These dragonflies are known as "Onathumbikal" in Malayalam, since they are commonly found close to the Onam festival.

I clicked this a year back

And here is the less impressive Male - "Onathumbi"
Also clicked last year

This one probably my most interesting Odonata photo - Though the photo is not that great in quality - it shows an Anax immaculifrons female trying to lay eggs.

This one was taken at the hill station of Panchgani in Maharashtra.

This Brachythemis contaminata from Mumbai's very own Powai Lake.

Also from Powai, the black line on it's back is a key to the positive id of this species - Crocothemis servillia.

Last one from Powai (at least for now). I've seen these dragonflies -Trithemis pallidinervis- everywhere.

Especially lots of them at the edge of Vihar lake inside SGNP, Mumbai.

This male -Neurothemis fulvia- from the smallest hillstation in the world - "Matheran".

The lake at Matheran is a great place to watch dragonflies.

These photos of a Orthetrum pruinosum clelia taken at one of the pereniel streams in the ever-green patch deep inside the Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra.

Very similar to the Common - Ceriagrion coramandalianum - but very easily distinguished by its striking orange colouration

These guys as there Common name suggests is very Common. Now-a-days India Nature Pixs has been receiving a lot of these guys from all over Peninsular India

These fellows have the most beautiful yellow legs

Shot this particular specimen in the outskirts of Calicut.

But I've seen these fellows before in Mumbai and lots of them around the Lake at Matheran.

These Black and White guys/gals are quite common.

But I seem to see the female more often.

One more from the archieves. Clicked this fellow very close the Conservation Education Centre in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai.

Logo-Trials

Here's three logos I designed for the Malabar Natural History Society for the upcoming All India Butterfly Meet that they are organizing at the Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary near Kannur in Kerala.


(Sadly since I had to leave for Europe to pursue my further studies I couldn't attend the Butterfly Meet and nor did I get the time to follow up on these logos so that they could be used)

@ Paithal Mala

Exactly a month back was @ the beautiful - Paithal Mala. In the north-eastern part of Kannur Distt. It's an enchanting places of Rubber Plantations and Forests that connect into some of the best forests of Karnataka. But alas, the Rain-Gods didn't let us to explore much.

It's supposed to be one of the best places in Kerala for trekking. December is a good season and quiet a few tourists flock in here from all over (India and World) to be one with nature.




I was using my Cousin's D70 and managed very few shots on this rainy day. Here's one of the better ones -

The Fulvous Pied Flat a 'lifer' for me.

This line drawing my me of Malabar Gliding Frog ,Rhacophorus malabaricus (Jerdon, 1870) has been used for the cover of the Malabar Natural History Society's quaterly newsletter - Trogon

Closing in on Wayanad

The very popular Tusharagiri Waterfalls. It's a great place for trekking - Guaranteed amazing sightings of birds, butterflies and Dragonflies.
In Calicut Distt., Kerala and just over an hour's drive from Calicut town.

The foothills of the Western Ghats
Calicut Distt., Kerala

Giant wood spider (Nephila maculate)
Tusharagiri, Calicut Distt., Kerala


Check the size difference between the male and female (The female being the larger)

Tusharagiri is a great place for spotting these fellows...
(Though very difficult to click a good sighting can be made here for sure)

Neurobasis chinensis chinensis - Male
Calicut, Kerala

Neurobasis chinensis chinensis - Female
Calicut, Kerala


These females are much more approachable than there male counterparts

Lots of these fellows there - Euphaea fraseri @ Tusharagiri, Calicut Distt., Kerala

Very easy to click these guys. They sit still even when you come very close.


Even got a lucky shot with its wings open.

From the Rock

The literal meaning of MadaiPara from Malayalam to English is 'Madai Rock'.

This amazing volcanic rock formation near the small town of Payangadi in the Kannur Distt. Of Kerala for some reason has a great biodiversity. This rock of a few sq-kms. area has a bird count of over 160 species.


A group of lessers taking off from the Rock.

Here's a proper snap of the Lesser Sand Plovers (Charadrius mongolus) @ Madai Para, Kannur distt., Kerala

The less impressive - female sunbeam


Check for the male in the archieves in the butterfly category.

The very common 4-ring

Lucky I got to see both the form of the Common Mime
i.e.

1. Clytia form - mimicing the Common Crow
2. Dissimilis form - mimicing the Blue Tiger

Both in one day.

Sorry but both of them were worn out specimens.

Mrs. Gaudy @ home

It was nice to have this female - Gaudy Baron- come to our house to feed on the fallen fruits below the Chiku tree.
















I had seen a male long back in Yeur (East side of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai). You can find this snap in the archives.

This one is a very common - Chesnut Bob - Though I've never managed decent snaps of this fellow

Common Tree Frog

This fellow flung out on to the lawn, when disturbed from his hide-out in a pot of Orchids by my dad this morning. Since he was stuck on the lawn I made the most of this opportunity to check him out thoroughly.

These body flattened spiders are usually found on trees where there cryptic colourization make it difficult to spot them and sometimes are also found of walls of houses (as in this case)

Found this Mantis @ a friend's estate close to Calicut

Butterfly Park

Along the southern slope of this volcanic rock hill is a dense forest patch with a great variety of butterflies, christened the 'Butterfly Park' by Dr. Jaffer Palot of the Malabar Natural History Society.



Though it is only a small patch (approx. 300m long and 100m wide) which is quiet close to the sea (Approx. 1Km); Dr. Jafer has recorded 115 species of butterflies here over the last decade or so, including some forest species.

In the past 2 day I was able to see + 40 species in just a few hours.

This snowflat was a 'lifer' for me

The Male Great Eggfly.















This is one of those very territorial butterflies that keep coming back to the same plant and chasing away most other species of butterflies.

This fellow has one of the most beautiful wing shapes - Tawny Coster


















This highly cropped image is all I could manage of this fellow.
I had recently seen his Yellow Cousin in Kasauli up north in the Himalayas.(Check the Yellow coster in the archieves)

The Female Common Baron from MadaiPara





















I still haven't managed a decent Upper shot

These spiders build large sheet-like webs with saccular retreats on fences; bushes etc and live together in large colonies.

Watch out for that Crab

Found the Crab Spider (family - Thomisidae) - an excellent ambush hunter -feeding on this Common Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe Linneaus).
In fact butterflies constitute a main part of there diet.

Monsoon Magic

A good morning of Sunshine and the beauties of Monsoon was
to be seen everywhere. There are insects everywhere. With a
sharp increase in food availability animal activity of all kinds is
on a high.


'Kate-she-did' or did she ?

There are lots of these Cheeky Fellows around here, but heard much more than they are seen.

Though I have to admit they are a lot easier to find then there Brown Headed Cousins.

His majesty 'the Pompadour Green Pigeon'

I've never been able to get a decent snap of these fellow, that's ofcourse till now, Angled Castor

These extremely colourful beetles are found in plenty during the Monsoons (because of a great increase in food availability).

Found this fellow starting off with a new web, must have lost the earlier one to the rains.

A kind of Signature Spider, Common name - Speckled Band Fourleg

Count Beauty

The beautiful yet mysterious - Grey Count.

Note: the Silver lining to the wings

Thanks to a small break in the rains, found these fellows today.

I think this is a Dark Cerulean.