Solar Eclipse photos from Mount Abu [ 21 June 2020 ]

Mount Abu #SolarEclipse2020 as seen in the overcast skies of The Abode of Gods.

SolarEclipse2020 as seen in the overcast skies of Mount Abu.

Solar eclipse 

Solar eclipse through the clouds

Overcast skies and Solar eclipse

Monkey watching the solar eclipse

Monkey watching the solar eclipse

WHAT A DAY
The longest day in the Northern hemisphere
For some do YOGA as it is Yoga day
Father's Day Fathers have to contend with the Surya Grahan
Today is SOLAR ECLIPSE DAY
and finally 
SUN Day
According to the Mayan calendar, it's supposed to be DOOMSDAY TODAY. 

😳

Date palm trees Mount Abu [ 14/06/2020 ]

The Abode of the Gods is where the wild date palm trees grow.

Langoor eating dates 

Langoor eating dates 

Langoor descending the trunk of Date Palm

According to legend, the tree of knowledge was the date palm tree. Was this the fruit offered to Adam and not the Apple? The Jews and the Islamic religion have stressed the holiness of the date and date palm. It remains uncertain when the date palm was brought to Mount Abu. The Abu date palm is wild. It grows throughout our little hill station here in Rajasthan.

We do not harvest wild dates here as the fruit bears no pulp. The date comprises a large seed with a fine mess of coating. Wild bears (sloth bears) feast on the fallen fruit. Our local tribal uses the leaves of the date palm to feed their cattle in periods of drought. Some use the leaves to make brooms. Previously, our locals tapped the trees for their sweet neera. 

Seeing a langoor scale up a tree to feast on these wild dates surprised me. The monkey ate a few of the dates and shortly afterwards descended. The fruit did not hold a fascination for his hungry stomach. 

Troupes of Monkeys have invaded the fruit gardens here in Mount Abu. Scores of monkeys, who depend on handouts from the thousands of tourists visiting Abu, have come to a standstill after the COVID-19 lockdown.

MOUNT ABU KNOCK KNOCK WHO"S THERE? [ COVID 19 AT YOUR DOOR.[

LATEST NEWS COVID-19 MOUNT ABU.

Only this evening I posted the picture above on Facebook, making a declaration of our status. With the fear of a doomsday scenario, we Abuites implemented strict measures and established a powerful barrier in our small town to protect ourselves from the virus. The initial panic and claustrophobia of the sudden lockdown inflicted on us left a surge of anxiety for most of us folks here. The new mantra of social distancing, staying at home, and staying safe has become our fresh way of life. With the easing of some LOCKDOWN norms, the first of June gave relief to the general populace at large. 

Till today, we Abuites took pride in our status, "not a positive case in this little oasis of ours". It shatters this STATUS today when the knocking virus finally found one door that it had crept into. The Abu Administration has swung into action and has confined the positive case to contain the spread of COVID-19 here. As soon as I get an update on the latest, I'll keep you posted. 

Territorial Dominance Large-billed Crows [ 10/05/2020 ] Mount Abu.

Display of Territorial Dominance Large-billed Crows

Yesterday, I witnessed a bizarre scene. A few monkeys had climbed up the tower in front of my house, a domain of Large-billed crows. One monkey playfully took a swipe at one crow perched above him. Man, what followed next was a scene to behold, something like an Alfred Hitchcock movie scene. The crows went berserk and began attacking the monkeys. Their cawing was like a call to arms in a matter of minutes. Out of the blue, a flock of these crows appeared and began to dive-bomb the monkeys on the tower. The chimps scrambled off the tower for the safety of the trees. Appreciate a few snaps of the event.   

Large-billed Crow attacking monkey 

Appreciate the slide show in FULL FRAME 

Territorial Dominance Large-billed Crows

Mount Abu Wild Life during LOCKDOWN ( 22/04/2020 )

Wildlife Mount Abu 

A glimpse of wildlife in Mount Abu during the lockdown.
As Lockdown continues, people are spotting Sloth bears, Leopards, snakes, Jungle Grey fowl and red Spur-fowls.

Mount Abu is a great place to visit for a brief break. If you enjoy treks and jungle walks, it’s an ideal place to pursue your hobby. Don't expect to see sloth bears, leopards, or Sambhars easily, as they are very elusive. One might chance upon them if lucky enough during a night drive. 

Langurs are plentiful. We can see a variety of native birds throughout Abu.

I am posting some snaps of the recent wildlife events that I have recorded during our lockdown. 

Entwined as one

Damans Mating season 

Watch the slide show in FULL FRAME

DAMANS Love in Mount Abu

Dhamans or Indian rat snakes are very large, a common species, non-venomous, harmless to humans, and a fast-moving snake found throughout Mount Abu.

They rescued Python at St. Mary's school.
( Photograph per kind favour Ms Trina )

Sloth bear

Sloth bear

Vid Taken by grandson Keith: 

This bear has been a regular visitor to our garden for the last few days. He comes to gorge on the mulberries growing in the garden. 

Sloth bears are very dangerous. In hostile encounters with people, sloth bears often attack the head. 

Villagers get raked with the bear's enormous claws and their face becomes a pulpy mess. 

Check out my postings on Abu Bears over the years.

Indian Grey Mongoose

Indian Grey Mongoose and Red Wattled Lapwing

Squirrel on the lookout

Spurfowl with chicks

( Vid per kind favour Ms Trina)