Monday, June 16, 2014

Kick-Starting Monsoon 2014

Every year I wait for this time to witness the beauty that monsoon brings around. It not only transforms the landscape around me, but also transforms the mindscape of people. And there will always be much excitement to plan some trips and see some new life forms as the rain splashes the forest floor. One such trip happened this time as well. I think it is religious to plan a early monsoon trip in the month of June and these religious trips are never disappointing. This time the location we chose was the King's habitat - Agumbe. There were enough and more to see, to feel, to explore, to hear and to experience. And of course the beautiful and lonely campsite full of snakes, frogs and creepy silence. 

This monsoon we were welcomed by some gorgeous orchid blooms, pit vipers, blood sucking leeches, colorful frogs, huge rain-forest trees and with some keen observations, many other new life forms. Here are some photographs to give a glimpse of how monsoon treated us to start off in style this season. 

(click on the photographs to enlarge them)

Onake Abbi Falls
Rainbow at Onake Abbi
Malabar Pit vipers
Green Vine Snakes
Calotes rouxii
Calotes rouxii
Wayanad Bush Frog (?)
Yellow Bush Frog
Malabar Gliding Frog
Fungoid frog
Fungi
Tortoise Beetle
Chocolate Pansy
Draco - The flying lizard
Indian Bull Frog
Jumping Spider
Fungi
Some insects, flies and a mosquito
Some ferns
Rhynchostylis retusa - Foxtail Orchid

And how lucky I am to see this Cicada molting live!?

For more pictures visit my flickr link here.

Cheers,
Srikanth

5 comments:

Narasim said...

As usual, all photographs are excellent.

One has to take time to examine the Indian Bull Frog to appreciate the colours and contrasts.

The most cuddly one was the Tortoise Beetle. When the picture is enlarged, you can almost think that it is a baby tortoise.

Creating a photo mosaic of similar creatures is a very good idea.

Varun Nayak said...

Superb snaps..... This post is a classic tribute to the rains, the Western ghats and the various species that live in it.

Abhi said...

Just amazing .
Thanks for sharing !

Gajanan Hegde said...

Nice clicks....superb

Manjunath Byadigere said...

wow... beautiful... no words to describe...
The draco photo gave me a shiver down my spine... wonderful.