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720316870424 (32 photos)
FB:https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160496647973878&type=3
The first endemic bird that comes to mind. White-cheeked Barbet
Beautiful pattern on seed of Malabar Kino tree
Cricket Frog
Beautiful seeds from the horribly-named Hairy Snoutbean
Dead Shieldtail
Empty pupal case of a Tiger Moth
Golden-fronted Leafbird on the Singapore Cherry tree
Videos:
0023 Yellow-spotted Ground Beetle scurrying in the leaf litter:
0037 Juvenile Indian (Rock) Eagle Owl feeding on prey:
Conflicting interests…
May 10, 2024How to solve the problem at weekends when one spouse is a birder and the other is not?
A very good solution is to have a golfing spouse. One spouse goes off early in the morning for birding, the other goes off early in the morning for golf. Both return happy, and talk about eagles and birdies, though they are talking about very different things!
How to manage both sets of expenses is something I leave to the reader!
Kalkere, Bannerghatta Zoo, Butterfly Park, walk for Vijaya College, 090524
May 10, 2024Group at the start of the Kalkere walk
Fixed up with Darshan and Dhanalakshmi (Asst Professor, Dept of Zoology) 32 students and 6 adults including Damini and me. After Kalkere we went to the Zoo and wasted a lot of time getting a 50% discount for the students, which was not appreciated. The teachers were Chaitra, Dhanalakshmi and Roopa.
eBird:
Kalkere: https://ebird.org/checklist/S172930088 (51 sp). Shared with pinkoriole
Zoo:https://ebird.org/checklist/S172946358 (32 sp) Shared with pinkoriole
iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-05-09&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any (https://tinyurl.com/mpbe2e6s )
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720316819174 (34 photos)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160493898563878&type=3
Stick Mantis, identified by Ashrith
Leopard pug mark
Ticket rates sign at Bannerghatta Zoo
I think there is free entry for student groups, but this is better applied for prior to the visit.
Indian Flapshell Turtle (Lissemys punctata) and close up of the head
Leaf decay design
Golden Jackal
Male Peninsular Rock Agama coming into full breeding colours
Seeds of Fishtail Palm
Common Crows at the Butterfly Park (very few species)
Long-horned Beetle on Duranta flower
Red Pierrot
Baby Bonnet Macaques playing
Videos:
0041 Weaver Ant Queen:
More K2 wordplay from 4 years ago
May 6, 2024Me:Come,let me give you a bath. Then we can sit and watch “Mahabharat” and I can translate for you
K2: So you want me to have a Mahabath before Mahabharat!
He’s getting quite good at this….
Here he is, with a chocolate mustache, 8 years ago.
Saul Kere, Bngbirds, 050524
May 5, 2024Part of the group at the start:
Announcement:
Bngbirds 1st Sunday Outing
====================
Where: Saul Kere
When: Sunday, May 5th, 2024
Meeting time:6:30 am (walk ends by 9.30 am)
Meeting point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HmnUzgALVGQVFiS2A
(access through RMZ Ecoworld/Adarsh Palm Retreat road)
Nearest Bus Stop: Intel stop on Ring Road, 2 Kms/20 mins walk to the lake. Buses plying from Banashankari towards Marathahalli and other routes stop here.
Wear: Dull-coloured clothes, hats/caps, comfortable walking shoes, rain gear if there is rain forecast.
Bring: Notebook and a pen/pencil, and water.
Optional: Bird books/apps, binoculars, cameras, and any snacks you may need.
The WA group for coordinating carpools and sharing notes https://chat.whatsapp.com/BpjWg1rU0viGrPh33jkbGZ
Post outing restaurant, with parking available, The Rasaganga, location: https://goo.gl/maps/1qhhakN1Srm8ADQg6
We look forward to meeting you on Sunday.
Bngbirds volunteers
eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S172076490 (62 sp)
Shared with: ashpub,apoorvasr,shalini_ukunge,bijoyvenugopal, Birdsfounder, srijithts,shushrusty,silent_observer
Shruti Kulkarni: https://ebird.org/checklist/S172072125
Trip report: https://ebird.org/tripreport/231601 (62 sp overall)
iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2024-05-05&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any ( https://tinyurl.com/ykvh2d8n )
Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720316700690 (15 photos)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160487826963878&type=3
A Pitta was sighted by half the group. Here is everyone hopeful that it will make another appearance…it did not!
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
We saw a large, heart-warming group of Painted Storks feeding. Later, they took to the air
Oriental Garden Lizard sunning itself
Grey-headed Swamphen on the flowers of Water Hyacinth
Karthik and I witnessed a funny incident today at Saul Kere, during the Bngbirds 1st Sunday walk. A Blue Tiger and a Common Crow were pirouetting together. I was just wondering why they were doing this pas de deux, when suddenly, an Ashy Woodswallow swooped on them…and then left them alone, probably realizing that they are not good food! It appears birds carry a memory of edible and inedible butterflies.
Video:
0035 Ruddy-breasted Crake:
At last…the BBC!
May 4, 2024of the day….I received the download link for my…yes….you guessed right…that BBC (Blessed Birth Certificate)!
Entirely due to the contact given by the father of my friend Abhijit Menon-Sen, and the contact that gentleman gave me, I have finally got it the upright way.
Yes, it’s been a long and very bumpy ride, but what finally worked was Senior Contacts.
My profund simile: Getting a Government document is like a visit to the toilet by a constipated person. Either a suppository (variously called “sweetener”, “enabling fee”, “transfer of resources”..the sum mentioned was Rs.15k), OR pressure exerted from above, results in the matter emerging finally!
Now I exist officially, and can await death (and the death certificate) peacefully.
Deponti to the world 