Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Tweet! Or more like Squawk! A few birds that hang around in Lake Pichola near our guest house.

One of the great entertainments for me when I stay at the Lal Ghat Guest House in Udaipur is hanging out on their 'chill spot' or on our balcony watching the birds do their thing.  There are a fair number that migrate through, but these are ones that seem to be around a lot.  As the longest lens I have with me is 300 mm there aren't a lot of close-ups that I can easily do, so some of the images are as close as I can get.

As usual, please click on the pic to embiggen.

First, there are, of course, pigeons.  Lots & lots, hanging around anywhere they can hang around, except when they get scared & swarm off for 30 seconds before roosting again

Anywhere.

It helps if they get fed and watered daily. 


 The lake sometimes get covered in water birds at sunset.  

There are a couple of cute little guys that nest in the walls of our hostels.  The look pretty ordinary when settled in, but when flying & swooping they're lovely and really fast (too fast to pic).

 These are the most common birds on the lake right now.


They do a lot of diving and eating weeds.

Lovely on the lake at sunset

These guys are so screechy.

But attractive in flight.

These look like they belong in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria

Very common on the lake.

As so are these.

Getting together  at the side of the lake for a group bath.

And really enjoying it!

Just watching stuff happen.


A good spot for watching for bugs to eat.

Kingfishers, of course.


One of the most beautiful 'swoopers' on the lake (don't know their name).  Love to watch them.



 Of course there are the kites.  Large eagle-like predators found all over India.  A few years ago, while sitting on the balcony here at Lal Ghat, just minding my business, a large swarm of pigeons came swooping through the building windows right in front of me, and  right behind them flying right in front of me came a huge kite trying to catch a dinner!  It actually did catch one, then proceeded to eat it at the lakeside just below me.








Thursday, February 21, 2019

A bit of Secret Garden

As friends know, we always stay at the Secret Garden Guest House in Agonda when we're in Goa.  I just can't imagine staying anywhere else.  It's not just being on the beach, or the lovely grounds and the buildings and huts, but it's equally the family that built the guest house up over the years and put their hearts into it and the staff that keep it all ship-shape.

Here are some select pics from around the place.  Please click on a pic to embiggen.


Our most excellent hosts, Godwin and Jenny and their  boys, at their nearby restaurant, Hidden Garden.  They have really made the Secret Garden in to a very homey place to stay (and Hidden Garden a great place to eat!).

A view of Secret Garden from beachside just after sunset.  One of the really great things about the place is the way it's nestled in among the palms, giving you lovely shade during the hot days, which is unusual for guest houses on the beaches in Goa.

Just had to throw in a close up of the moon rising over the place.

From the entry gate beachside a pretty nice greeting of garden and huts!



Here are some views around the front area of the grounds and 'co-co huts'.





A view up to the open 'penthouse' accommodation above the main building and the ground floor
'tri-plex' (some of these rooms have A/C.)

A view towards the beach from 'the penthouse.'

....and a sunset view from the penthouse.


The outdoor shower near the back huts.


Not to let coconuts go to waste on the grounds, and to keep old ones from hitting your head,
a branch cleaner and coconut collector up in a tree.  Godwin has coconut oil cold-pressed from these.

Just a bit of art?

 A ladder of plants.

Looking up through some flowers to a coconut tree.

Near sunset, a bit of a close-up of the same.

Some of the flowers from around the grounds.







Some of the cows from down on the beach that spend the day in the heat, and then wander up at sunset past the front of Secret Garden

 A hanging at the front balcony of our hut, with flowers we add from the local flower guy.

A wreath of flowers from the flower guy who walks along the beach.