Honagalu mara in the Western Ghats

Terminalia paniculata also known as the kindal tree.  A hardworking timber, and scientists are discovering wonderful medicinal properties in the bark.

The forests around Dandeli abound in these tall and magnificent trees, and seemed to be the main tree species around.

The delicate white flowers hummed with insects

And I could not stop admiring them

The fpale white flowers then fruit and seed into reddish brown winged seeds, similar to T Arjuna, bringing a flaming red to a few of the trees we saw.

The fig tree at the timber depot in Dandeli

Ficus mysorensis - the mysore fig, at the Timber Depot in Dandeli

As with all fig trees, an ecosystem in themselves.

The fruits loved by birds and squirrels, including the hornbills.

I could happily spend hours here.

The yellow fig fruits and the fig wasps 

The story of the fig and its wasp
Posted By Katie Kline on May 20, 2011

Inside the rounded fruit of a fig tree is a maze of flowers. That is, a fig is not actually a fruit; it is an inflorescence—a cluster of many flowers and seeds contained inside a bulbous stem. Because of this unusual arrangement, the seeds—technically the ovaries of the fig—require a specialized pollinator that is adapted to navigate within these confined quarters. Here begins the story of the relationship between figs and fig wasps.
The queen of the fig wasp is almost the perfect size for the job—except, despite her tiny body, she often times will lose her wings and antennae as she enters through a tight opening in the fig. “The only link the fig cavity has to the outside world is through a tiny bract-lined opening at the apex of the fig, called the ostiole, and it is by means of this passage that the pollinating fig wasp gains access to the florets,” as described in Figweb, a site by Iziko Museums of Cape Town.
Once inside, the queen travels within the chamber, depositing her eggs and simultaneously shedding the pollen she carried with her from another fig. This last task, while not the queen’s primary goal, is an important one: She is fertilizing the fig’s ovaries. After the queen has laid her eggs, she dies and is digested by the fig, providing nourishment. Once the queen’s eggs hatch, male and female wasps assume very different roles. They first mate with each other (yes, brothers and sisters), and then the females collect pollen—in some species, actively gathering it in a specialized pouch and in others, accumulating it inadvertently—while the wingless males begin carving a path to the fig’s exterior. This activity is not for their own escape but rather to create an opening for the females to exit. The females will pollinate another fig as queens. The males will spend their entire lifecycle within a single fruit.  Each species of Ficus has a corresponding specialized species of wasp that fertilizes it. 

There's a wonderful video on the Queen Of Trees.

The beautiful squirrel of peninsular India

Ratufa indica - another marvel endemic to India.  We saw these at Dandeli, in the timber depot, at our lodging and in the forests.

Shy and sticking to the upper canopy of large trees, their tails give them away.  More often heard than seen.

A wood spider at Dandeli

Find the giant wood spider in the enormous web that spanned a couple of trees.

Clue:  It is in the middle of the picture with a backdrop of a teak tree trunk.

And it is the female.  The males are tiny and inconspicuous.

You can also find a picture of it at Thattekad and Rishi Valley.  

Rain!

Kulagi camp. Cottage Shiroli verandah, Oct 10th 2016

Its been so long since I enjoyed the rain, just sitting in a chair, in good company, and watching the rain drops fall, and listening to the constant murmur and the leaves whooshing.

The lovely Slo Mo feature of the iPhone made it even more magical.  All through the day, in my head and on my lips was my childhood song, Listen to the falling rain.

I haven't been able to find the composer, but the version I heard was by Jose Feliciano

Listen to the pouring rain Listen to it run,
And with every drop of rain  You know I love you more
Let it rain all night long, Let my love for you go strong,
As long as we're together Who cares about the weather?
Listen to the falling rain, Listen to it run
, ……. And I'm here among the puddles, You and I together huddle.
Listen to the falling rain, Listen to it fall.

It's raining, It's pouring, The old man is snoring, Went to bad And he bumped his head, And He couldn't get up in the morning,

Listen to the falling rain, listen to the rain