Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A birding tour to the famed wetland/Terai grassland of Maguri Beel (Dibru-Saikhowa NP), Dihing Patkai WS (among the last remaining lowland evergreen forest in NE India) and the biodiverse, but troubled Namdapha NP in the foothills of Eastern Himalayas revealed some fantastic species including, Red-headed Trogon, White-crowned Forktail, Sapphire Flycatcher, PaleContinue reading “Report: Birds and wildlife of Maguri Beel, Dihing Patkai and Namdapha, March 2019”
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Report: Caracal! and other wildlife from Kutch, April 2019
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) A report from a mammal watching oriented tour, with a specific goal to see/identify potential sites for the rarely seen, locally endangered (within India) Caracal, to Kutch (Western India) in April 2019. Highlights included a sighting of Caracal (!), Leopard (a rarity in these parts), Jungle Cat, Indian Long-eared and Indian Hedgehogs and Indian Porcupine, among 17 species of mammals in 5Continue reading “Report: Caracal! and other wildlife from Kutch, April 2019”
Astrophotography – Imaging the Deep Sky splendours (Part 2)
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This is a follow-up to the basics post (which might be of interest if you are just starting out on this pursuit and looking to experiment with the gamut of subjects). In this post I will elaborate on my work flow to photographing the faint deep sky subjects (Nebulae, Milky Way regions, Galaxies,Continue reading “Astrophotography – Imaging the Deep Sky splendours (Part 2)”
Astrophotography (from one amateur to others) Part 1 – The Basics
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) The Genesis Among the privileges of visiting natural areas is the potential to gaze at dark night skies and the countless pinpoints of light that fill it. On good nights, this can be a truly mesmerising experience, that touches the depths of your soul! While I have been smitten by these celestialContinue reading “Astrophotography (from one amateur to others) Part 1 – The Basics”
Nilgiri Marten – two personal sighting records of the elusive mammal
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Why are there Martens in south India Six of the world’s seven species of Martens – reputedly pugnacious mammals, in the same family as weasels and otters (among other mid-sized carnivores) – have a largely Eurasian distribution, with one of their kind in the Americas. All species either occur in temperateContinue reading “Nilgiri Marten – two personal sighting records of the elusive mammal”
Flashlight Review: ThruNite Catapult V6 with Nitecore Red Filter for wildlife observation at night
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) Introduction An oft arising ethical dilemma for any nature enthusiast is where to ‘draw the line’ in pursuit of appreciating our natural world. Without a doubt, any attempt at observing wildlife, has some impact on the natural system – indirectly, at the very least. Observation efforts at night, by flash-lighting, are obviouslyContinue reading “Flashlight Review: ThruNite Catapult V6 with Nitecore Red Filter for wildlife observation at night”
Report: Birding in Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, March 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas This is brief note from a bird-watching oriented trip to Roing Grasslands and Mishmi Hills (Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary), in the Eastern Himalayas of Arunachal Pradesh Please follow link for a complete picture gallery from this trip Dates: 17th to 23rd March 2018 Locations: Roing Grasslands – Sally Lake – Mishmi Foothills – Tiwari Gaon – CoffeeContinue reading “Report: Birding in Mishmi Hills, Arunachal Pradesh, March 2018”
Report: Wildlife of Lonar and Nagzira-Navegaon Tiger Reserve, November 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This report is based on a natural history oriented tour to the meteor-impact formed Lonar Lake and the Nagzira/Navegaon/Koka wildlife landscape – both lesser visited locations in the vast, central Indian state of Maharashtra. Follow links for map of tour locations and complete picture gallery Dates: 11th to 17th November 2018 Highlights at Nagzira-Navegaon-KokaContinue reading “Report: Wildlife of Lonar and Nagzira-Navegaon Tiger Reserve, November 2018”
Report: Mammals of the Anamalais (South India), Jan-Feb 2019
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This report is based on a guided mammal watching oriented trip to the Anamalai mountains in the Western Ghats of south India Dates: 31st Jan to 3rd Feb 2019 Tour Locations: In and around the Anamalai Tiger Reserve, including Sethumadai, Top Slip and Valparai. Map of tour locations Tour Participants: Stuart Chapman andContinue reading “Report: Mammals of the Anamalais (South India), Jan-Feb 2019”
Report: Western Ghats endemic mammals, birds (and more), Spring 2018
Author: Ravi Kailas (ficustours@gmail.com) This is a report based on a guided mammal/birdwatching oriented trip to various locations in the Western Ghats of south India this spring Dates: 25th March to 7th April 2018 (guided portion from 29th March onwards) Tour Locations: Kabini, Bandipur, Sethumadai/Top Slip, Parambikulam, Valparai, Chinnar, Munnar, Thattekad. Map of tour locations The trip wasContinue reading “Report: Western Ghats endemic mammals, birds (and more), Spring 2018”
Ficus Wildlife and Natural History Tours 