Saying Goodbye to Nature Rambles

A colourful bug that I saw on the Garlic Creeper yesterday

Hello everyone! I haven't been regular here for a while. Despite starting this blog with the intention to share whatever bugs and other creatures that I see around me, my passion has now turned to food. It wasn't a sudden interest, I had been passionate about food and cooking all along but didn't really concentrate on writing recipes or a blog. But now I have started a food blog called Blending Flavours so much of my time will be spent working on it.

A variety of wild turmeric blooms under the mango tree

I would like thank everyone who stopped by and left your precious words. They have always inspired me to go out there and get more photos. On many occasions under our very hot sun, bending, crouching, kneeling, etc. All worthwhile. I'll always be a gardener and the sight of a bee, bird, or butterfly will make me stop and look and admire but I'll no longer be blogging here. Cheers to all my blog friends and visitors!

Nature Notes/Chandubi Lake

Last week we took the long (but not winding) road to Chandubi lake. The meaning of the word 'Chandubi" is- where the sun sets.The lake was formed by a devastating earthquake in 1897. The lake is spread over se I had always wanted to visit the area having heard much about the beauty of its surroundings. It's about 65 kms away from Guwahati. The weather was pleasant as it's getting warmer now and the trip was worth it. After crossing small towns, we drove through a beautiful tea garden. What made it more beautiful was the winter haze and the pale blue hills in the backdrop.

The tea garden as seen from a speeding car

A large flock of birds descend to feed on the grass seeds.

A pair of Purple Swamphen

Swamphens have a dazzling plumage. They are known to be excellent swimmers and are commonly seen on the edges of water bodies.

A Common Stonechat

Besides these birds, I saw several egrets, cormorants, the white-breasted water hens, and a blue jay.

The delicate bloom of a Bush Morning Glory

 Bush morning glories are shrubs that grow to 1.5m in height. They are mostly seen on the edge of rice fields and wetlands. Like other blooms from the same family, the flowers close by mid-day.

By the time the boat returned to the bank, the sun was warmer and I caught the gold reflected on the calm waters. As we headed back home I was glad we visited the place but sad that visitors to the spot do not care about wildlife at all. Loud music played by picnickers are driving away most birds. The litter that's left by revellers is another sad tale. The Bombay Natural History Society and the International Bird Conservation Network had declared this site as an Important Birds Area some time ago.

To see more posts on nature, visit Michelle's Rambling Woods.

Some Sights From Diyungmukh

Sunrise as seen across the river at Diyungmukh

Floss flowers bloom in the foreground

 I haven't been able to blog as regularly as before but i'd like to share some of the pictures taken on a recent trip to a place called Diyungmukh. It's a four-hour-drive from where I live and where the river Kopili has some of the most beautiful stretches. During this season, one of the most invasive weeds of our region blooms prolifically. There are endless stretches of pale blue floss flowers on both sides of the road, on the edges of fields, and of course on  the river bank as well.

The blooms are attractive to butterflies. I found a female Leopard Lacewing butterfly feeding on a cluster of these blooms. 

And here's a male Leopard Lacewing butterfly resting on a lantana leaf-- another weed commonly found in our area. 

A green snake. Not a common sight and certainly a first-time photo-op for me.

I found a flock of chestnut-tailed starlings perched high up on this tall tree. My camera isn't good enough to get really clear shots but I'm happy I got these blue-beaked darlings huddled together.

A flock of chestnut-tailed starlings

Thank you for stopping by today. May this New Year bring you peace and happiness!

I'm linking up to Michelle's Nature Notes.