ficustours

Backyard birding in Chennai gets a fillip at this time of the year

Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A couple of days ago, looking up towards the sky, around dusk, to see (mostly) flying foxes, parakeets, egrets and pigeons, from a mid-city Chennai terrace, a falcon, an unusual sight in these parts, zipped across overhead, snatched a small bird (or bat), with its talons, (spectacularly) mid-flight, before disappearing fromContinue reading “Backyard birding in Chennai gets a fillip at this time of the year”

GSO Star Tracker Telescope, a (‘minimalist’) night-sky gazing set-up: An Overview

Author: Ravi Kailas The rather imposing size of the set-up, belies the simplicity of the Dobsonian telescope design For observing the night sky, I primarily use a GSO Star Tracker, a 8\” Dobsonian telescope (a type of telescope, which despite its bulk, is the best value for money for light gathering ability), manufactured by GSOContinue reading “GSO Star Tracker Telescope, a (‘minimalist’) night-sky gazing set-up: An Overview”

Himalayan Serow and Brown Wood Owl at Pangot: Report

Author: Ravi Kailas Dates: 7th to 9th June 2019 Himalayan Marten, among the highlight mammals of the trip A brief summer visit to Pangot (2000m) a tiny village surrounded by temperate broad-leaved forest in the Kumaon Himalayas, was productive for a sighting of the uncommonly seen Himalayan Serow, as well Himalayan Goral and Himalayan Marten,Continue reading “Himalayan Serow and Brown Wood Owl at Pangot: Report”

Comet Neowise from a Chennai terrace part 2

Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) After making a post on my first sighting of Comet Neowise, on Thursday, 23rd July, the sky was clear enough (relatively speaking, but not before a typically dramatic (see video below), July evening cloud build-up in the western sky, threatening a black-out) for another attempt at imaging the comet, on Friday,Continue reading “Comet Neowise from a Chennai terrace part 2”

Comet Neowise from a Chennai terrace

Author: Ravi Kailas The barely discernible Comet Neowise in the only image I managed to capture, before the clouds took over An unusually (relatively speaking) clear July sky over Chennai (13N 80 E) yesterday evening (21/07/2020), prompted me to drag my behemoth 8″ Dobsonian telescope onto the terrace, to enjoy the spectacles that the summerContinue reading “Comet Neowise from a Chennai terrace”

Binoculars for nature-watchers: an introductory guide

Authors: Ravi Kailas & Ganesh KR (ficustours@gmail.com) The sheer pleasure of observing nature through a pair of fine binoculars is pretty near unparalleled, a feeling akin to the extension of your own vision, only more vivid and magnified several fold, placing you in the midst of the occupants of the distant scene. Binoculars have been indispensableContinue reading “Binoculars for nature-watchers: an introductory guide”

Manas NP, Assam: A Trip Report from a visit in December 2019

Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 11th to 15th December 2019 What was meant to be a very brief visit to Manas last December, turned out longer, thanks to the intricacies of India’s vibrant democracy and politics. I could have, after 2 nights here, travelled as planned though, to Kakoijana Reserve Forest, then onward to Kaziranga NPContinue reading “Manas NP, Assam: A Trip Report from a visit in December 2019”

Lesser Frigate Bird and colourful reefs, Phi Phi Islands, January 2020: Trip Summary

Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Dates: 21st to 24th January 2020 One magical morning looking from Phi Phi Don, looking towards Phi Leh Report A brief holiday in the Phi Phi Islands (off the west coast of Thailand in the Andaman Sea) with some incidental birding (inevitably!) and snorkelling, has proven worthy enough for a shortContinue reading “Lesser Frigate Bird and colourful reefs, Phi Phi Islands, January 2020: Trip Summary”

Great Indian Bustard, Grey Hypocolius, Desert Cat and other wildlife of Kutch & DNP: Trip Report

Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A birdwatching oriented guided trip to the thorn forests and grasslands of Kutch, the salt pans of the Little Rann of Kutch and the sandy Thar Desert of Rajasthan produced superb birds like Great Indian & MacQueen’s Bustards, Grey Hypocolius, White-naped Tit, Marshall’s Iora, Grey-necked and Black-headed Buntings, Laggar Falcon (amongContinue reading “Great Indian Bustard, Grey Hypocolius, Desert Cat and other wildlife of Kutch & DNP: Trip Report”

Striped Hyaena, Indian Wolf, Indian Fox and other wildlife of Gujarat, March 2020: Trip Report

Author & Naturalist: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A brief, mammal watching oriented guided tour to the salt pans of the Little Rann of Kutch and the tropical grasslands of Velavadar produced carnivores galore – including Striped Hyaena, Indian Wolf, both foxes and Jungle Cat, most with pups/cubs, among the easier to see ungulates. In Velavadar, itContinue reading “Striped Hyaena, Indian Wolf, Indian Fox and other wildlife of Gujarat, March 2020: Trip Report”