Wandering through Lalbagh, 100923
Glass House, Lalbagh
I did not plan a walk of my own this Sunday, as I like to join the Bngbirds 2nd Sunday outing once in a while; one meets so many experts and interesting people, and learns a lot!
I was scheduled to meet a friend early,but she could not make it...so I entered from the Siddapura gate, and started my usual wandering, looking at this flower, that tree....there is still always something wonderful in Lalbagh to observe!
I have never yet found an "off-season" in this beautiful garden. Experts may complain (and I sometimes agree) that it is being turned into a tourist attraction from being a real botanical garden, but the old trees and some of the new ones, with flowering plants from all over the world, hold a great fascination still.
I found that a Mari Gowda Horticulltural Museum has been opened in a heritage building (It's still a pain to me that several other heritage structures in the park have collapsed, or are on the verge of doing so, through neglect.) ..but it wasn't open at that hour...I wonder if it is open on Sundays at all.It should be, because that is the day that the garden sees the maximum visitor footfalls.
As I meandered along, I found that old friend, the Mottled Wood Owl, in exactly the same place it used to be, in the Japanese garden, and was thrilled. However, it was almost immediately chased off by angry crows.
As I emerged near the majestic Peepal tree, I felt sad that the huge Bauhinia creeper had been cut down...but perhaps it will make a reappearance with time.
One of the reasons I also like to visit Lalbagh is mammal spotting! I don't mean the dogs or the squirrels, or even the occasional mongoose...I mean the human beings! It's so nice to see so many people enjoying the greenery and the fresh air, and there are always some people watching the birds, too. Several people aimed their mobiles at a Rose-ringed Parakeet lady who was feasting on the Powder-Puff flowers. (You can see the photo in my Flickr album, I am giving the link to it below.)
So many flowers, so many trees, so many living creatures...I totally lost track of time and just ambled around, letting Nature fill up my senses.
Purple-tee convocation!
I always joke that one reason I like to visit Lalbagh is that what with the Peninsular Gneiss, and the Queen-of-Lalbagh Silk Cotton, and the heritage Auricaria tree...and others...I feel very young there, as there are plenty of beings there much older than I am!
The Brahminy Kite perched above the pond opposite the lake made many people fold their hands in prayer, and that made me pause, too, and reflect how nature and spirituality are close to each other.
I was also happy to see Priya and Kannan, with a small group of people. Kannan, too, is an old friend, so I stepped up behind him and closed his "kaN" (eyes in Tamizh)...and he had to guess! The group didn't seem to mind someone gatecrashing in this way. After watching them observing a Weaver Ants' nest and making many drawings of what they saw, I moved on...and this time I bumped into an angel with a halo! Usha Ramaiah's white hair was haloed in the sunlight, and as we smiled at each other, I called up Prasad, and he told me the Bngbirds group was near the Spotted Owlets. We caught up with all of them, and of course, the three fluffy featherballs that looked sleepily down at us from their perch on the tree.
The Bngbirds group has multiple experts, and knots of people were getting a lot of information on various topics. I guarantee that joining this group for the second Sunday walk will improve one's knowledge of the natural world in many ways!
Having said hi to so many of the experts and many of the people who have also come on my walks, who are all becoming good friends, I looked at my watch, and was amazed to see that I had spent three hours in the garden and time had zipped past as usual! Reluctantly, I left Bngbirds as I had someone coming home; off I went, with flowers and greenery and the camaraderie of like-minded people, lighting up my heart and soul.
Plant Hopper
Lalbagh is magic, and will continue to be so as long as I can visit it.
eBird: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/53176965519/in/album-72177720311085616/ (29 sp)
iNat: https://tinyurl.com/49hpsy8j (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any)
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720311085616
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160111478198878&type=3
Rainbow at the fountain
4937 Bngbirds 2nd Sunday outing: https://youtu.be/5tsYLsCXaAs?si=quJjc3RI11gD5RCu
I did not plan a walk of my own this Sunday, as I like to join the Bngbirds 2nd Sunday outing once in a while; one meets so many experts and interesting people, and learns a lot!
I was scheduled to meet a friend early,but she could not make it...so I entered from the Siddapura gate, and started my usual wandering, looking at this flower, that tree....there is still always something wonderful in Lalbagh to observe!
I have never yet found an "off-season" in this beautiful garden. Experts may complain (and I sometimes agree) that it is being turned into a tourist attraction from being a real botanical garden, but the old trees and some of the new ones, with flowering plants from all over the world, hold a great fascination still.
I found that a Mari Gowda Horticulltural Museum has been opened in a heritage building (It's still a pain to me that several other heritage structures in the park have collapsed, or are on the verge of doing so, through neglect.) ..but it wasn't open at that hour...I wonder if it is open on Sundays at all.It should be, because that is the day that the garden sees the maximum visitor footfalls.
As I meandered along, I found that old friend, the Mottled Wood Owl, in exactly the same place it used to be, in the Japanese garden, and was thrilled. However, it was almost immediately chased off by angry crows.
As I emerged near the majestic Peepal tree, I felt sad that the huge Bauhinia creeper had been cut down...but perhaps it will make a reappearance with time.
One of the reasons I also like to visit Lalbagh is mammal spotting! I don't mean the dogs or the squirrels, or even the occasional mongoose...I mean the human beings! It's so nice to see so many people enjoying the greenery and the fresh air, and there are always some people watching the birds, too. Several people aimed their mobiles at a Rose-ringed Parakeet lady who was feasting on the Powder-Puff flowers. (You can see the photo in my Flickr album, I am giving the link to it below.)
So many flowers, so many trees, so many living creatures...I totally lost track of time and just ambled around, letting Nature fill up my senses.
Purple-tee convocation!
I always joke that one reason I like to visit Lalbagh is that what with the Peninsular Gneiss, and the Queen-of-Lalbagh Silk Cotton, and the heritage Auricaria tree...and others...I feel very young there, as there are plenty of beings there much older than I am!
The Brahminy Kite perched above the pond opposite the lake made many people fold their hands in prayer, and that made me pause, too, and reflect how nature and spirituality are close to each other.
I was also happy to see Priya and Kannan, with a small group of people. Kannan, too, is an old friend, so I stepped up behind him and closed his "kaN" (eyes in Tamizh)...and he had to guess! The group didn't seem to mind someone gatecrashing in this way. After watching them observing a Weaver Ants' nest and making many drawings of what they saw, I moved on...and this time I bumped into an angel with a halo! Usha Ramaiah's white hair was haloed in the sunlight, and as we smiled at each other, I called up Prasad, and he told me the Bngbirds group was near the Spotted Owlets. We caught up with all of them, and of course, the three fluffy featherballs that looked sleepily down at us from their perch on the tree.
The Bngbirds group has multiple experts, and knots of people were getting a lot of information on various topics. I guarantee that joining this group for the second Sunday walk will improve one's knowledge of the natural world in many ways!
Having said hi to so many of the experts and many of the people who have also come on my walks, who are all becoming good friends, I looked at my watch, and was amazed to see that I had spent three hours in the garden and time had zipped past as usual! Reluctantly, I left Bngbirds as I had someone coming home; off I went, with flowers and greenery and the camaraderie of like-minded people, lighting up my heart and soul.
Plant Hopper
Lalbagh is magic, and will continue to be so as long as I can visit it.
eBird: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/53176965519/in/album-72177720311085616/ (29 sp)
iNat: https://tinyurl.com/49hpsy8j (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any)
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720311085616
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160111478198878&type=3
Rainbow at the fountain
4937 Bngbirds 2nd Sunday outing: https://youtu.be/5tsYLsCXaAs?si=quJjc3RI11gD5RCu
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