[i20ian]

Had been to Valparai a couple of times earlier and was always taken aback by the sheer beauty of the place. But this time the aim was to do some birding in and around Valparai and also to photograph the flora and fauna there.

It was a Saturday evening. There was a sudden impulse in me to travel to Valparai. Checked up with my friend Deepak and he too was ready and raring to go. Plan was made for an early morning start the next day and off we went to the land of beauty.

We started at 4.45am from Palakkad. As an initial setback, Google maps showed us a confusing way and we reached almost a dead end. Saw a couple of rabbits run away in the car's high beam. Not a bad start after all.

Struggled through narrow bumpy roads and finally managed to reach the Pollachi Palakkad main road. Lost 15 precious minutes in the process.

The Pollachi road was smooth but beware of the occasional pothole which can pack a surprise. Managed to reach Anamalai Tiger Reserve checkpost by 6.30am. We were the first ones to reach the checkpost as we came to know from the register kept over there.

The forest department personnel told us that the Athirappally route has been opened up after the recent shutdown due to heavy rainfall. But we told them that we will be back on the same route as we didn't want to take a chance and get stuck midway and we had to go to office the next day.

Rolled down the window glasses and started rolling up the hills. Gusts of fresh cold air swept across our faces taking away the tiredness of the journey.

Stopped near monkey falls entrance and got our cameras ready. The birds have started to get active. Calls of white browed bulbul started dominating as we headed further up. Stopped at quite a few locations as there was hardly any traffic.



Got to see yellow browed and flame throated bulbuls near Attakatti. Managed to click a distant shot of the Aliyar dam shutters opened.



Flame throated bulbul



After a few hairpin bends, we stopped at Loam's view point to click the customary view of the winding ghat roads with Aliyar dam in the backdrop.



Another group of people were taking selfies at the view point and one of them called me and pointed high up in the hills. There it was.. our first lucky sighting.. A Nilgiri Thar.



This guy was foraging on the road side unwary of what's happening around. How that guy managed to find it was something great. May be he would have got a feeling that I'm looking for it too on seeing my camera and lens. All they wanted in return was to take a look at the pic I took of the creature from such a long distance. Thanked the guys and we jumped into the car and proceeded to that point. He gave us quite a few good postures and we left him undisturbed to have his breakfast.





Happy at our first sighting we moved on and reached the picturesque Waterfalls estate tea point. The weather was chill. Sipping hot tea and watching the waterfalls run down through the tea estates was a sight to behold.





Bird activity was comparitively lesser until now but the beauty surrounding us made up for it.
We didn't want to waste much time and moved ahead.

The lack of bird activity was compensated by the first family of fauna we encountered in this trip.. The Nilgiri Langurs. They were noisy and boisterous. We managed to click a few of them.



This guy seemed to be a hair stylist



After completing the 40 hairpin bends we reached Rottikadai. We saw a Lion tailed macaque sitting on a tree top and started clicking photos of that guy. Suddenly the surrounding branches started shaking and all of a sudden we were mobbed by a family of LTMs. The second family encounter of the trip.

Couldn't ask for more. There were all sorts of guys in the family.

Mom n child



Slim guy



Guy offering prayers



This guy almost jumped into my car as I was using the window pane as a tripod and trying to shoot him.



Managed to get quite a few closeups as well.



Finally said goodbye to the family and went ahead.

Continued...

[i20ian]

I had been in touch with a friend in Valparai who had given me the inputs regarding the various birding hotspots. So heeding to his advice we went to Old Valparai in search of Great Hornbills.

On the way we stopped on hearing the calls of Rufous babblers.

Rufous Babbler



A lot of long tailed shrikes were also to be seen in the tea estates.

Long tailed shrike





Finally reached the place and parked i20 at a scenic locale.



We walked through the coffee estates in search of the Great Hornbills. We didn't had breakfast. But our spirits were soaring high. We covered almost 3kms through the estates. A few clicks enroute.



The pathway and the estates were well maintained. Saw a few colourful butterflies on the way





This guy was interested to checkout the visitors into his territory



Orange minivets were common



Huge unexplored waterfalls greeted us. We could see estate workers mostly people from the North East moving in the opposite direction to us. May be they were going for Sunday shopping.

We descended three inclines and finally reached a point where the view is like this.



The estate road was still meandering ahead of us into eternity. Still no sign of Hornbills. Dejected and tired we decided to stop the trek and head back. We walked back another 3 kms and ascended three inclines. We admired our stamina as we trekked 6kms without food and water in treacherous terrain.

As we approached the main road, a local guy on seeing us asked if we got to see the great Hornbill. Probably they might have got used to seeing people coming in pursuit of them. We replied negative and he consoled us by pointing to a tree and saying that one was spotted yesterday on that tree at this time.

By the time we reached back the point were i20 was parked we heard loud alarm calls of Malabar giant squirrel. It was a raptor, may be a crested hawk eagle trying to snatch once of its young ones from a nest.

After the cacophony settled Deepak spotted some colours flying in the trees far away. There it was. The one which we have been searching for the past few hours. The Great hornbill!! But it suddenly vanished into the trees.

We got a new ray of hope. They were somewhere nearby. All the tiredness had vanished. We rushed to the car and went in the direction where it went but couldn't find it. Again we came back and waited.

It was at that time I noticed a slight itch on my hind leg. It was a leech leisurely having its breakfast. So I went on to clear it off my legs. Meanwhile Deepak decided to explore the opposite path leading into the estate.

After washing my legs and making sure no more uninvited guests still linger around in my pants I too joined Deepak. By this time he had spotted the Hornbills. Not one but three. The third family rendezvous of our trip. It was a father mother and kid.

The parents were taking the kid around their territory it seems. But the kid was reluctant. They kept on calling the kid but he didn't bother. Finally father took charge and flew to another massive tree nearby giving me a flash of a second to get a flight shot although the shot quality took a beating. Nevertheless cherished the moment of hearing the loud flutter once more.



The mother followed and finally the kid too accompanied them. Got to see a juvenile for the first time. They blessed with a few good clicks.

The mom







The kid





Eventually they vanished into the thickets. Our stomachs were going haywire and it was almost mid noon. So decided to head out to Valparai town and have some brunch.

Continued..

[i20ian]

Valparai town was like hell. Stinking with garbage. People thronging the Koolangal river to take a dip. Absolute chaos. Parking space was a dream. Somehow managed to find a cramped spot only to be driven away by a lady constable who showed us a sign board of police station. We were infact going to park the vehicle infront of the police station.

Roamed around and finally found some space and decided to find out a restaurant on foot. Saw hotel Green Hill. Was an old gloomy restaurant. Had meals, chicken curry and Biryani. Food tasted good mainly due to our hunger.

Stomachs full, we took a slight nap in the car. Called up my friend to discuss the afternoon plan and he told to avoid Chinna Kallar as the roads leading to the place were almost non existant.

So we decided to explore Nirar dam enroute Chinna kallar. There was a forest checkpost on the way where we need to take tickets per person and for camera. This same ticket is applicable for Nallamudi Pooncholai view point.

The guard was very polite and he asked us to take the first right after a few hundred metres. Once we took the turn all hell broke loose. The roads turned out to be terrible. The car took quite a beating. But the higher ground clearance of the i20 came in handy.

We crawled at snails pace and meanwhile I got out of the car on hearing a serpent eagle's call. But he flew away. I walked some distance and saw this skulky guy who at the very minutest disturbance used to flee into the foliage. It was the Common hawk cuckoo, owner of the all familiar coo-hoo calls which we hear in our backyards. It was a first time shot for me. So didn't bother about the background and got a record shot.



Interestingly the Malabar whistling thrushes who were silent throughout the first half of the day had started their characteristic school boy whistling. May be the cold cloudy weather made them feel comfortable.

After labouring for almost an hour to cover 6kms we reached Nirar dam. The dam was almost full. Took a couple of snaps.





Nothing much to do near the dam and it turned out to be an utter waste of time and energy. A place to avoid for prospecting travelers. Again reached the checkpost and heaved a sigh of relief on touching proper tarmac again.

Next stop Nallamudi Pooncholai view point. The roads leading to the view point were narrow with a lot of humps. As we reached the parking area I saw something white flying past us. Got out and decided to check out what it was. It was a black shouldered kite.

Another first time sight. There were a couple of them hovering around and one came and perched at a far away branch and gave me a distant click.



Showed the tickets taken at Nirar dam and moved ahead. We had to walk nearly half a km to reach the view point. A forest guard gave an idea about the route to take and warned us about the lack of safety at the view point.

We started walking. The route split into three at one point. The left one seemed to be unused for quite a while as there was grass growing on the path. There was a sign board showing temple straight ahead. We initially thought of taking the left route but finally decided to go straight.

As we started ascending, the distant waterfalls started showing up. As we were standing and taking photographs, a forest watcher called us from a distance and asked us to come up. When we approached him, he called us and pointed his finger towards a distant path and told "Bison !!"

With some difficulty we managed to see this giant beast lying hidden in between the tea plants.

Sleeping giant





A chill went down our spine. The Gaur was lying on the same path which we intended to take at first but later rebuted. We lauded our luck as on any other day we could have easily ran into that sleeping giant and would have caught ourselves totally unaware.

Didn't disturb the beast's sanctity and reached the view point. The view was simply breathtaking. Let the pictures do the talking.



It was a clear day and the monsoons have given life to numerous waterfalls making the view mesmerising.

The Idamalayar flowing pristinely through the reserve forest.



A tribal settlement



A forest Guest House as told by the watcher. A place to add in the bucket list of course.



Waterfalls aplenty





The Idamalayar





Delighted with the views headed back to the parking area and had lemon tea from the stall. The tea was good. A must try once you are here.

It was getting late. Light was beginning to fade. So time to head to our final destination Kurangumudi. On our way we saw something dark grazing on the meadows in between the tea estates. Initially had an impression that they were cows grazing but decided to check it out.

Got down and zoomed in. They were Gaurs. Our fourth family of the trip. It was a herd of Gaurs grazing unperturbed in the meadows. Got a few good shots.











By that time other tourists too got inquisitive seeing us and decided to stop their vehicles and join us.

It started getting crowdy and some hooligans even started going too close to the herd to click pictures. Wonder how such loggerheads are bound to exist on this planet. We decided that we've had enough of it and moved ahead.

While heading to Kurangumudi saw a few Jungle fowls and bushchats.

Grey jungle fowl



Pied bushchat




Kurangumudi was teeming with wildlife as we headed through the trees. Langurs and mongoose were roaming around. It started getting dark and the place had a real eerie feeling.

We reached the final motorable point. It was a small settlement. Had to walk to reach a viewpoint. But we decided to skip the walking part as we had to get back and embarked on the return journey.

The return journey was largely uneventful and we reached back Palakkad by 9pm. Had dinner and called it a day and what a day it was. Luck was on our side as we were bestowed with so many wonderful sightings. The customary final odo reading of the trip.



But as we humans are never satisfied with what we have, there is always room for another trip round the corner. Until then hope everyone enjoyed living through our experiences in this short trip.

Bidding adieu with a parting shot of Carwar Marsh, the founder of tea plantations in Valparai and an inspiration to explore the unexplored in years to come.

[SDP]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[mpksuhas]

Few days back during a random discussion about places around Palakkad with another TBHPian, your Siruvani log came up.

Understand that you are in Plakkad now. Hoping to see more logs in future

I too have a picture taken during my Valparai trip long back from the same place of your car pic.



And yes LTMs are a friendly but 'well behaved' lot

[i20ian]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Few days back during a random discussion about places around Palakkad with another TBHPian, your Siruvani log came up.

Yes there are quite a few places in and around Palakkad to be explored. Glad to know that my Tlog came up during your discussion.

You are lucky enough to have the LTM on top of your bonnet. In my case the guy was trying to get into my car.

[swami69]

Beautiful is the word. Great travelogue and nice captures, this brings back some memories of my trip a couple of years back to this wonderful place. I would want to go there now as i guess it will be wonderful due to all the rains recently, let me see.

If possible, kindly let me know some specific places for Birding @ Valparai. Thank you.

Swami

[hemanth.anand]

Stumbled upon your travelogue and so glad I did. How lucky are you, the Nilgiri Thar and the Bison came in your path(this one in your intended path) . And those pictures of the Hornbills-beautiful. But the best pictures for me were the pictures of the falls and the tribal settlements. Also learnt a lot of new bird names. thanks for sharing. keep sharing many more such beautiful logs and pictures.

[gadadhar]

Wonderful snaps of the wildlife, black shouldered kite is a real beauty. Planning to do Valparai after this year rains

[MaxTorque]

Wow, a crisp travelogue with beautifully worded descriptions and well-captured images.

Loved all images especially the images of Hornbills. Just wondering what would be the reaction of the tea estate workers when seeing a Bison in their backyard.

[ampere]

The place sure opens up in all glory during monsoons. Its that part in time, where rain gods have you bring-out the beauty of the place, and yet have restrained themselves for that split moment which allows you to go out and witness that spectacle! Very nice indeed!

I have been here twice during winter and early summer. The winter season was amazing with some great flowers to snap with a macro lens and chill along valley to enjoy that hot cup of tea!

[ChiragM]

Stunning pictures i20ian Loved all of them.

I know nothing about birds so it was interesting to read about all the birds you saw. I don't think I have ever seen a Hornbill in the wild. Probably should pay Valparai a visit soon. I have seen Bisons once near B.R.Hills, but from a distance. May get to see them up close (not too close I hope) like you did in Valparai.

Thanks for this travelogue.

[SCORPION]

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

And yes LTMs are a friendly but 'well behaved' lot
Attachment 1789294

I think this particular fellow (may be his friends too) has the habit of jumping on to cars' bonnets. I encountered a Lion Tailed Macaque walking towards me in the middle of the road recently on my way to Valparai. I stopped to let him pass. But he chose to jump on to my Endeavour's bonnet. Sat there for a couple of seconds moved on to the roof, peeped into the car from the rear window scaring the day light out of my little daughter who had just woken up hearing the commotion!

He then proceeded to do the same to my friends car who was following me. . But like you said, pretty well behaved. It was like as though he did this every day.

[mpksuhas]

Originally Posted by SCORPION

I think this particular fellow (may be his friends too) has the habit of jumping on to cars' bonnets.

May be the same guy, I guess there are only two group / troop of LTMs in Valparai town.

[trtraj]

Very Nice, and great that you could spot hornbills and LTMs Have been roaming in Anamalai Tiger Reserve for years i couldn't snap one yet.