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My Best Butterfly Moment 2019
Sravan Kumar K
Action packed weekends.
Maintaining balance between personal work, official work and nature
activities is one challenging act. Somehow managed to balance all
without compromising one another. 2019 is one of most memorable in
terms of weekend trips. Kallar and TNAU Botanical garden kept me
busy with long outings once a month.
Kallar 200 species is a landmark. Kallar never disappoints.
Choosing one best moment of the 52 weekend is like doing injustice to
other outings. Every outings has its own WOW moments and disap-
pointments. Its the blend which keeps us on the hunt for more. Pick of
the sightings are silver streak blue and Silver streak Acacia blue from
Kallar, NIlgiris grass yellow from Siruvani, Blue oak leaf from Nelliam-
pathy, Nilgiris tit ( first record) , Painted Courtesan and Yptima singala
( once considered rare, now seen in very good numbers )from STR, and
the list continues.
More than the species and rarities, spending time with winged beau-
ties is a feeling which cannot be expressed by words, it's like yoga one
has to feel it to know it. This year was packed with Surveys and migra-
tion. Special thanks to Nishant and Ramana, mentor Mr Pavendhan for
his selfless support, and thanks to all others who were part of my
walks.
With my elder son Bhargava started showing interest in the winged
beauties, it was a challenge for me to keep his spirit up by constantly
engaging him without affecting his academics. Happy to note that he
sighted Painted Lady in my backyard before officially reported it in Co-
imbatore.
Staying close to nature is my motto and butterflying is the vehicle
which drives me closer to that. Still a week to go and Shendurney sur-
vey in the last week, keeping fingers crossed. Happy butterflying.
Madhan Kumar
It had been a challenging trip - 2 days and ~700
KM of driving had yielded only plenty of
disappointments, thx to the unreliable and
extreme monsoon. As a last resort, decided on
kallar. Straight away landed the prized Silver
streak acacia blue. As we wound up in the
afternoon, there was disappointment having
not sighted the Nilgiri tit. Out of desperation,
one of the members walked from car park to
the gate and there he was- a perfect specimen
that cooperated for all imaginable poses for an
hour!
PATTAMPOOCHI
A TNBS MAGAZINE
WINGS 4 VEINS 2
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