Report : Rajmachi Nature Trek

[Rajesh Sachdev]

http://rajesh-sachdev.blogspot.com/2011/09/report-rajmachi-nature-trek.html

Amidst the natural calls of Brown Headed Barbet, Grey Jungle Fowl and Greater Coucal, my mobile alarm at 6`o clock performed the role of perfect alien and played no difference to us since we were little tired and decided to sleep for another extra hour, which was beyond the schedule. This was the story of the second day`s start at Rajmachi, which had heavy cloud gatherings on atop the fort, for which we were planned to explore on this day, but couldn`t. The first day, given us many sightings, few of them lifer, few were uncommon and few were expected but the second day, was not that much promising.

The Rajmachi Nature Trek got 6 participants, a very decent number, ensured good sightings. Specially, at such famous trekking destinations, where hoards of people drop in during weekends and disturb the whole environs, we were much comfortable in this size. 

The 10^th September, 2011, Sarang Naik, Tushar Parab, Sushant More, Manish Nakhwa, Advait Ghaisas and me started our trek from Tungarli village, after having our breakfast at Lonavala city, at sharp 9.15am, as pre-decided.  Rajmachi, was a long trek, covering 16 Kms of uphill walk, the closest point for Mumbaikars in Western Ghats. The sky was filled with clouds with slight rains and limited light for camera savvys.  Our day started with as usual Red Whiskered Bulbul right at the base of Tungarli Dam and finished with a filmy type fight between multiple frogs at night, for an earth worm. The stunning Ulhas Valley and River, mesmerized all of us, with its fate, further down at Karjat, where it is most polluted. The short discussion with the local villager, confirmed the number of wild denizens have declined over the last 4-5 years, along with tree cover as well. He affirmed that Hyeana, Leopard and wild boar are still seen at occasions and predators were blamed for carrying away the local poultry occasionally. He denied to have seen vultures from last few years, which used to be abundant here, earlier according to him.

The second day 11^th September, was spend much of trekking down on slippery hill slopes, on the way to Kondane caves and village, resulting in sudden fall on mossy rocks and getting hurt  and obvious victims were Sushant, Advait and me. This day given us unforgettable sighting of an Orange Oakleaf, which was in my wish list, and was earlier recorded from Bhimashankar WLS. The surprising sighting was of Karvi, a single shrub, seen in blooming.

The two days nature trek went absolutely fine and all of us were very happy with the experience that we  all had and promised to meet each other for our next trek to Kas (Maharashtra`s valley of flowers), Satara, scheduled in this month end.

 

Classified Sightings:

Birding –

Jungle Bush Quail

Grey Junglefowl

Indian Peafowl (heard)

White Cheeked Barbet

Brown Headed Barbet

Grey Hornbill (heard)

Small Blue Kingfisher

White Throated Kingfisher (heard)

Eurasian Cuckoo (heard)

Greater Coucal

House Swift

Alpine Swift

Laughing Dove

Spotted Dove

Yellow Footed Green Pigeon (observed at Karjat station)

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Pair of Common Kestrel (probably have killed a wolf snake)

Little Cormorant

Indian Cormorant

Rufous Treepie (Heard)

Large Billed Crow

Eurasian Golden Oriole

Large Cuckooshrike

Common Iora

Malabar Whistling Thrush (Heard)

Oriental Magpie Robin

Pied Bushchat

Dusky Craig Martin

Red Vented Bulbul

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Ashy Prinia

Grey Breasted Prinia

Jungle Babbler

Sunbird (?)

Wagtail (?)

Scaly Breasted Munia

Butterflies –

Plain Banded Awl

Malabar Spotted Flat

Common Spotted Flat

Tamil Grass Dart

Rice Swift

Chestnut Bob

Tailed Jay

Common Mormon

Blue Mormon

Common Grass Yellow

Common Jezebel

Glassy Tiger

Common Crow

Baronet

Common Castor

Chocolate Pansy

Great Eggfly

Lemon Pansy

Orange Oakleaf

Blue Oakleaf

Common Hedge Blue

Flora- (the name in brackets refer to local marathi name)

Costus speciosus (Koshta)

Clerodendrum serratum (Bharang)

Hibiscus Tetraphyllus (Ran bhendi)

Helicteres isora (Murud Sheng)

Carvia callosa (Karvi)

Ecbolium ligustrinum (Ekboli)

Lantana Camara (ghaneri)

Momordica dioica (Kartoli)

Thunbergia fragrans (Chimine)

Curculigo orchiodes (kali musali)

Curcuma Pseudomontana (Ran halad)

Hypoxis aurea (Sontara)

Zingiber neesanum (Nisam)

Eriocaulon sedgewickii (Gend)

Pinda Concanensis (Panda)

Begonia Crenata (Kapru)

Celosia argentea (Kombda)

Trichodesma indicum (Chhota kalpa)

Corchorus olitorius (Banpat)

Chlorophytum breviscapum (Phulkadi)

Habenaria longicorniculata (sheput Habe-amri)

Impatiens balsamina (Terda)

Impatiens lawii (Jambhala terda)

Exacum lawii (Lahan chirayat)

Exacum pumilum (Jambhli chirayat)

Aeginetia indica (Gulab-dani)

Conscora diffusa (Kilwar)

Senecio bombayensis (Sonki)

Commelina haskarlii (Kamalini)

Acacia Torta (Chilarwel)

Commelina diffusa (Gandologi)

Paracaryopsis lambertiana (Hirvi nisurdi)

Eclipta Prostrata (Bhringaraj)

Murdannia Spirata

Murdannia wightii

Murdannia versicolor

 

So, this was an end of the trip report………

  

--
Regards

Rajesh Sachdev

9890255616

http://www.facebook.com/leopardguy

[Balkar Arya]

Thanks Rajesh ji for sharing Detailed Report. We gain so many things from such information and it makes easier for others who wish to visit same place.

--
Regards

Dr Balkar Singh
Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology
Arya P G College, Panipat
Haryana-132103
09416262964

[Giby Kuriakose]

Thank you Rajesh ji for such a nice detailed report. 

It is very helpful as you had given a list of birds, butterflies and scientific names of plants with its marathi name.

Thanks and Regards,

Giby

--
GIBY KURIAKOSE PhD
Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE),
Royal Enclave,
Jakkur Post, Srirampura
Bangalore- 560064
India
Phone - +91 9448714856 (Mobile)
visit my pictures @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/giby

[Rajesh Sachdev]

Thanks a lot Gibyji, you words are inspiration to me.....

--
Regards

Rajesh Sachdev

http://www.facebook.com/leopardguy

[Rajesh Sachdev]

I am honored with your reply, Balkarji.....

[Ushadi micromini]

Very nice detailed report...
where do you publish/send in your pics ..of butterflies... other than
social networking site...
are there groups where you'll show the Karvi ? or here?
and the orange oak leaf?

would love to see it
Usha di
======

On Sep 13, 5:07 pm, Rajesh Sachdev <leopard...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I am honored with your reply, Balkarji.....
>

> On 12 September 2011 17:09, Balkar Arya <balkara...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Thanks Rajesh ji for sharing Detailed Report. We gain so many things from
> > such information and it makes easier for others who wish to visit same
> > place.
>

> > On Mon, Sep 12, 2011 at 3:03 PM, Rajesh Sachdev <leopard...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
> >>http://rajesh-sachdev.blogspot.com/2011/09/report-rajmachi-nature-tre...

[Rajesh Sachdev]

Ushadi, your first ever reply to my any mail, I am happy to receive it. The Orange Oakblue was quick enough to been photographed and we failed to click it. Karvi, was just a shrub with few buds on it and that I shall share on the egroup soon.

regards

Rajesh