Take a walk through Paradise Misty Mount Abu

I see the world in a swirl of hues, the misty mornings, the chirping birds, the rugged terrain, the ever winding roads and the stunning scenery but my favourite appeal is the fresh and cool wind blowing through my being. We Abuites who live in this paradise take this heavenly nectar for granted. Very few people venture out early in the morning to appreciate what the gods of nature have offered us poor mortals.
I who have lived the greater part of my life in Abu, cannot find word to describe the charm of nature that presents itself to us in so many different shades, the overwhelming mist kissed cloudy hills and dales, the mysterious forests, the ravines overhung with trees, the enthralling cascading clear water streams that once was our stepping stone to our first love of water, shallow bay where we learnt to swim.
Enough of my ramblings let me present you with some snaps I took the last two days while on the way to Gau-Mukh!!

"Click on the snaps for a better view" 

First mist of the season

St.Mary's School

Majestic Plummy

Abu monsoon bird The black bird

 Plummy and Sergeant Plummy

Upper Khodra Dam

wild orchid

orchid wild

Lovely sky

Ashy Prinia

Is it really me!!

Honey bees Mount Abu

Long standing bee hives in the compound of the Bsnl compound

Now deserted

Hives now deserted could it be because of the tower

Another favourite spot the tree over the parking space on way to the Lake

If you observe carefully, most of the bee hives are deserted. Was it the extreme heat that Abu experienced this year, or the disturbance to the hives by the sloth bear in the winter months or worse the setting up of Mobile towers all over Abu over these last few years that have caused the bees to desert their colony of hives.

Do bees get disoriented? Could it be possible because the towers are right up against the hives the microwave radiation from phones and their relaying towers have an effect on these vulnerable busybodies? I wonder if this could also have an effect on the people living in the town of Abu as I have observed quite a few towers bang in the center of town , two towers are close to schools, could it effect these children who are there for hours on end six days of the week?

I am no expert in this field but would love the opinion of experts who are unbiased, and who do not have an axe to grind in this world of ours

The Dust Storm Over Mount Abu

Only this morning, I had a wager with my shopkeeper that the monsoons would come knocking before the 13th of June this year and that we would get our pre-monsoon showers before the 13th. The first dust storm of the season struck Abu at around 4.30pm this evening, causing chaos. In a short while, the sky darkened, followed by thunder and strong chilly wind, then to the relief of the parched earth and the trees, we had our first shower of the year. I’m sure this first sigh from the heavens is going to be a good omen and that this year Abu will get abundant rain. A small video clip of the dust storm I took earlier this evening.

The clip is still being processed by YouTube regardless. I’m posting a few snaps taken after the storm.

The Dust Storm

Monsoon Knocks

Pre-monsoon sky

The good Omen Hopefully

After the storm

Will post the short clip of the dust storm as soon as YouTube clears it

2 July 2010 dust storm

Birds of Abu April and May 2010

 

Black Bird Forerunner to the monsoons in Abu

Taken at Gyan Sarovar

Black-rumped Flameback taken at Adarsh Vidya Mandir

Bulbul in my garden

Bulbul Feeding

Fledgling Sparrow Hawk found on the with left leg injured

( Gujarat circuit house)

ID Please?(Adarsh Vidya Mandir)

Thanks Darryl I suspected it would be the "Black Shouldered Kite” but I needed a confirmation

Indian Robin female

Indian Robin fledgling

Jungle Crow (Adarsh Vidya Mandir)

Magpie Robin behind my house Kumarwada

Whistling away

Red-rumped Swallow

Red-rumped Swallow Nr Neel Kant Mandir

Shucks where has all the water disappeared ?

water body gone bone dry on the way to Achalgarh

Red-vented Bulbul (Oria)

Red-wattled Lapwing (Army firing range)

Sparrow Hawk fledgling

He's being nursed by my niece Cresentia

What a beauty hope he recovers to make it back into the wild

Spotted Dove ( My Back yard)

Sunbird

Sunbird (female)