POGEYAN

El Cielo - The cloudforest

2007-11-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

A trip back to Brownsville wouldn't quite have been complete without a trip
down to our field station in Mexico - Rancho del Cielo. It's been over a
year since I visited this cloudforest biosphere reserve in North-Eastern
Mexico. The first time I visited El Cielo was back in 1994 as a member of
the Gorgas Science Society at UT-Brownsville.
This was the first time I've been here 'without' a camera. Yep, no camera.
This image of a typical sunrise I post here is from many years ago.
Some of the most spectacular sunrises I've ever seen have been from the
'lookout' - a small wooden platform built overlooking the plains towards the
Gulf of Mexico.
It's always a treat to wake up early in the morning and head out from the
camp while it's still dark. Make your way by headlamp along the trail in the
silence of dawn and find a nice comfortable spot on the platform.... then
wait.
At first, all you see is the beautiful blue dawn sky merging into light hues
of orange at the edge of the horizon. In front and almost beneath you - a
soft blanket of clouds stretching like an ocean all the way to the horizon.
To the south you can sometimes see the peak of 'el Sombrero' sticking up
above the clouds. And as you sit and absorb the atmosphere all around, and
the light hues in the distant horizon gets rich with colour then fades as it
starts getting brighter and then the dawn chorus begins. First its a series
of short, sharp whistles, rising in crescendo until it breaks down in a
flutter of whistles of varying tones - a singing quail. Then, the mountain
trogon, and then the spot-breated wren, and before you know it, a whole
medley of calls break out all around... And then the sun rises over the
horizon. Truly magical.

But it doesn't end there. Once the sun rises over the clouds, it heats up
the surface of the clouds, and now you see the clouds move like soft ocean
waves, getting puffier as the sun gets warmer, and within a half hour the
soft blanket of clouds rises and blows right into the ledge that you are
sitting on. And before you know it, the sun disappears and now you know why
you are in a cloudforest.

The cloudforest part of El Cielo biosphere reserve lies along a 5 mile long,
escarpment along the edge of the Sierra madre oriental. This little ledge is
the transition zone for many species - species like the podocarpus trees
reach their northern-most limit here, while species like sugar maple rach
their southern most limit here, and you'll see both these vastly different
species growing next to each other. This spectacular assemblage of flora
leads to an equally spectacular array of fauna, many tropical species of
birds, mammals and reptiles which reach their northern-most limits here in
this mountain range.

Anyways, I was here just for a couple of days this trip mainly as crew,
helping cook, wash dishes and make margaritas :) but nonetheless it was good
fun. The group that was there was big into birding and butterflies, and anyways here's a link to their blog on the trip - http://birdernaturalist.blogspot.com

Back to America

2007-10-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

After nearly a year out in the field in India I've had to return briefly to the US to keep my residency status intact. Was in the airport buying a brownie while CNN was playing in the background, and in it's breaking NewsFlash, a report came in about this lady who was unable to take care of her high-energy dog and gave it to the pet rescue shelter, which in turn found a new home for the puppy. In the meantime the person who gave away the dog decided she wants it back, but the person in charge at the rescue center had already given it away...so the lady (donor) puts a death threat on this person, and a three-member heated discussion is taking place about this 'pressing issue'... and I shake my head, pay for my brownie, and just as I'm leaving another announcement, "coming up, 11 year old school-children in Pennsylvania to be given free contraceptives/birth control...parents upset about this new legislation"
Somehow it feels like I'm on some other planet...

If that's not enough, have you heard about the 'Great Wall of America' ? Well it certainly isn't going to be as incredibly striking and majestic as the Great Wall of china... but it will certainly be one of the most ecologically destructive and useless constructions of the century. It's already become a reality in various parts along the border, but if this wall happens here along the Rio Grande river in South Texas, not only will it be the nail in the coffin for many already endangered animals like Ocelots, jaguarundis, etc. it will also ensure the death of the Rio Grande - the fluid emblem and lifeline of south Texas and North-eastern Mexico.

If you would like to learn more about this and voice your concern click here:
NO BORDER WALL

Photo of the day

2007-09-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

Since I'm too lazy to write stuff, and I still want to put up a picture or two from the field, I think I'll start a photo of the day blog... they do say that a picture is worth a million words ;)
So for now, I'll just put the picture here.

Hmmm, if I were to boil it down to the best shot of the day, I'd give it to the cormorant.

This is what it's been like for most of the trip... rain, rain and more rain...

Black and White

2007-09-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Mountains of the Monsoon...

2007-09-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today (actually yesterday) was an amzing day. We drove from Valparai towards Top Slip filming along the way. At Top Slip the weather was wonderful...nice and sunny. Over the last week, it's just been pouring constantly, so a bit of sunshine was a welcome relief.
I'm a bit too lazy to write right now...it's nearly 3 AM and it's been a long day... but here are a few pictures from our day out...

Spent the whole afternoon with this small herd of elephants near valparai. This was the rear gaurd for the herd, turning to face us while the others walked down the road.

This picture up here deserves a very close look...

More pictures and stuff tomorrow.... maybe

Jog Falls

2007-09-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Seems like i've lost all track of time, dates and sequence of events... so anyways, sometime ago my sister and I drove up to Jog Falls. It was spectacular! It took us a good 8 hours to get there from Bangalore, and luckily enough there had been plenty of rainfall.

Here's a view from the edge of the waterfall. At Jog Falls the Sharavathy river plummets 253 metres forming one of India's highest waterfalls.

To the land of the cloud goats

2007-07-27T22:15:00.000-07:00

It's the peak of the monsoon, and it is time for the annual rut of the Nilgiri Tahr. What is a Nilgiri tahr? Here's a quick link to find out more - nilgiri tahr.

We are off to film these animals as they descend from their high peaks onto the grassy plateaus of the southern Western Ghats.

Quick update

2007-06-17T12:24:00.000-07:00

As usual lots going on and don't know where to begin... Last I wrote we had just returned from filming elephants in the Kabini Backwaters and were headed to Valparai to film the Purple Frog - Nasikabatrachus. What follows is a whole cycle of events that is/was and still is dictated by the erratic weather patterns. Call it global warming or what you will, but there is certainly a change in the weather which makes all the planning even more difficult.
The meteorologists predicted an early monsoon, so we rushed across to film the Elephants converging in the backwaters. Every year large numbers of these incredible pachyderms gather in the backwaters in what is in fact, the largest congregation of Asiatic elephants in the wild. Being amongst them all day long was simply magical.
Spent several days here filming and as predicted the monsoons came in early with huge build up of clouds and we were glad that we spent a few days in Kabini before the rains came and the elephants dispersed. While we were here we heard that the frog had already emerged in Valparai. These frogs spend nearly all year underground and come out for hardly two weeks.

They only come out during the very first rains, mate and disappear back underground until the next monsoons. So getting here immediately was critical. We rushed down here, and it was pouring rain. The monsoons were here and the frogs were coming out. We found 3 females and the males were heard calling from deep underground. A loud typical frog-like croak that emanated from within the ground.

The males are less than half the size of the females.

We expected to see a mass emergence, but the next day the rains disappeared. A few days later we were having clear blue skies and white puffy clouds. The ground was dry again and suddenly the continuous call of the purple frog completely died out. The change in the weather obviously interrupted the behaviour we were there to film. So we waited for the next week, hoping the rains would come again and activity would once again resume.... nothing happened. No rains. The monsoons had vanished. We had no idea why. In the menatime we kept ourselves busy and entertained filming a variety of other creatures.
The most entertaining of the lot was a troupe of Lion-tailed macaques that are as unafraid as the common Bonnet macaques found around temples.
After getting used to our presence one came down and literally sat on the camera...hard to think of them as this highly endangered, endemic monkey that I was there to film.

Mischievous monkeys apart, we did spend a good amount of time getting to know the area and exploring neighbouring sanctuaries. One night I was privileged to be taken out on a night walk with Nandini, a researcher studying Flying squirrels. I was amazed to see over a dozen flying squirrels in a short walk just outside the bustling town of Valparai. They were a bit high, but managed to get a few images and look forward to getting back down there when the fig trees are in fruit.

One of my personal favourites from the trip was this Lizard I found on the busy road. It's known as Calotes grandisquamis and most likely would've been grandissquashish if we hadn't picked him off the road. We did find another specimen which had been squased on the road. But this is certainly one of the most beautiful lizards I've seen.

ok, more to write, but wil do that tomorrow.

Heading south

2007-05-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I hoped to update the blog while in bangalore, but after a hectic two days of simply unpacking, regouping, checking mail, etc. we are headed south again - this time to the Anamalais in the souther part of the Western Ghats. The monsoons have just begun to set over the coast and there have been some heavy showers inland. When these first downpours touch ground, the leaf litter just comes to life. Amongst the millions of leeches you will also find a dazzling variety of colourful frogs! And that's what I'm after...in particular one extraordinary frog whose name is quite a mouthful - Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis.
Ok gtg - will update soon!

Cheers
Sandesh

Images

2007-05-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sunrise at tiger hill - Darjeeling

ok - i give up.... this internet connection is way too slow for uploading images...

North East Himalayas

2007-04-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

These past several months have just zipped by with too many things to do... not that i'm complaining, but i've certainly lost track of where i've been and what i've been doing and I've enjoyed every moment of it!
This blogging thing is just not happening. Most of the time I'm very 'unconnected' and even if there was time to connect it's mostly to catch up on email...

Right now I'm in Kalimpong close to the border of sikkim and bhutan. Yesterday I was in Nepal..actually in and out of Nepal as we headed up a bumpy road to sandakphu in singalila national park. It was an amazing journey. Woke up at 4 AM to an amazing view of Kanchendzonga and saw the distant peak of Mount Everest :D

Will try and post a few pictures in the next couple of days. I've already seen a plethora of unidentified birds and things and tomorrow I'm hoping to catch a glimpse of red pandas in the wild! Wish me luck.

Photo Exhibition - A Field Guide to Life on Earth

2007-02-07T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I've been out traveling for much of the last two weeks and will soon post some pretty interesting images and stories from the high mountains of India's southern Western Ghats. Recently I found out that a few of my images are being showcased in an exhibition - A Field Guide to Life on Earth - so if anyone is in the area, please do check it out and let me know how it was.

Here's the information:

Masterworks from the International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP)
FEBRUARY 3 - APRIL 29, 2007

Mass Audubon Visual Arts Center
963 Washington St
Canton MA 02021
ph: 781-821-8853 / fx: 781-821-8733

Regular admission fees apply (Free for Mass Audubon members, $4 adults, $3 children and seniors)

Don't miss this opportunity to see extraordinary images by some of the world's best photographers--all dedicated to creating a culture of appreciation, understanding, and stewardship for the natural world through photography.

Photo by Sandesh Kadur

Participating photographers are: James Balog, Annie Griffiths Belt, Gary Braasch, Connie Bransilver, David Doubilet, Amy Gulick, Sandesh Kadur, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Stephen Maka, Thomas Mangelsen, Cristina Mittermeier, Michael "Nick" Nichols, Pete Oxford, Chris Rainier, Patricio Robles Gil, Kevin Schafer, Wendy Shattil, Igor Shpilenok, Brian Skerry, Roy Toft, Carlton Ward Jr., Michele Westmorland, Staffan Widstrand, Art Wolfe and Christian Ziegler.

The exhibition includes some of the photographers’ favorite images and represents a cross section of the many conservation interests of the ILCP.

hmmmm

2007-01-13T13:04:00.000-08:00

A New Year

2007-01-04T07:35:00.000-08:00

It may be just another day, but its not just another day when you see tigers on new years' day! Sorry, no pictures this time..
Here's the sunrise on the first day of the new year at Kgudi in BR hills.

Happy new year to all!
Sandesh

Merry Christmas - Nagarhole

2006-12-26T04:41:00.000-08:00

Spent Christmas day sitting in a watchtower in Nagarhole National Park. At around 445 in the evening a beautiful tigress walked out of the forest into the clearing by the tower and walked around totally unperturbed. Srikanth got some lovely shots, and Swati from NDTV got some great footage - i simply watched it, although I did manage a few wobbly shots with my camera as well.

Photo courtesy: Srikanth GP

On Christmas Eve we did see a tiger (may have been the same animal as the one above) late in the evening cross a view lane, but didn't get a very good look... But still, it was amazing!

Wonderful way to end the year... in wilderness and harmony... the only place I'd rather be

Season's greetings to all,
Sandesh

Coorg Wedding

2006-12-19T17:48:00.000-08:00

Recently a friend of mine, Diya got married in a festive, beautiful Kodava Wedding.

The best part of a Coorgi wedding is that there are no priests and ceremonies. There's a lot of drinking and dancing...

Ooty -Nilgiris Dec 2nd

2006-12-02T17:07:00.000-08:00

Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival NOV 9-12

2006-11-09T00:26:00.000-08:00

If you are in and around South Texas, come by this evening (Thursday) at 700 PM to the Harlingen Municipal Auditorium. I'll be giving a keynote about Indian wildlife and also a photo exhibition and book-signing.

For more information visit:
http://rgvbirdfest.com/festival.asp

Cheers,
Sandesh

On the trail of a Man-eating tiger...

2006-11-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, Here's a picture of the tigress for now...

Full Moons and full blooms

2006-10-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

Spectacular bloom of Kurinji on the Eastern Slopes of the Western Ghats near Munnar.

Rushed back down to Munnar to capture more of the spectacular Kurinji Blossoms and it happened to coincide with a full moon.
The rains have yet to cease in Munnar... It's unusual for it to be pouring down like this in October.

A Sambhar stag poises on the horizon amidst a fresh bloom of Kurinji.

Off to the UK for Wildscreen - the mecca for wildlife filmmakers.
Will be back in a week.

cheers,
Sandesh

Blogging blues

2006-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

I've realised how difficult it is to keep up with a blog, especially when internet is not easily accessible. But it also consumes too much time and its best left untouched until all the other work is completed.
Anyways, in the last week or two, I've had an encounter with a man-eating tiger in a coffee-estate near Nagarhole, witnessed the spectacular Mysore Dasara festival, and currently am getting ready to head back down to Munnar to film the last of the Kurinji blossoms.

More to follow.... hopefully soon :)

Munnar, India

2006-09-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

My sister Sangeetha along with Barbora (Czech) & Petra (slovakia) head down a slippery ridge at a place called 'suicide point' in Rajamallay. The clouds swell up and completely envelope the mountain here making it impossible to see the valley floor below.

The Western Ghats....

Kurinji - Flowers once every twelve years!

Nilgiri Tahr in rain

Will edit and write something later, but here's a few images for now.
This place is spectacular. No time for the internet here. But I had to download some images and also found an internet place, so here are a few images from here...

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2006-09-10T05:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a terribly long flight already and for anyone flying to or from India from the US (exception - west coast residents) I would highly recommend against this route. It's a long flight followed by a long layover in Kuala Lumpur. Took a quick shower and headed out to town. Tried a couple of different fruits in the China Town market. They looked interesting and ended up being quite tasty.

This one is called a Rembutan - reddish fruit with a thorny outer texture. The fruit tastes similar to an oversized litchi.

These two guys seemed utterly mesmerised at the caged birds and just sat there watching...

Did a quick bit of the tourist circle in KL but wasn't really interesting. Should've spent more time in the market :)

Cheers,
Sandesh

Full Moon

2006-09-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

Well the full moon was yesterday, but for some reason I missed it. Here's the moon tonight.

It's always difficult to make a good image of a full moon. I couldn't spend too much time trying as I 'm in the midst of packing to leave to India.
Anyways, here's a picture...

Colour & Motion

2006-09-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

Two images of the same subjects (my cousins Vydhehi and Mridul) - walking down the sidewalk in Baltimore.
Picture above - created to induce movement and blur makes for a more interesting picture (atleast for me)

Urban Landscape

2006-08-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

Using hubcaps for horse eyes, rusted car bumpers for legs, and all sorts of other junkyard parts, the blackfeet indian reservation in Montana have created this really cool modern art sculpture along the highway that leads to Glacier National Park. Photographed from a low angle, the art almost seems alive.

2006-08-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

The Rise Of India

Interesting, optimistic and well presented news piece about India.

Pogeyan

2006-08-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

Recently a number of people have asked me, "What's with all the funny names?" Even my mom went off rambling words like, Cusco, Pisco, Machu Picchu, Jocotoco (pronounced 'Hocotoco'), etc. etc. For some, most of these are everyday words, while for others it strikes intrigue and maybe even a funny grin. Many have asked me about the pogeyan before and I feel compelled to give an explanation. But for now, there really is no certain explanation so I hope that word continues to intrigue you as it does me.
So, for the moment let's just say that it's - a word that represents the beauty and mystery of what lies undiscovered.....
And that is probably what drives our fascination for the natural world around us and hopefully inspires us to protect what little is left.

Grizzlies - Glacier National Park

2006-08-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

ok, big jump, back to Estados Unidos... My sister reminded me that I haven't posted how many Grizzlies we saw while in Glacier for two days. So here's a picture - A mother and two cubs.

This mother was actually one that had been radio-collared and was resting on the gravel mountain slope by the side of the road in the Many Glacier part of Glacier National Park. I heard this area was the best to see grizzlies, so while I was there, I made sure I got to this part, which is close to the Canadian Border.

In total though we saw ELEVEN Grizzlies!! All in pretty much the same area. We saw another mother with two cubs walking across a glacier high up the mountain. Then we saw another mother with cubs that were perhaps two-years old, and on the banks of a reservoir we saw another mother with one cub. The funny thing is that we never saw a single Black bear, and apparently the black bears are supposed to be more common! Regardless it was a great experience to see these beautiful animals in the wild.
Grizzlies aside, we alse saw the Rocky mountain mountain goat (bit of redundancy in that name, eh?), Big Horn Sheep, Moose, Elk, Ground Squirrels, Rocky mountain Marmot ( a big rodent), and nuthatches, ospreys, etc. It was a great trip!

Cheers,
Sandesh

And..ofcourse... the Llamas

2006-08-03T02:02:00.000-07:00

It's really hard to imagine how bizarre these creatures are until you actually stand by their side. They look like sheep on steroids with the neck of a camel, albeit much shorter. They have pretty short tempers too, so if you get too close you receive a 'warning spit'. That's usually enough to keep unruly tourists at bay ...
It was amusing just to sit there and watch as tourists entered Machu Picchu, see the rumble and the rocks, take pictures, then they turn their heads and see their first Llama, and their jaws drop, they grab their partner or camera and rush towards the animal, and snap, poise snap! So the Llamas probably get as many, if not more pictures taken than the ruins themselves. Ofcourse if you can put a Llama and the ruins in the same picture, even better!
But herding the animal to the right spot may be a bit of a task considering its short temper...

Wiki says: The llama (Lama glama) is a large camelid that originated in North America and then later on moved to South America. The term llama is sometimes used more broadly, to indicate any of the four closely related animals that make up the South American branch of the family Camelidae: the true llama, the vicuña, alpaca, and guanaco. They were used as a system of transportation for the Incas.
Occasionally, llamas do spit at each other or people. The habit of spitting is a defense mechanism. However, usually, a llama would prefer to run away before confronting their assumed aggressor. The spitting behavior is believed to be a direct result of their usually shy disposition.
For more information about llamas, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llama

Pics from Machu Picchu, Peru

2006-07-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Probably one among the most photographed locations in the world, Machu Picchu although still retains a charm that certain other wonders of the world seem to have lost. Inspite of receiving over a thousand tourists every day, there's not a piece of trash visible anywhere in the area. It's intricate architecture in such a rugged area will certainly amaze anybody, and if the sight doesn't take your breath away, the elevation certainly will!

Photographing the setting sun over Machu Picchu, or rather simply being there to watch the sun set beyond the ruins is truly unforgettable. I was just sitting there watching as the ruins fell into shadow, and the voices of a thousand tourists faded into the distance, when this photographer appeared on the scene. I had to take a picture.

Many compare the ruins of Machu Picchu to the ruins of the Vijayanagara empire in Hampi, southern India. I can certainly see why. Water for irrigation flows along stone cut waterways, massive walls and meticulous planning are a few things that quickly come to mind.

... and ofcourse, the Vischacha. Walking around the ruins, I kept wondering what this urinal-like smell was coming from certain corners. My questions were answered when I saw this strange creature. It looks like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel.

Lagidium peruanum, one of several recognized species of "Mountain Viscachas," lives in the Andes Mountains of Peru at elevations ranging from approximately 3,000-5,000 meters. This corresponds to the area contained between the timber and snow lines.

More to come... What's more popular at Machu Picchu than the ruins?

Cheers,
Sandesh

Cusco, Peru

2006-07-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Cusco - a beautiful little spanish colonial town in the Andes is where I've been the last couple of days. Took a trip to Machu Picchu as well. Very touristy, but nonetheless, this area literally takes your breath away, and it's not just the elevation.
Barry Walker, a British ornithologist who was with me on the Expedition has been my host here in Cusco. He's been living here for over 25 years and owns a pub called Crosskeys located in the main plaza at Cusco. That's where I was introduced to Pisco sour. Seems like a national drink. It's great! ;-) highly recommended.

Heading back to Estados Unidos (USA) tomorrow.

sleepy...

Ciao,
Sandesh

Day... (I have no idea)

2006-07-20T11:23:00.000-07:00

It's been one of the most gruelling expeditions I've been on, but it was well worth it! Even caught a glimpse of the elusive Jocotoco Antpitta high in the Cordillera del Condor of Peru.
Right now I'm at the airport on my way to Cuzco to see the ruins of Machu Picchu.
More field notes, and trip reports of the expedition in a few days.
Cheers,
Sandesh

Day 3 continued..Jaen

2006-06-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

THE ANDES

Here´s the view from the plane as we flew to Chiclayo. THe dry,cold Andes seen from the Pacific side

The very popular ´Motokar´the popular taxi in these parts.

...and ofcourse, the omnipresent Beetle!

Haven´t seen muc in terms of birdlife etc. but tomorrow we leave to the little town of siete de Agosto which is close to the Border to Ecaudor. We leave the jeep behind here,as thislittle town is as far as you can go by jeep. Wewill reach here by evening and trek up the mountain for a few hours and possibly camp the night somewhere. The next morning we then continue the to the lower base camp. THis is where we will meet the rest of the team.
So for now, goodbye to all, and hope all of you have a good summer (or winter as that is what it is here)
Cheers,
Sandesh

Day 3 - Jaen - Northern Peru

2006-06-28T08:54:00.000-07:00

Spent the rest of Day one visiting the Museo de Oro (Museum of Gold) and walkig around the streets of Miraflores in Lima. Had a nice dinner, and a great Sangria. Looked for books of reptiles and amphibians or something along those lines, but found nothing.
Next day, all the bags arrived and we took the evening flight to Chiclayo, a beautiful little town on the coast of northern Peru.
From here we took an all night bus East into the mountains , and right now I´m sitting in a little dungeon of an internet cafe updating this blog. We should´ve had another ten hour jeep drive from here to the end of the road this morning, but due to robbery and stuff, our guide decided to stay the rest of the day here and leave at 500AM tomorrow morning.
THis little town of Jaen is at the foothills of the Andes and looks incredible. Humid, moist, and richly tropical. I can´t wait to get to our campsite!
It may be the last time I blog for a while!
Cheers to all, and take care.
Best wishes,
Sandesh

Lima, Peru - Day 1

2006-06-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

After two long days and sleepless nights, I finally packed up all my gear (150 pounds - and i was packing light) for what is the start of a six week trip to the cordillera del condor mountain range that hugs the border between Peru and Ecaudor. It all started with me going to the wrong airport (i blame that on ´no sleep´), but regardless they were kind enough to connect me all the way through to Lima. Met up with the rest of the crew in Miami and took the 5 PM flight to Lima. Reached Lima at 930 PM and was happy to see all 3 of my bags arrive. Two of the other crew members did not receive their bags, inspite of starting from the correct airport...
so we´re stuck here in Lima until we receive the baggage.

Beautiful weather here in Lima - overcast skies, 20 degrees C, and very pleasant.ç
I went out this morning for a walk, and saw many new species. For now, they are all, Peruvian tern, Peruvian, gull, Peruvian pelican, and peruvian cormorant...and when I find a bird guide, I´ll try to figure out what they really are...

Here are a few images.
Enjoy,
Best regards,
Sandesh

Lima city from beach

Ofcourse - SLUG BUG!!

Turtle days and Coyote Nights

2006-06-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

Spent the last fifteen days or so filming the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle in North-eastern Mexico at a place known as Rancho Nuevo. My crew: Skip Hobbie who I met recently at IWFF in Missoula, Montana, and my cousin, Jay, better known as 'El Primo'. We spent this time here in the hopes of seeing a big 'arribada' - or the 'Great Arrival' of turtles. This happened the day Mexico was playing Iran in the World Cup. The turtle camp volunteers had a difficult decision to make, and the redeeming fact was that the arribada report came in close to the finishing stages of the match which Mexico won - 3-1.

A Kemp's Ridley sea turtle showels sand into the air (and onto my lens, camera, face and hair) as she digs her nest along the beach at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico.

As many of you know, the beach is a terrible place to film. The sand gets everywhere, there's a constant breeze coating the lens with salt spray and with the sun peaking at a 100 degrees Fahrenheit by 930 AM, it's certainly quite a challenge.
Regardless, inspite of sprained ankles and sleepless nights, we gathered some incredible footage on High-Definition about not only the Kemp's ridley sea turtle, but also about the natural history of the region.

Here are a few images from the trip.
Cheers,
Sandesh

Crested Caracara - landing on the beach to scare off a few Turkey Vultures that were feeding on a dead Sheepshead fish. The Caracara is the National Bird of Mexico.

Filming turtles

2006-06-01T00:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy couple of days, but finally I'm almost al packed, and almost ready to head down to film Kemp's Ridley sea turtles on the beach. I'll be down there for two weeks and hope to capture new footage with some High-def video equipment.
Here's a short trailer I put together some time ago from about the Kemp's Ridley documentary.
Well, it didn't quite work, so here's an image for now.... I'll post the trailer when I get back.

Cheers,
Sandesh

Glacier National Park

2006-05-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

What an amazing national park! From snow-capped peaks to Grizzlies, this place had it all... it was truly spectacular. I wish I could have spent more time here. If anyone guesses the exact number of grizzlies we saw in two days they are in for a reward ... (to be determined...) - and if you know the answer already you are pre-disqualified!

Elk running across the road at the entrance to Glacier

Although Glacier National Park was still officially closed, there were still a few places to stay at and wildlife was fairly abundant and amongst the most abundant critters were these Richardson's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii). They were quite ubiquitous throughout the park, although quite shy when approached. The boldest ones were ofcourse the ones by the Picnic spot, and I spent quite a while laying on my belly and crawling upto them.

Canon 5D with 500mm f/4 wt. Sigma 1.4X teleconverter

Richardson's Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsonii)
'.....it often stands erect on its hindlegs to survey its surroundings, and has acquired the nickname "Picket Pin." It is also called "Flickertail," for the way it accompanies its shrill whistle with a flick of its tail. This ground squirrel hibernates from September through January, February, or March. It also goes through a prehibernation period after the juveniles emerge, and sometimes estivates in the hottest months, often beginning in July. Its diet includes a variety of insects—-especially crickets, grasshoppers, and caterpillars—-as well as the seeds, leaves, and stems of many kinds of plants.' (source: eNature.com)

Rainbows and storms

2006-05-26T21:59:00.000-07:00

Everyday I wondered why... why was i lugging around my heavy camera, Why can't I leave it behind, why don't I get myself a smaller lighter, pocket camera... well, on the final day of IWFF after the gala prize distribution, the weather turned, and all of a sudden dark clouds had rolled into Missoula, and a storm was about to break. The light was magical, my camera was ready, and a rainbow emerged by the bridge. As I ran out there to take some pictures, in the rain, two girls, who seemed to love the change in weather began crossing the bridge behind me. With them as my main subjects, I made a series of pictures highlighting the rainbow.
Sometimes.... it does pay off to carry your camera around - everywhere!

Reflections

2006-05-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

On Thursday IWFF treated its delegates to a wonderful evening at Firecreek Ranch for the annual Western Barn Dance. As I walked into the ranch I saw a few people trying their hand at Fly-fishing, and as I walked towards them to get a closer look, this image of a lady sitting on a fence caught my eye. Her reflection in the water was perfect. The overcast sky, brought out a faint image of the sun adding soft, diffused light to the image.

Beetle-mania

2006-05-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

Canon 5D wt. 24-135mm lens

I may have to start a separate blog just for VW images, but for now here's one of my favourite from the back of an orange convertible VW. Thanks Lani for the drive...

Canon 5D wt. Sigma 15-30mm wide-angle lens 1/6 s @ f 16

Upcoming Event - IWFF

2006-05-13T15:28:00.001-07:00

The International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, Montana is hosting an exhibit of images from the book - SAHYADRIS: India's Western Ghats - A Vanishing Heritage. If you would like to see the exhibit come by the Roxy theater.

FRIDAY - May 19th 2006 - 1pm - 2pm

A Traditional Indian Buffet Lunch @ Roxy Theater
Sponsored by the Gorgas Science Foundation and the University of Texas at Brownsville/Texas Southmost College, in support of the Western Ghats. Please join Sandesh Kadur, producer, photographer and author, as he unveils the beauty and current conservation efforts to save India's Western Ghats.

Lunch provided by Tipu's Tiger East Indian Cafe. Open to all Registered Delegates with badges or with Friday Day Pass; General Public by advanced tickets, $25/person.

Slug Bug City - USA

2006-05-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

So far I'll rank Missoula, Montana as the VW Beetle capital of the country. From hot pink to rusty baby blue, Missoula has an incredibly diverse variety of VW's.
Apart from watching the Beetles, I'm having an incredible time here. The people are very friendly, the town is beautiful, the weather has been gorgeous, the full moon is shining incredibly bright, and a million other things about this place make it a wonderful place to visit.

Will put up some information about the International Wildlife Film Festival tomorrow.

Wildlife - Montana

2006-05-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

White-tailed deer - Rattlesnake Wilderness Area, Montana

Drought

2006-05-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

Life can hardly exist without water. Numerous resacas (Oxbow lakes) have dried up in south Texas leaving behind the dead remains of fish like the Alligator gar seen in this picture.
These fish are among the largest freshwater fish in North America and can grow to nearly eight feet in length and weigh in excess of three hundred pounds.
A few years ago a five-foot alligator gar was caught in this resaca.

Sunset at South Padre Island

2006-04-09T07:26:00.000-07:00

Barn swallows getting ready to roost at sunset on South Padre Island.
A cold front blew in yesterday afternoon, getting flocks of birders to descend on the island expecting a spectacular Spring migrant 'fallout' - But many went home disappointed... including me. The highlights of the day included a prairie warbler, indigo bunting, Northern parula and the Alligator that lay basking on the reeds all day at the boardwalk. The sunset more than made up for the poor show of warblers on the island.

Documentary Special:The Queen of Trees

2006-04-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Documentary on PBS:

THE QUEEN OF TREES shows this delicate dance of survival in exquisite detail, including spectacular close-ups of the wasp's remarkable life inside a ripening fig. To capture such incredible images, filmmakers Victoria Stone and Mark Deeble spent two years camped out near a giant sycomore fig in Kenya's outback, documenting the tree's pivotal role as a source of food and shelter for everything from gray hornbills, Africa's largest bird, to swarms of invading insects searching for food. In a surprising turn, some insects come to the tree's aid -- sparking a battle you won't want to miss.
Here's the link for more information about this spectacular documentary:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/queenoftrees/index.html

Cheers,
Sandesh

Snakes

2006-03-30T08:50:00.001-08:00

It rained a little bit yesterday morning, not much, but just enough to get the critters moving. My friend Seth and I headed out to Sabal Palm grove wildlife sanctuary, a place i used to work at a long time ago. It's one of the last fragments of Sabal Palm forest left in the United States http://www.audubon.org/local/sanctuary/sabal/ and one of the best places to find snakes like the Speckled Racer Drymobius margaretiferus. We got to the palm grove in the afternoon, and it seemed like it hadn't rained much here at all. We walked around looking for snakes, and came across a little Ribbon Snake by the resaca.
Later that evening, my uncle called saying there's a snake by the house, and sure enough, Benji, our labrador had cornered a 5 foot Diamondback watersnake in the front yard.
Here's the picture!

Photo courtesy: Seth Patterson

King Cobras

2006-03-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, while working on the book about India's Western Ghats, I met Romulus Whitaker - the world renowned herpetologist - who was working on a BBC documentary special entitled, 'King Cobra and I'. This was also a neat opportunity for me to get up close and personal shots of King cobras. Recently these shots were used to develop an interactive website for Animal Planet. To visit this site click - King Cobra

Also, for those of you in the US, watch the premiere of King Cobra and I on Sunday, April 2, at 7 p.m. ET on Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.

Cheers,
Sandesh

Butterfly Exhibit/Juanita

2006-03-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Gorgas Science Foundation will be hosting the Glick/Springman Lepidoptera Collection at the Alonso Building between March 24th - April 16th. The collection spans 80 years and six continents.
The first person to visit the exhibit was Juanita Coalson, who was there just in time to release the butterflies. With child-like enthusiasm, 98 year-old Juanita delicately released each butterfly into the enclosure. I filmed Juanita on her 93rd birthday at Cielito for a documentary titled, 'Life at a bend in the river'. It was neat to sit there by the river and listen to her stories that spanned nearly a century.

Star trails - Big Bend National Park

2006-03-17T00:16:00.000-08:00

In the last month or so, I've managed to completely eat up the hard drive space on my laptop and am in the process of clean-up. While doing so I found this image of Star trails that I meant to post, but never got around to it. This is a two-hour long exposure, at f/8, with the tree being illuminated by the light of a half-moon.
Even at ISO 100, there is a lot of noise in the digital Image. I learned that the pixels get heated up on long exposures and cause areas of the frame to turn red. THere is an automated noise correction built-in but it doesn't do the best job. So for Star trails at night, I still try shooting with my trusty film camera. Don't have to worry about hot pixels or using up the battery.

Damselfly by Rio Sabinas

2006-03-16T14:44:00.000-08:00

Just returned from an amazing trip to NE Mexico. There has been no rain here for months and the forest cover has really turned brown. We spent the first day at Cielito, a tropical lowland/riparian forest habitat along the Rio Sabinas. I wandered along the the river experimenting with a new tilt/shift 24mm wide angle lens fitted to a Canon EOS 5D. This combination is really growing on me, and I'm slowly learning to love this lens. It takes a lot of patience though to get close to the critters and frame the shot, but with these bold little damselflies I didn't have too much trouble. They were territorial and stood their ground as I experimented with the lens.
Apart from damselflies, there were various species of birds seen on the trip. The highlights include the elegant & mountain trogons, masked tityra, squirrel cuckoo, Ferruginous/tamaulipan pygmy owls, crested guan etc. The group I was with reported seeing a total of five species of snakes, the coolest of which was the Mexican vine snake (Oxybelis aeneus). Although I had it in my hand, it quickly darted into a tree crevice and I lost it.

New York

2006-03-12T03:45:00.000-08:00

Soon after the presentation and book-signing at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. my friend Sulema and I headed North to the Big city of New York. It was quite an experience, and it reminded me how I am totally not a Big City person. It was certainly enjoyable nonetheless and I had a great time being a tourist and getting lost in the subway system, enjoying Grand Central, Times Square, Empire state, etc. But as a naturalist, the main highlights to my New York experience was a visit to the Bronx zoo and the American Museum of Natural History.... oh, and the food! But that's a different story.
The highlight at Bronx zoo was the Gorilla exhibit. I'd recommend it to anyone going in that direction! It was awesome... the whole Congo experience was incredible!
The AMNH, was breathtaking as well. I had never seen anything like it. The exhibits were incredibly innovative and nothing short of spectacular. We even got a behind the scenes look into the museum, courtesy angelique (a lady we met the previous day at the Bronx zoo who happened to be a curator at AMNH).
There was a special Darwin exhibit going on, and it was certainly one of the neatest exhibits I've ever seen. Visit www.amnh.org for more information.

I leave to Mexico's El Cielo cloudforest in a few hours and will be back on Thursday.
I'm looking forward to seeing a natural landscape after these last two weeks of Urban jungle.

Slug bug!

2006-03-07T15:36:00.000-08:00

As part of my ongoing pet project, i photographed this VW beetle near Ithaca, New York. I was stuck there in a snow storm last week and I came across this striking Red beetle covered in snow.

A Journey to India's Mountains of the Monsoon

2006-02-19T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

If any of you are in the Washington DC area on the 24th of February please do come by to the Natural history Museum at 600 PM. I'll be presenting about the Western Ghats along with my co-author Dr. Kamal Bawa. After the presentation there will be a reception/booksigning. This is open to the public and free. Please take a look at the brochure for more information.

Cheers,
Sandesh

Trip to Big Bend

2006-02-15T19:41:00.001-08:00

Just returned from an incredible trip to Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Nights were freezing cold with a dazzling display of stars. I was able to get a few decent shots of star trails at night. I'll see if I can post a few pictures and liven up this blog.
Photo courtesy: Greg Scott