Wildflowers of Yercaud

I need help in identifying these little beauties that dotted the paths and undergrowth, on the slopes of the Yercaud range. I enjoyed looking for them.

The untrodden areas were covered with these little white stars.

A close-up of the same flower

Common Floss flowers (I think)was also common, especially in the more moist patches, on the banks of streams.

I have no idea what this dramatic spiky ball is!

Little Glories - so small that one could miss them entirely.

Common wood sorrel was everywhere.  This is puliyarai (Tamil) or khatti bhaj (Hindi),
huli soppu (Kannada), is eaten raw and is good for health.

Looks like jasmine doesn't it? Id needed.

Pink rain lilies!

Another unidentified beauty

I found this in more rocky areas.

Jamaican Blue Spikes were always humming with little bees and insects.

Morning Glory, indeed!

Apona Shevaroyensis

April/May 2018

This large brown moth was seen every night at the Yercaud Youreka camp. Attracted by the lights of the dining hall, they would come and sit on the rafters, as also rest on the floor. Unfortunately, the ambient light was poor and I had only my phone camera to depend upon.

The moth was a light brown, with hairy antlers and was around 12-15 cms wingspan.  It was slow and clumsy.

I went through Ryan Brook's amazing collection of moth pictures on Flickr, and have made a tentative guess.

Tentative id is Eupterote geminata

If it is a correct id, then this moth is seen ony in India and Sri Lanka, and was identified by someone called Walker in 1855!!

Update - 2022 - Thanks Sagarika.  Looks like Apona-shevaroyensis.  I will update the id.

Viraali - The Sand Olive or Sticky Hopbush tree

Dodonea angustifolia - An evergreen shrub that grows in rocky outcrops

I was fascinated by the gloss of its leaves. 

I would always find a butterfly or bee hovering around. 

It is used for firewood and for small implements, but is also good as a bee forage and for stabilising and reducing erosion.

A different purple - in the hills of Yercaud

April 2018

The hills were alive
with the colours of the Crepe Myrtle.
Pride of India.

Lagerstroemia

The Jacarandas of Yercaud town - a photo post

April 2018

Yercaud town was aflame in purple. Every estate, every street, around the lake, across the valley. Fallen flowers on the road, boughs laden with flowers in eye view....

The moorhen walk - Photos by Mr Ramanan

A bird that I am guilty of ignoring in my search for the winter visitors, the moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is a striking bird and an interesting one to observe, as it walks on lily pads and forages for food.

The adults get the red "cap".  And yes, both male and female are called moorhen!!

  

Nellikai!

Gnarled branches
jewelled white,
a delicate touch of pink.
Impermanent
Precious.

Coffee flowers

My first experience of the gentle but persistent fragrance of coffee flowers.

Beautiful of course.

My brain was confused.  The aroma memories of coffee so different from that of these blooms.  Delightful!

A week later, they were all gone.  I was glad for these pictures.

Mundapahar and Chidiyatapu - an Andaman photo essay

17th April 2017

Our Andaman explorations continued.  This was our last day at ANET, and we were headed to the southern most tip of south Andaman island, through the wooded forests of Chidiya Tapu and on to the trek off the Munda Pahar beach, to finally arrive at lands end, so to speak

We travelled in our mini bus upto a point where the farmlands gave way to forest, and from here we walked, in order to to spot birds and enjoy the sounds of the forest.

Massive trees like this grabbed my attention

And then I heard the bird before I spotted it.  The Andaman Shama! (Copsychus albiventris)

   

An important message greeted us as we came into the little hamlet of Chidiyatapu where we had breakfast.

The little enclosed cove at the hamlet

 

Peas and paratha - standard island fare,
we were told.

This row of shacks serves hungry tourists like us.  Simple, no fuss affairs.

Entering the Munda Pahar wildlife park and beach

Giant Sea Mahuas - an amazing sight

Yes they were rather massive.

A leaning Calophyllum added drama to the already dramatic setting.

The sands were littered with debris from the ocean, and  I dawdled here before the climb up the Munda Pahar hill. It was a cloudy day, and an Andaman Crested Serpent Eagle circled above.

The walk up was filled with views like this, that we caught whenever there was a gap in the tree cover.

Different depths added different colours to the waters.

We were all sweaty and hot by now

And then we were there!  Lands End.  Not for those with a fear of heights, and we stayed well away from the sheer cliff.  

Photo by Ashish with the Cinque islands in the horizon.  Those islands have a lovely sandy beach - we could see it through our binoculars.  We were told that there was some ill-advised "development" on that beach to host a Thai VIP, which was aborted when it led to quite a storm of bad PR.

A nesting pair of Pacific Reef Egrets occupied rocks on the edge of the cliff! - Photo by Ashish . As we watched them through our binoculars, I marvelled at how they looked so poised while the stiff wind blew across the cliff.

Our walk back down was gecko time, with Sathya of ANET 

Try spot it - beautifully camouflaged.

This better picture by Ashish.  There's a high degree of endemics on the islands, especially of reptiles.

Photo by Pritam - another variety

Photo by Pritam - This beauty was sunning itself.  Common Sun Skink?

Photo by Pritam - another view

Back to the beach and the Sea Mohuas, and some most welcome yelaneer!