As the train chugged sluggishly into Mangalore station in the wee hours of a November morning, my excited spirit couldnt hold me to my seat. Meeting my guru yet again was something I had been looking forward to for the last 2 months.

Jump, charansparsh (touch feet in reverence)hug & ready for the ride home!

Had once asked him to autograph my book on Indian birds by Dr Salim Ali. He wrote

The wise old owl sat on an oak,

The more he saw, the less he spoke,

The less he spoke, the more he heard,

Wouldnt it be great were we more like this bird!

Just hanging around him is a learning experience coz he is a walking / talking encyclopedia. Birding, wildlife, art, science, sports, history, religion, social customsjust about anything could be the topic & he can talk for hours non-stop. Its indeed wise to be silent around him.

But then we do get into bouts of productive discussion as I call it & idle argument in his opinion. His high decibel strains the eardrums. Says cant help itblame my teaching profession! When secondary smoking gives me a dull headachehe suggests a metacin! But what is life without a few imperfections! I say chaps.purfect can be boring!

Day one

Lakshmi, Docs care-taker is beaming as the car enters the gate, the dogs barking excitedly to let lose the adrenalin & douse me with slobby, jumpy & a smothering wet welcome. Im sure this racket drove the birds in the vicinity to migrate to the other side of the ghat for a day!

That evening Dr Harish, a graduate from docs medical academy joins us to hang around the Ullal Nethravathi bridge that attracts a wide variety of migrating water birds. The Brahiminy kite rules this place with its majestic expanse outstretched in a glide. The setting sun as the backdrop with the train rushing across the Ullal bridge, flowering reeds on either sides of the pathway, night herons, little egrets, black winged kites & palm swifts dot the fading flame-red skyline. A two feet vine snake slithers in the bushes as I try to press closer to get a shot but the fellow is a smarty pant as he disappears even before I open my cams shutters.

Pic taken from Netravathi Bridge

Pic taken from Ullal Bridge

We plan to inhabit the Deralakatte & Konaje area the next morning. The temple at Konaje along side the pond looks serene but with a huge difference. The picture perfect shrine has some overtly enthusiastic devotees & screeching slokhas drive home the sight contradicts sound theorem.

Day three

Today we head for the western ghats. Dr Harish collects us & we head for Moodbidri to hook up with another team-mate, Dr KrishnaMohanwho runs his own hospital there. Dr Krishiis told was probably the youngest individual to graduate 20 years ago. He started scaling the Himalayas at the young age of 16 & is an enthusiastic & committed wild lifer & environmentalist. He also loves eating live termites & caterpillars while trekking in the deep forest & encouraged us to try the nutritious diet.

Rubber Plantations in the western ghats

Dragon fly in the Western Ghats

Docs bleeding foot due to aleech bite

As they bleed, doc mumbles incoherently something to the effect of tumhare liye ek budhe admi ne khoon bahaya hai (an old man has bled for you). I need someone to explain to me how Im responsible for them walking with feet half naked in knee length grass. *Barf*

At the top of Bisale we enjoy the amazing sequence of a Shikra (bird of prey) hunting glide, steady, stay & then dive at top speedto catch his prey. Though a bright day, the wind is strong. We hang around for a while & then head for some tea, biscuits & chit-chat at a small hamlet in the middle of nowhere.