A New Discovery

Black Winged Cuckoo Shrike - Our first sighting at Native Place

We spent the latter part of last week at Kamshet. It was my Birthday on Thursday and I was keen to spend it at Native Place. Sanjay wanted to throw me a party in Mumbai but I insisted I wanted to spend my birthday with my trees at Native Place a wish that elicited a rolling of the eyes from him.

Bex sent me birthday wishes hoping my dreams would come true and this made me reflect - a lot of my dreams have come true we have to say. And I have so much to be grateful and joyous about.
Building Native Place was one such dream, growing a garden was another, having my family enjoy the space with us was still another. I often tell people about how I grew up in a little village in Mumbai and then the city grew leaving us with no open spaces or trees to climb. It was a dream to build a home where my kids and family could continue to enjoy the wild unbridled freedom of running barefoot exploring nature around us.

Well here I was in Kamshet with husband, son and nephews Dwane and Daniel on my birthday, enjoying a walk in the pouring rain, listening to the birds call and feeling at home in nature. My dream surely has come true and I wish the same to all of you

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid Rao
www.flynirvana.com

Food Gardens

It has been more than a year since my last post. I have neglected the garden choosing to paraglide, bird and butterfly watch and take long walks. During this time the native place garden has been left to its own devices. Since we did not have any delicate plants but mostly native plantings the garden took care of itself managing to go by with infrequent watering, pruning and weeding. i got used to the unkempt look. The climbers and shrubs around the house stood by us and flowered profusely wowing the guests and this only made me more complacent.

Consuelo sent me some herb seeds from Italy in December and i planted them in the new year. Now my excitement began to grow and each weekend as i approached Kamshet and Native Place all i could think about was running into the garden and checking on my seedlings. This led to a complete makeover of the garden. We had loads to do in terms of cutting back, pruning, clearing, manuring, and watering.

Today we have loads of basil, oregano, thyme, chamomile as well as some sage, tomatoes, beans and pumpkins growing well. Have also planted ginger, garlic, sweet potato and got a new rotating composter. I feel on top of the world - i have always wanted to grow my own herbs and this is a dream come true for me. My attention has now turned to growing food and using every tiny area in the garden to grow edibles. It's amazing to make the link from the garden to the kitchen and onto the table

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid Rao

The Wasp Lady

Last Month at Native Place

A story you wont belive.

I was on the tandoor terrace in the morning leaning out and adjusting the fragrant Madhu-malati (Quisqualis Indica) vine that climbs up here.

I was so busy stretched out over the railing and pushing the vine back that I did not realize that I had upset a wasp’s nest just above. It was on the little parapet by the tandoor and as I pushed the stubborn branches to one side I shook this wonderful looking but very dangerous wasp’s nest.

Suddenly I began to hear a buzzing sound. It was not coming from nearby but from in my head I stepped backwards in front of the tandoor and put my head down whipping my hair forward. I put my hands in my sleep tousled and many days unbrushed tresses and began to do the don’t give a damn dance.

Daniel, Dwane , Michelle and Sanjay watched me for a while and then Daniel dashed forward – inserted his fingers into my knotted hair and began to comb them out one at a time – yes there were 12 of them all together , more than an inch sized wasps buzzing about in my hair.

One by one he snagged them out and they fell out to the ground got up and flew menacingly towards him – he dodged and kept at it and I kept doing the don’t give a damn dance and continued to mess with my hair. Above on the top terrace Apporva, Dylan, and some others stared over at me wondering what was going on.

By this time Daniel was telling me ‘they are gone they are gone’ and michelle was shouting ‘no no I can see them’ All the while I remained silent but continued to do the dance. ( dwane calls it the avatar dance)

Then Daniel got stung once and then again on the head. Now sanjay enters the fray with his slipper in hand – slippering my hair as I encourage him to go for it and not worry about hurting me.

Each time a wasp flies out of my hair I see him dodge it even with my head hanging down. Apporva and gang watch as Sanjay takes a chappal (slipper) to my hair.

Finally I pull the last one out but not before I get stung on the thumb. Mercifully with all that went down instead of multiple bites in the head face, legs, arms ( I was wearing shorts and a sleeveless tee) and they were buzzing around my face and body as they got out of my hair and flew about angrily before moving out.

Now Hiren who was earlier asking questions like what shampoo or conditioner I had used – comes back with a hairbrush to assist the operation.

It was all over by then – adrenalin was pumping full on and my thumb was swollen and throbbing

Sunith who was in the room all this while gets to hear that Daniel has been stung and immediately checks the EFR manual – he washes daniel’s forehead and makes him lie down, elevated his feet with a pillow and covered him with a blanket and sat to monitor his condition. He does not realize that I was stung too.

I look for the apis mel bottle ( homeopathic medicine for stings ) and find it has all but evaporated and the bottle is empty. So we used ice instead – as instructed by Sunith who also insists that I wash my hand.

Sunith then went online to try and identify the offending creature so as to decide what to do next !!!

The buzz in my head continued for a while – I kept imagining myself as the wasp lady – walking about with a big jumbled hairdo full of buzzing creatures – everyone was telling stories about each one’s reactions .

Serioulsly Daniel (one of my nephews) saved me from a swollen head and other complications

Happy to get off with just one sting

Astrid

Mystery climber identified

The mystery climber I mentioned in a previous post continued to remain nameless for a while. This winter it flowered profusely drawing my attention each time I walked in or out of Native Place. I began to visit this climber every afternoon to watch the sun birds drink nectar from its hanging flower bracts. It continued to flower and show off up until the end of March inspiring me to keep the search on for its true name. Recently while browsing I hit pay dirt.

Thunbergia coccinea, Wall. (Hexacentris coccinea, Nees). A very tall climber: st. much branched, 4-angled: lvs. short-petiolate, variously shaped, the lower broadly ovate, with a hastate or cordate angled base, the upper ovate, cordate, all angularly toothed or the upper entire: fls. in terminal or axillary racemes, 1-3 ft. long; bracts large, inflated, as long as the tube; limb scarlet, of 5 reflexed emarginate lobes; throat orange. Autumn and winter. India.
Source: Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Peace Bliss & Happy Landings

Astrid Rao

The Native Place garden is at its best right now with many types of climbers and shrubs flowering, lots of birds and butterflies too. Last weekend I spent Saturday morning wandering about the garden admiring my collection of climbers ( thunbergia mysorensis, t alba, t grandiflora, t mystery ( don’t yet know this one’s name ) clitoria ternate, honeysuckle, pyrostegia vanusta, Strongylon Macrobotrys, morning glory, and bridal bouquet clematis) and the many little birds fluttering amongst them. I felt such a wonderful sense of fulfillment seeing all those beautiful vines laden with flowers…. Little baby plants that I have tracked down, procured and cared for … now all grown up and bearing flowers … such a wonderful feeling it was and I was further rewarded with the spotting of a crimson sunbird – my first sighting of this bird ever.

An Ode to Salim Ali

The Jade vine creeper in the Native Place Garden has a new tenant. A female purplerumped Sunbird is busy building a nest in it. The female sunbirds are pretty dificult to identify compared to the males who have distinctive coloring. the females are all a olive brown above and whitish to yellow lower parts- Even with this picture on opening a birdbook i was puzzled on seeing 5 types of female sunbirds with similar colorings. But inveitibly Salim Ali comes to the rescue.

His discriptions of the sunbirds nests are so thorough

"an oblong pouch of soft grasses, rubbish and cobwebs, draped with pieces of bark, woody refuse and caterpillars' droppings, wit a projecting portico abouve lateral entrance hole. Suspended from the ti of a brnch of a bush or creeper at moderate heights, ofern adjacent to an occupied bunglow"

leaving me in no doubt whatsoever.

Years ago i used to see Salim Ali walking briskly along the seafront at Carter Road,Bandra. I had heard that he was very interesting to speak to. I never got the chance to listen to or walk with him but my experiences with his book 'The Book of Indian Birds' where he shares his rich experiences in such a beautiful manner makes me belive that he is still here guiding us birders.

Astrid Rao

Better late than never

I have a Palash tree in the garden that has not flowered at least not in the past 5 years that i have been watching and waiting. It was on the plot before we built the house and i was very excited to have it but it dissapointement every March by staying green rather than shedding its leaves and developing a profusely flaming crown.

But this season it surprised me - no profusion of orange but a few reluctant blooms as you can see above - enough to bring joy to my heart though. Here below you see pictures of another Palash that i came across on a walk in the hills blooming in all its glory.






Palash: is an indigenous species found in open country. Scientific name Butea monosperma, it is also known as the flame of the forest,Dhak,Tesu, kesu, chhichra, Bengal Kino and bastard teak. Floweres contain nectar and attract many birds. Leaves are used to make plates and the flowers yeild a orange dye used at Holi.

Astrid Rao