Maidenahalli–A great winter wildlife getaway from Bangalore

There are a lot of wildlife getaways from Bangalore, but most of them need the entire weekend, require bookings in advance and nearly always dent a big hole in your wallet. There is one place, which doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, but offers great quality and beauty.


That place is Maidenahalli and it is home to the Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve. It is situated at about 160kms or 3 and a half hours from Bangalore. If you are a visiting tourist, you can base yourself at any of the large range of hotels in Bangalore that cater to a wide range of budgets from budget accommodation to five star hotels.


So, if you are a bird watcher, a wildlife enthusiast, a nature photographer, a simple tourist or a picnicking family, Maidenhalli has enough in it to keep you spell bound for the entire day. It’s blackbucks are the center of everyone’s attraction. During the winter mornings, you can either see the males sparring at each other or if lucky might get to see the mating ritual.


Apart from the blackbucks, one can see a whole bunch of terrerstrial birds that include harriers, sandgrouses, bush larks and more. In fact, the grassland and the shrubland of Jayamangali ensures you can see a wide variety of birds if you are patient and sometimes really close to them.


The best part about Maidenahalli is the cheap entrance fees and the flexibility to explore the park’s tracks in your own vehicle and at your own pace. During noon time, you can rest in the shade next to the forest office and soak in the views from this high view point.


Apart from the wildlife extravaganza, you can also explore the Madhugiri fort and its colorful markets that are situated nearby. This place can be easily accessed from Bangalore and your Bangalore hotel should you be able to arrange a good day trip for you.

Continue Reading...

Wildlife Photography: Blackbuck Series from Maidenahalli

Jayamangali Blackbuck reserve situated about 150 kms from Bangalore is a great place to photograph blackbucks. The early mornings and late evenings are ideal as that is when the blackbucks graze the open grasslands and/or indulge in some horn-locking extravaganza.

 
The soft golden yellow light of the early morning and the late evening hours provide the best light to photograph these rare breed of antelopes. And during the afternoons, one can see these blackbucks resting in the shade, which doesn’t offer much activity due to the heat and also compromises on the lighting.

 
While shooting these blackbucks, refrain from making any sound and stay at least 40 feet away from them for an undisturbed photography session. The above and below images are part of a wildlife series of the Jayamangali Blackbucks shot at Maidenahalli. In this a blackbuck couple is walking these open grasslands when they notice my presence to check out the intruder. Then, after staring enough, they bolt and disappear from my range.

 
 

Continue Reading...

Tomatoes can really be very sweet!!

I distinctly remember savouring sweet tomatoes while I was vegetable shopping with my mum a couple of decades back. It has been a while since I tasted such tomatoes anywhere. The ones we get at the market are more tangy than sweet and one cannot enjoy tomatoes like a mango. I think it is the new generation of fertilizers and pesticides that take away the true taste of this fruit/vegetable.



But, I again got an opportunity to taste real sweet tomatoes when I dropped by an organic Tomato farm situated next to the Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve at Maidenahalli. In fact, I was on a wildlife safari, but lost my way and ended up here at the farm. While I was checking out the tomatoes here, the tomato growers invited me and my friends to taste their farm’s produce. As I dug in to the warm and sweet tomato, my childhood memories flooded back and I asked for a couple more to relish this taste for a longer while. Only the lord knows when the next such opportunity will come by…unless we start growing more of such organic products.

Continue Reading...

Indian Bush Lark at Maidenahalli

The Indian Bush Lark is a species of bushlark that is commonly found at the Jayamangali Blackbuck reserve in Maidenahalli. The tweets and cheeps of this bird can be regularly heard in the evening hours at Maidenahalli and that is what makes you take notice of this well camouflaged bird that sits on dry bush tops.

 
The Indian Busk Lark is also known as Red-winged Bushlark (Mirafra erythroptera). It’s song flight during the mating season is supposed to be an amazing spectacle. I hope to see it when I return to this forest in the monsoons.

Continue Reading...

Chestnut Bellied Sandgrouse from Maidenahalli

Sandgrouses are very pretty and well decorated birds and are typically found in hot and arid terrain, which are typically open grasslands and thorny bushes. The Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve at Maidenahalli mirrors some of the sandgrouse habitat and the sandgrouses are seen quite often here.

 
Though, the painted sandgrouse is the more exotic bird, it was my first ever sighting of the chestnut bellied sandgrouse and hence I was very elated. I saw these birds, primarily females, 3 different times during my entire day trip.

 
I nearly missed my first sighting of these birds when 2 females were sitting at the edge of the jeep track. They were so well camouflaged, but I guess a small movement gave them away. The intricate patterns on their feathers make them look nearly as exotic as the painted sandgrouse. 

 
These birds are known to be vegetarians in nature and are known to be travel quite a distance to satisfy their thirst. The chestnut-bellied sandgrouse is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

Continue Reading...