A Raptor, a Runner and a Ringside Witness !

Shikra?

For the uninitiated, it is a raptor, a small bird of prey. Just 10-12 inches long. Clawed talons. Sharp eyesight. Wide wingspan for its size. Feeds on rodents, squirrels, lizards, small birds and insects in the fields and lakesides. Perches on tree tops or electric poles. Flight is typical flaps-and-glides (that is how I could identify from a distance).

Mongoose

We all know. It is called the Indian Grey Mongoose. Inhabits open forests, scrublands and cultivated fields. Lives in burrows and takes shelter under rocks or bushes. Its prey includes rodents, snakes, birds' eggs and hatchlings, lizards. It is known to fight snakes. In Hindi it is called 'Neola' नेवला .

What is the connection between a shikra and a mongoose?

And that is why this story.

During a recent morning walk on the promenade by the lake in our neighbourhood, I saw a bird glide and swoop down along the path. At the same time a mongoose ran across. It appeared that the bird had spotted the mongoose and wanted to hunt it. That is why it kind of dived. But the mongoose ran for his life into the bushes across the pathway. We in the Navy know that engaging a crossing aerial target is the most difficult. And that is precisely what happened. The crossing relative velocity was too fast for the shikra to maneuver and hunt its prey. I had not carried my camera or cellphone. My memory was the only camera to record this front-row seat of a unique aerial ambush! Following illustration created from my memory.

Mongoose are known to fight its predators like the snakes on ground. They tire out the snakes by acrobatically avoiding  multiple attacks by the snake. Their hair also stand up and act as a shield against the fangs. So why did this mongoose run away?

On returning, a quick AI-search over multiple prompts confirmed and/or revealed the following:

• Both shikra and mongoose inhabit the lakeside in Yapral Secunderabad
• Mongoose do not put up a fight against an aerial attack for fear of being gripped by the crushing talons.
• The mongoose sighted by me and being hunted by shikra was a juvenile. Why?
• The size and colouration of the mongoose that I had sighted. The juvenile is smaller in length with its tail not as bushy.

Shikra and mongoose- it was a ring-side view of an aerial attack by the shikra and a successful defence by the mongoose. Once again, Nature continues to amaze and reward you provided you have the patience to observe. 

We close with the famous "stand and stare" quote which comes from the opening lines of the 1911 poem "Leisure" by Welsh poet W. H. Davies shared below:

"What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare?"

Hope you enjoyed browsing the 'live' encounter sans a picture or a video. But there is no better camera than our brain!

Thanks for browsing. Do leave a comment and stay connected.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad/ 28th October 2026

#shikra #mongoose #aerialambush #flapandglide #yaprallake #secunderabad #raptor #predator #birdofprey #talons #wildlife #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #WHDavis #standandstare #powerofobservation #deccanbirders #hderabadbirding 

Going Around In Circles- On Purpose

 A shy and solitary bird that hides in reeds.
Loves to be aloof.
Dives for safety at the slightest hint of human or other presence.

Then why do Little Grebes (Tachybaptus ruficollis, also known as dabchicks) suddenly start circling together? We have been birding around Yapral Lake for many years.  But we have never seen the Grebes in groups and that too circling together. This morning we observed a group of about 20 or more Grebes circling around together. See the picture below.

Normally, we see the grebes either singly or in pairs.

A quick AI-search threw up any of the three possibilities- a fascinating mix of social communication, courtship displays, or territorial disputes. Further prompts like venue, season, number of grebes and diving/non-diving, zeroed in on the behaviour that the grebes were engaging in gregarious flocking behaviors typical of the autumn and winter months. Further AI-refinement led us to Social Foraging (Herding Fish) which means one form of cooperative hunting. Mike Lane's explanation made sense when he said, 'Little Grebes feed primarily on small fish and aquatic larvae. When a flock of 20 birds circles tightly, they act like a closing net. Their synchronized paddling and low swimming profiles create a visual barrier and water vibrations that herd panicked, schooling fish into a tight ball. The grebes then take turns diving to pick off the trapped fish easily.' Such a nice example of Nature's adaptive intelligence in birds. In mammals, similar behaviour of hunting in packs is well known like the Wild Dogs or Dhols in Indian Tiger Reserves.

We also captured the above behaviour on video. See the short video clip below. The white spot on the Grebe's forehead is unmistakable. If you are unable to play the YT video click here.

How a small observation this morning led us to another discovery of Nature's many mysteries. That is the ultimate thrill of being outdoors and the power of observation!

The idiom 'going around in circles' is usually associated with a wasteful effort with no real progress or output. But in this case, the grebes have proven us wrong. They go around in circles on purpose and for social foraging in the lake as brought out in the above story!

Sharing below a picture of the birders this morning in the age group of  22 to 75, who observed the above phenomenon with curiosity!

As a reader or a birder,  if you have observed a similar behaviour of the Grebes, do share on our email hbindia@gmail.com.  We would be happy to append it to our story with due credit. 

Thanks for browsing 

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ansh Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 18th October 2026

#littlegrebe #yaprallake #circlinginagroup #wintergregariousness #flockmilling #socialflocking #outsidethebreedingseason #socialloafing #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #powerofobservation #nature #mysteriesofnature #outdoorfun #mikelane #socialforaging #cooperativehunting #goingaroundincircles

From Wild to Wonderful -- Women Take the Lead

'Chalta hai!' चलता है। 

'Not our job."

"Municipality will clean it."

A half-km long promenade by Yapral lake had been blocked by the wild growth during monsoons. Many visitors and walkers had noticed it. However, most of them reacted in a nonchalant manner as above. Except few women residents of an adjoining enclave who came together to clean up the promenade. These women employed labour and supervised the cleaning of the entire pathway. They also liaised with the horticulture and other departments for periodic upkeep. Sharing a few pictures for the readers to appreciate the 'before' and 'after' scenario.

Another City- Another Effort

We had reported a similar story of successful Marshland Conservation by community volunteers in Chennai. You may click the link below to browse the picture story.

Marshland Conservation by the Residents

Yapral Lake

Yapral lake, primarily an irrigation bund of yesteryears has been badly encroached on all sides. Once a haven for birds both resident (like Common Coots, Spot-billed ducks, Lesser whistling Teals, Little Grebes, Pond Herons, Purple herons, Baya Weavers, Black winged Stilts, Grey Francolins, Greater coucal, Hawk Cuckoo, Glossy ibis and so on) as well as migratory (Northern Shovelers, Warblers etc), it is not a cesspool of sewage. People also throw rubbish in to the lake unmindful of the harm that it does to the water body and associated ecosystem. We had highlighted these issues in many of our earlier posts. Sharing some of the picture stories below:

Dying Trees Shrinking Lakes Sounding a Death knell

Shrinking Urban Lakes - Impending Disaster Another picture story dated Jan-2020. Will the birds survive when their habitat is lost?

In the light of constant destruction of the lake and its habitat over last 20 years, the above effort by the women to restore the promenade and cleaning of the trash around the walkway is truly commendable. We congratulate Mrs Gupta, Mrs Gossain and their team of volunteers from Prakruthik Vihar in Yapral for their dedication and selfless service. May their tribe prosper.

Talking about women, we are reminded of William R Wallace's famous quote, 'The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world". Women in the above story have proved it so!

Hope you liked the story. If you are aware of a similar volunteering effort to save the environment, please share with us on email hbindia@gmail.com . We would be happy to append it.

Thanks for browsing. We end with a PQ picturesque quote from our archives which says, "Time spent among trees is never time wasted". The picture below show the same promenade around Yapral lake five years ago!

Stay connected and do leave a comment. Few words will suffice to encourage us.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Secunderabad/ 14th Oct 2026

#volunteering #environment #sustainability #pollution #yaprallake #waterbody #birds #birding #Communityservice #womentakethelead #restoration #preservation #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb

Tiger Or No Tiger

What do you call a visitor who goes back to a Tiger Reserve within six weeks? 

Mad.

Crazy.

Gone case.

पागल, बावला। 

May be all of it!

Yes, Ghumakkad was in Amrabad Tiger Reserve on 15th-16th August. And he returned to the tiger country on 2nd October. Not alone. Two more co-travellers. 

Col Eric Lovega

He belongs to the Kenya Army and is attending a year-long management program in Secunderabad India. A marathon runner and fitness enthusiast, he readily came forward when I floated the idea of a Tiger Safari.

Ansh Bhargava

A keen adventurer. After his degree in Economics Honours, this 22-year-old had worked at a leading consulting firm before joining IIM Shillong for MBA. But his call to do 'something purposeful' drove him to the Indian Army. Having cleared the SSB and the medical, he is like a man-in-the-waiting!

Ghumakkad - the third team member. You all know him. The wanderer!

The picture below shows the three travellers in our cottage painted in camouflage. Location: Mannanur Jungle Resort, Amrabad, Telangana.

The Reserve Reopens

The Reserve had been closed for the monsoon season till 30th September.  We then planned to be there immediately thereafter. For driving directions, location, place to stay etc, readers may refer the stories linked later.

For those who have not been there, NH765 which pierces through the Tiger Reserve is closed for traffic from 9pm to 6am the next morning. The road has a ghat section as well. See the video to thank the forest department for such thoughtful action. In Bandipur Park in Karnataka, the highway is similarly shut at night.

Driving on the ORR, the Outer Ring Road around Hyderabad,  is always a pleasure. If you haven't driven there, feel the superb road through the 20-seconds video below. Shot at 110kmph, with Ansh at the wheel!

Safari

We did two safaris, one each in the afternoon and the next morning.  The forest is always enchanting, tiger or no tiger.  Few pictures and videos for you.

Grey Jungle Fowl - more heard than seen. Announcing the end of the day, hear the distinct call in the video below.

Crocodile Bark Tree - see the texture of the bark.

Till death do us part - two branches of a tree, broken, dried up but holding on together. 

Changeable Hawk Eagle - perched high up.

Pug Marks vs Tyre Marks - The safari drew a blank as far as the tiger goes. Not even the pug marks.  We only saw the tyre Marks.

But we were undeterred and pressed on. Reminded of the old Hindi song चलते ही जाना जहाँ तक आज ये राह चले  chlate hee jana, jahan tak aaj yeh raah chale!

While the Sun was going down, our enthusiasm remained up. See the video.

We tried our luck in the darkness of the jungle.

Night Walk

We did a short night walk. Although no pictures were taken, see the notes below and feel the adventure!

Insects and creatures sighted inside the resort:

Millipede

Giant Forest Scorpion and its over shaped burrow 

Wolf snake which had shed its skin

Male cricket making noise and retreating into its burrow. Poor males have to do hard work to attract females, across all species!

Another scorpion with smaller pincers 

We were actually looking for the Sand Boa which had been sighted near Cottage No. 8. Couldn't find it. So utilised the darkness to explore the resident  creatures in the Resort. 👍

Another Safari

Morning dawned well and we were off on another Safari.  

This time, we entered through Farahabad 

Gate. But before that we had to overcome a kilometer long queue at the highway. Remember the highway is closed at night?

Shekhar, our pilot did some smart off-roading.  Feel the thrill in the video below.

The road barrier being opened for our safari vehicle.

A statue of a Tiger welcomes you at the gate.

The safari route is longitudinal. See the map below.

All safari vehicles in Amrabad have a canopy.

Do's and Don't for visitors as promulgated by the NTCA.

Roads in this zone are much wider.

Nizam's Hunting Hut - couple of centuries old.

Brown-headed Barbet - low key continuous call. The bird couldn't be seen though.

While the Sun played hide and seek, we continued our hunt for the King of the jungle. Fresh pug marks gave some hope.

Winding pathways and us- the two companions.

We kept going for more than two hours.  Stopping,  listening to the calls by Sambar deer and resuming the search. Suddenly in a palm thicket, Akhil asked Shekhar to stop. In sign language he conveyed presence of a large animal  Closer look revealed our prized catch.

Leopard

It was so well camouflaged in the thicket that we could hardly see it.

Few more seconds, and it was gone. Ansh was quick to shoot few frames.

One more shot

Leopards are not easily sighted, specially during the day. Ultimately,  the leopard made our day. Tiger or no tiger, the forest remains fascinating. 

Around The Resort

Sharing below few pictures around the resort.

Girls always look after their kid brothers.

Rhesus Monkeys provide company to the guests.

Our cottage,  so well camouflaged. 

With Akhil, Head Naturalist and Shweta who manages the Resort and trains the staff. Picture below shows the Livelihoods Centre for tribal women.

Col Eric is wearing the traditional Masai Shuka in the picture below.

Scanty Monsoon

This year the monsoon has been deficient. So much so the Dindi River is without its spectacle. Compare the two pictures of the same spot, one year apart.

Earlier Stories

We share below the links to our previous stories of Amrabad and its surroundings.

Amrabad- Moss, Monkeys and Madness - like exploring a dead cave and hiking with the monkeys!

A Night in the Wild: Frogs, Fangs and Stings - Night walk with the crawlers!

Jungle Walk at Night Rescuing a Cobra - Feel the thrill  The story includes rescue of snakes, birds, bats and squirrels.

Amrabad Tiger Reserve- More Than Tigers - Pictures and videos of the Tiger Reserve.

Hope you enjoyed being in Amrabad. If you have been there, we welcome your anecdotes and pictures. We will append it.

Thanks for browsing. Do leave a comment. It encourages us.

Stay connected

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ansh Bhargava/ Amrabad/ 3rd October 2026

#Amrabad #AmrabadTigerReserve #TigerSafari #wildlife #Telangana #TelanganaForestDepartment #Mannanur #JungleResort #HeadNaturalist #JungleTrek #NightWalk #NSTR #NTCA #getaway #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

Rocks That Rock

Rocks which tower above you.

Rocks which teach you balance.

Rocks which have stood for 2.5 billion years, dating back to the Archean age.

Rocks where you feel miniscule.

Rocks which you would love to climb.

Rocks which leave you speechless.

Rocks which truly rock!

Where are such rocks? 

Just 25 kms south west of RSI Secunderabad.

We, a group of about 20 armed forces veterans and families hiked around the hill top at Khajaguda Hills. Each rock formation left us speechless.

Sharing below few pictures and videos of the hike on 27th Sep 2026.

The Dawn

We crossed the iconic cable stay bridge well before dawn. See the 15-sec video below.

We were a bit late to catch the sunrise. But the silhouettes of the hikers convey the magic of dawn.

Towering Rocks

There are multiple rocks which tower above the hikers. The rocks look formidable. But with bright morning sun and a blue sky at the rear, it makes a perfect frame!

Climbing a small boulder using your hands and feet. See the short video below when a 75-yo does it!

Sharing below a panoramic video of the rocks at Khajaguda.

The Burger Rock

A set of huge granite rocks which have horizontal chams in multiple layers. The rock looks like a huge burger or a sandwich. You need to crawl between the layers to climb the burger rock. Few pictures and a video below.

First to climb up and crawl in to the Burger Rock. See a short video courtesy Ansh.

Chimneys and Caves

There are multiple chimneys on the hill. A chimney is a narrow vertical chasm between two rocks. Some chimneys are so narrow that a pot-bellied person can not go through. Pictures below.

Get a feel of being inside a narrow cave in the video below.

Hiking through Thorny Shrubs

There are stretches on the hill with thorny vegetation. Hiking through it needs adequate clothing and caution. Sharing few pictures below.

National Malaise

Visitors deface the walls of our monuments with graffiti. They don't spare granite rocks also! Littering is another irresponsible behaviour. See the pictures below.

Sanjeevani Shrub

Our guide Rabet had shown us the wildly growing Sanjeevani plants. He told us that the leaves will spring back to life when immersed in water for few hours. Our hiker Shyamala shared the picture below with her comment, 'What Rabet said about Sanjeevani is correct. I put it into water and few hours it's opened up and dark green like he said it'. Readers familiar with Indian Epic Ramayana, would recall that Lord Ram's brother Lakshman had been brought to life by Sanjeevani leaves. 

The Tortoise Rock - shaped like a tortoise. A similar rock in Mt Abu in Rajasthan is called the Toad Rock.

Destructive Quarrying

Over the decades, Khajaguda Hill has been quarried indiscriminately on all sides. Tell-tale marks of the holes for blasting the rocks are still visible. Rock surface has developed man-made cracks all over. Pictures below show the destructive tale.

Lakeview Point

On the western edge of Khajaguda hill, a flat space has been created by using the soil excavated during the construction of the parking lot. One can get a clear view of Khajaguda Lake or rather the remains of the lake. Most of the lake has been encroached upon for construction of high rise buildings over decades.

Society to Save Rocks

Society to Save Rocks aims to preserve and protect the spectacular ancient granite formations of the Deccan Plateau, India - a natural wonder of stony ridges and hillocks shaped into picturesque balancing forms. Volunteers of the Society accompanied and guided us on our hike. Readers may browse the Society's website for more details. We thank Dr Sudheer Bhan, Mr S Rabet, Mr Dinayat and Mr Sreecharan for giving us such a wonderful experience. 

Special thanks are also due to Rama Thoopal, Pranav, Dr Maneesh, Ansh and other members of the PBC for sharing their pictures.

We had done this hike five years ago during Covid in March 2021. A picture of that hike was the subject of an online Caption Contest titled Kaun Banega Ghumakkad. You may browse the picture story and the winning entries of the Contest by clicking the link below.

Hiking to Rediscover Yourself - Hiking in Khajaguda Hill area.

Palmette Bicycling Club (PBC)

Palmette Bicycling Club was formed in RSI Secunderabad in Apr 2019. Since then, it has conducted 172 events (including 10 treks). There was a long hiatus during the Covid period. 

PBC regularly organises bicycling and hiking outings on weekends. Credit for PBC's sustained activities goes to Gen Naozar B Patel. This 75-year-old Veteran is a fitness enthusiast and a great organiser. Thanks Naozar for yet another great outing and an excellent YouTube video linked below which summarises the hike.

Other Hikes by PBC

Am sharing below the links to two other hikes by PBC. Just click the link to browse the picture story.

Devarakonda Fort - Built across multiple hills, it stands firm even though partly in ruins. It is maintained largely by volunteers from the community. 

Bhongir Fort 1000-year-old - A picture story with videos of a fort built atop a 1000-feet high monolith.

Like the dessert which is taken after a meal, our two best shots of the hike follow. Both were shot inside  a cave. Enjoy.

Thanks for browsing. 

Did the Rocks of Khajaguda rock you? Will the rocks remain intact for the future generations?

Do leave a comment. It encourages us.

Stay connected.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Ansh Bhargava/ Secunderabad/29th Sep 2026

#khajagudahill #khajagudalake #savetherocks #fakruddingutta #hyderabad #hydraa #destructivequarrying #hiking #bouldering #caving #sandwitchrock #monkeyrock #chimney #chasm #blastingcracks #sunrise #rocksthatrock #palmettebicyclingclub #rsisecunderabad #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #tortoiserock #SocietyToSaveRocks