Breathtaking photographs. Hats off my dear friend. Your photographs says all. I have been at Munnar very recently i.e, 23 to 26 March. Munnar is really a heaven on earth. A must visit place for every traveler. Your 'Scorp' also looks awesome.

Firstly awesome pics, you're the first I've seen on TBHP who has passion for cars and use it for brid watching.

I'm no bird expert but I think you found a European Woodpecker in Kerala? I too have done the routes you mentioned, lovely roads and an amazing place Idukki is.

Thanks.
I used my D810 with 200-500 f5.6 and 24-120 F4

Thanks.

Probably not.
Yes, probably a juvenile.

Beautiful!

and a nice variety of birds! You have named them all accurately! I am keen on birding, but don't have the right equipment right now. Which gear do you use?

Are the Malabar giant squirrels seen commonly?

Nikon D810 + Nikon 200-500 F5.6

Nope, but can be spotted in certain isolated and specific forest ranges across India.
A close-up !

Hi M35,

Fantastic picture, so sharp and vibrant in colour.. and the bokeh ! Stunning. You said you have used a Nikkor 200-500 f5.6 VR lens for these pictures. F5.6 being a little slow, how did you manage such things in this long lens. Please advise and I may be interested in investing as well. Thanks.

Swami

Thanks.

Anything faster than f5.6 are not only way too expensive, but insanely heavy too. Since I prefer shooting hand-holding the gear, the only options are this Nikkor and the f6.3 third party zooms. I had a sharp copy of Tamron 150-600 earlier but this 200-500 f5.6 is sharper, with better VR, better contrast and colours and nicer ‘bokeh’. Though AF is a bit sluggish to acquire focus, has been very accurate once locked.

P.S: f5.6 was adequate for the pictures shared here, as they were shot in reasonably acceptable lighting conditions.

A great read, thoroughly enjoyed the pictures

The other day I reached back home in Palakkad. Though gets hot at times, my town does have a charm of its own.




Thanks for the visit.
Manoj

Terrific pics and interesting notes.. Scrolled over the pics again and again. The last pic of paddy even in hot season really cooled the eyes & heart

2 weeks back, I had taken a trip through the Trivandrum-Nagercoil-Valliyoor-Panakkudi-Ambasamudram-Thenkasi-Trivandrum stretch down here in South. It was a trip undertaken as kids wanted to see the rural tamilnadu and also, the weather was pleasantly overcast. But, the moment, the deviation came from NH, nature turned so green to the point that it was unbelievable. With not even 25% of the season rain we get in Kerala, this side of TN was like an emerald goldmine in May - paddy fields, vegetable farms, what not? Just sharing few pics of how it was like.

Attached Thumbnails

 

 

 

 

Very true for the Body/Theni region as well, I guess.
BTW, lovely pictures !

I would differ on this - The Malabar Giant Squirrel is pretty common in the Western Ghats forests. We have come across these guys on every single visit to the forest by us. I spot them almost every week at Walayar forest during my daily commute to office

You said it!! I have totally and completely fallen in love with Palakkad after moving in here a few years back (Actually, except for March-April, Palakkad is actually more comfortable than the hot and humid Kerala mainland!)

Great to see you back, Mysticeyes. Looking forward to your completion or continuation of your other threads which are left hanging in limbo

Thanks for the clarification Sir

Very True !

Haven't taken that stretch yet. may be this year. but..despite having frequent travel here in south, I haven't been able to fully cover the 'Nanjilnaadu' areas. All trips start with a decision to explore new areas, but as soon as we reach the already explored areas, something new would crop up and would take us through it all over again and make us long for more

The deviation from main-roads often throws up locales like this one, that would be like "stop the world, let's get down here"


Or at times, an inexplicable bond to a very particular place that makes us get out, spend some time there talking. This particular area has a distance marker where we often halt and can have a view of this college building. We don't know what makes us stop there every time. may be the clouds? or the greens? or the wait for the rain to come? don't know.


maybe I got too lazy with the typing fingers. need some serious push to restart them.

As M35 said "The plan was NOT to visit any crowded usual picnic spots but some laid back drive along the tea gardens and those lovely winding roads." Driving through the rustic farming belts is such a soothing experience and makes us so lazy that we forget about SLR's in bag. During the initial trips, it was more of photography, but as time progressed, we found that getting out of vehicle, just wandering around and talking to local people and sitting idly at places can be more rewarding. Luckily, rain has been in the background in almost all trips that makes things more emotional (if that term can be used). Something that can come close (as what my feeling is) is: