Wild Trails

30/06/2024

African Openbill

26/06/2024

Nutcracker - Bhutan

24/06/2024

24/06/2024

Green Headed Tanagers - Costa Rica.

06/06/2024

This Father's Day Sun, 16 Jun, 2024, Serena Hotels is offering the following promotion for a minimum two-room stay at any of its lodges or camps in Kenya or Tanzania.

06/06/2024

Grey Apalis - Mt. kenya National Park

01/06/2024

Chestnut Throated Apalis - Kiambu County – Kenya.
As this forest itself faced threats of deforestation, we decided to visit it esp. for the Apalis.
This beautiful area of forest mark the Southernmost point of the Aberdares range and is a large expanse of relatively undisturbed rainforest. It's only 45 minutes drive from Nairobi so ideal for a day trip.
A stunning walk through the forest takes you to a river with misty waterfalls. If you look closely, you can see fresh elephant tracks and also find delicate orchids hidden in between branches. The trails feel relatively untouched, with old rickety bridges spanning the river.
Since our target bird was the Chestnut Throated Apalis, we concentrated the canopy of trees. Out long hike paid of within a hour. We saw a grey plumaged bird fly off the canopy and soon we saw a flock following the leading bird.
While the flock was in the flight we could not take photos due to thick vegetation but certainly noticed the dark grey lore, cheeks, and the dark grey tail with narrow white tips
What we noticed striking was the Chestnut throat. and the reddish-brown iris, black bill and the yellowish-pink legs.
The flock settled down on a tree. Its fluffy looking figure was quite deceiving. When one of the bird noticed us observing it using a binocular, it suddenly dropped its fluffy look down to a slim and elegant body which I supposed was the alarming to other.

29/05/2024

Snowy Owl - USA

25/05/2024

Hoffmann's Woodpecker.
Picked a hotel in Guanacaste in Costa Rica for clients well known for varieties of birds. Our target birds for today were the Hoffman’s and Red-crowned Woodpeckers.
We observed red Crowned act like the Hoffman’s and also sounds very similar. Fortunately for us we were not birding for both the species of woodpecker but concentrated on the feeder...so much easy for us to locate them.
I don't mean to sound contradictory but whoever thought of calling them “Red-Crowned” must not have noticed that most woodpecker species have red on their crowns.

23/05/2024

Wildebeests in the plains of Masai Mara.
We would leave around 6h for Masai Mara. It would be still dark with the soft glow of the dawn beginning to appear over the Mara. There were two reasons for leaving early. The main one was to get through the Oloololo gate into the park as soon after it opened and the second was to catch the sunrise with wildlife being active.
The colours were soft, saturated pastel shades and the vistas were captivatingly beautiful.
As we drove on the bumpy road out of the camp, it became a ritual to stop and try to capture the sublime atmosphere of the sunrise and to take in the smells and freshness of the bush first thing in the morning.
Each morning at sunrise we would see a hot air balloon preparing to or having just taken off. They slowly glide away on the early morning north-east to south-westerly breeze down along the Mara River and off towards the Tanzanian border.
The stillness of the early mornings creates a serene atmosphere, hiding the dramas on the plains the night before. We could hear wildebeests (Gnu) grunt, in the stillness of the soft morning pastel light. The small creatures which could not rise tall over the horizon unless they were on the ridge were missed as darkness below would hide them. But the larger animals like giraffe and similar presented a real sight.
At times we felt were bathing in the soft colours, and almost had to pinch yourself to be sure you were awake.
As the sun began to rise in the easterly sky, the warm sunrise glow started to fade, and it was time for the wildebeests and us to move to another pasture.

21/05/2024

Nyala miss sure death in Kruger.

18/05/2024

Birding in Bali - Indonesia
Bali has hundreds of different bird species. So when you head out with several knowledgeable field guides, you are sure to see unique birds such as the Java Kingfisher, Scarlet Headed Flowerpecker, Bar-Winged Prinia and the Black Winged Starling.
Walk through the Ubud Rice Terrace for birds, visit the botanical garden, West Bali National Park, mangrove for the aquatic birds and mammals, Mount Batukaru region and the butterfly garden.
A group of not more than 6 birders will be in each group.
For the detail birding itinerary and the other facts, please whatsapp 9869232114 or email - [email protected]

17/05/2024

Gorilla charges a woman in Volcanoes National Park - Rwanda.
Gemma celebrating her honeymoon with her husband was left in a state of shock when she was charged at and pushed over by a giant gorilla during a gorilla tracking safari in Rwanda.
The 300kg mountain gorilla charged across the long grass towards Gemma, dressed in a bright pink jacket, and shoving her to the floor.
She was knocked down in long grass for a split second while the wild animal moved away. The ranger later helped her to her feet.
But such trekking or tracking of gorilla or chimpanzees is never begun before each in the group (not more than 8 adults) having been briefed thoroughly.
Each person is asked to maintain a distance of at least 15 feet from the endangered mountain gorillas to reduce risks of transmitting human diseases.
Keeping a distance of 15 feet is also important especially when a gorilla decides to approach you. Move backwards slowly. If it is not possible to move backwards, then the only option is to remain still.
Never ever have a eye contact with the gorilla. Staring directly at the gorill might mistake it for hostility. Your body language counts a lot when with gorillas. Do not lift your arms or hands as they might be taken as signs of aggression. Standing taller than them and then staring may also be mistaken for aggression.
While observing the gorillas, tourists should not surround them but remain in a group. They should be given space to move about without feeling surrounded or threatened in any way.
Juveniles are particularly very inquisitive and will attempt to investigate you. Your items and bag should be closed and in place so that they don’t draw the attention of the inquisitive juveniles. Apart from limited disease spread, keeping a distance will prevent the primates from getting too used to humans. It will also prevent the primates from acting too familiar or even aggressive to groups after you.
The Rangers will let you know when it is safe to start taking photos. While taking photos of mountain gorillas, keep calm and limit your movements. Do not use your flash to avoid irritating the gorillas to the point of charging at you.
Sunglasses are also not allowed while with the gorillas. Their reflection on the glass might make them come to you to find out more.
Putting on bright colors might attract the attention of the gorillas. Perhaps the Pink Jacket she wore could have provoked the giant to charge Gemma.

15/05/2024

Saalumarada Thimmaka - 112 years old Green Warrior of Southern India.
“It was my fate to not have any children,” exclaimed Thimmakka in an interview. “Because of that, we planned to plant trees, raise them and get blessings".
Saalumaradha Thimmakka planted rows of banyan trees that lined the three-km stretch to her village Hulikal in Karnataka state in Southern India
Thimmakka's deep-rooted connection with nature guided her actions. She collected rainwater to nourish the saplings, protected them from harsh weather, and ensured their growth with unwavering dedication. Her selfless devotion earned her the title "Saalumarada" meaning "row of trees" in Kannada language.
Thimmakka was born in Gubbi Taluk of Mysore, presently in Karnataka. She was married to Chikkaiah, a native of Hulikal village. She received no formal education and worked as a casual labourer in a nearby quarry.
One day, while walking along a barren stretch of road, Thimmakka and her husband saw that there were no trees to provide shade. This sight inspired them to start planting trees along the road. They began by planting banyan and tamarind trees, and soon others in the village joined in as well.
Over the next several decades, Thimmakka and her husband planted over 8,000 trees along a four-kilometer stretch of road. This not only transformed the barren stretch of road into a lush green corridor, but also helped to improve the local environment. The trees helped to prevent soil erosion, improve the air quality, and provided a habitat for wildlife.
Thimmakka's work did not go unnoticed, and she soon became known as the "tree woman" of Karnataka. She was honored with many awards and also was praised for her contributions to the environment, including the National Citizen's Award from the Government of India.
The 112-year-old environmentalist was admitted to hospital for severe exacerbation of bronchial asthma. While in hospital, she suffered a heart attack in October 2023.
But she survived the fatal health issue and still is under medical treatment in hospital.

14/05/2024

Scorpio life pattern -
Scorpions give birth to live young instead of laying eggs. This takes even more energy. Because of this, males that remain near females after mating are sometimes killed and eaten
This provides nourishment to the female. As a last resort, scorpion mothers may even eat their offspring to survive.
Female scorpions give birth to approximately 100 offspring at once, which eventually devour their mother. What is astonishing is that the mother scorpion nurtures and protects her young, only for them to turn her into an enemy or opponent.
Upon birth, the babies immediately attach themselves to their mother’s back to ride on her back until they consume her entirely. feeding on her flesh until she is completely devoured.
Soon after that the scorpions detach from her back and begin living independently.