Tag: Around the city in a MH-12…

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B for Ball

Welcome! 
We are with the 2018 April AtoZ Blogging challenge and its my fifth attempt. For those who missed it, here is the link to my Theme Reveal post. Do the alphabets still stand for the same things we learnt about in Nursery school? 


Its day two and the alphabet is B


B is for Ball. 


That is the time honoured object that a child relates the second alphabet to. Possibly among her (used the feminine pronoun only for convenience – can just as well be him) first toys as well. As she grows up, the nature of earliest soft round colourful structure changes and possibly only the round shape remains. 


It can become either a football, cricket ball, tennis ball, table tennis ball and so on…


At my stage in life, ball only refers to a golf ball. Rather should I say, its the weird propensity crows on our golf course have found for golf balls. 


I am sure you are scratching your heads in confusion.


Let me clarify… Whenever someone hits a shot, no sooner than the ball lands on the fairway (or bunker) than a waiting crow swoops down and picks it up and flies away. All this happens as fast as one can blink their eyelids. Golf balls are not cheap and losing them on a regular basis can become stressful especially when the player may lose a stroke for the loss. To add insult to injury, the crows invariably steal the ball after a particularly good shot wherein it has landed in a wonderful position for a possible birdie. Suddenly, that word (birdie) doesnt sound funny!

A good shot lands on the green.. now possibly being eyed by a feathered foe sitting on a branch…


We first faced this in the North East many many years ago. However, I guess picking up golf balls from the course has become a very popular avian sport and its common in Pune now. Do the birds confuse the balls with eggs? But then these are pretty heavy and quite unbreakable. I wonder if they stash these in some convenient branch or trunk hollow but  we haven’t yet heard of the stolen balls being found. 

This is dear hubby’s stash of unopened new golf balls!

The above image is proof of the fear these birds have instilled in the hearts of golfers. They prefer to keep the brand new stuff at home …

So near yet so far..

Is this bird behaviour seen across India and maybe other parts of the world as well? 
Do share!!


The nasty me surfaces in the first question I ask hubby on returning, “how many pars for you and what’s the score for the crows?”


😉

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Its That Time Of The Year

Its that time of the year again… winter is almost forgotten as the burning sun makes its presence felt. Grass and herbs dried out from last year, crunch under the feet as one tries to keep a brisk pace on the morning walk on the tekdi. The eyes scan the usual favourites hoping to spot blooms and I am not disappointed.

Shirish beckons with its sweet fragrance and fresh foliage. Yellow rattling pods from last year still hang from the branches and the tree stands out from a distance. 

The Gardenia turgida is sprouting its first buds …

and the Neem is happy showing off its tiny flowers too…


These yellow flowers stand out on the bare plateau, amid the ashes of the burnt grass..

The small Capparis blossoms cloak the shrubby tree in a white coat!

The Ganer and Waras are still painting the tekdi golden and cream amid the fading pink of the Gliricidia. 

Waras flower

The white tufts of the Dregea volubilis line the pathways even as I wait for the Kusumb to blush red as it realises its branches are bare.

The lucky ones may even spot the Peacock!

Its March on the tekdi and the trees are beckoning…
Where are you??

Out on the streets, the trees are bedecked in their floral glory The golden blaze of the Tabebuia easily overshadows its pink cousin. This even as the Jacaranda casts a soothing blue haze over the horizon and blue carpet at your feet. New leaves of the Moha blush as its blossoms look down upon earthlings. The Mango is in full bloom … Does it foretell a sweet May? 


I wonder….

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Looking Up (ThursdayTreeLove)

Poona, Raintree, exotic, GPO



A Tree Walk is a wonderful experience especially when one is doing a recce walk to identify the species. On one such visit, we chanced to look up and were totally floored by this view… This is the canopy of a very old Rain Tree that was just bursting into leaf. The sunlight glittered on the tender shoots. This gave a glorious painting against the blue of the sky! 


Most big Rain Trees have such glorious canopies. If possible do look up whenever you happen to see one … There is much to be enjoyed when looking up from the humdrum…


I am joining Parul in her #ThursdayTreeLove35 blog hop. Head over for some amazing trees from around the world. 


PS: To complete this post, I have to add that the botanical name of the Rain Tree is Albizia saman. It is not native to India and belongs to the Mimosaceae family. In Pune it is extensively used as a roadside tree and easily identified by its massive furrowed trunk.

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Flawed Beauty? (#ThursdayTreeLove)


This is a view I see very often on my walks on the hills (called Tekdi in Marathi). Recently, I found it difficult to decide if the tree looked more beautiful than the orange glow of the rising winter sun! The twisted trunk and branches ending in arrows pointing skywards won!

But first a little about this plant. It is the Gliricidia sepium (locally called Undirmari) of the Fabaceae family. 

It has been extensively planted on our hills some years ago under a plan to rapidly reforest barren slopes. This non-native took easily to the rocky soil and flourished. It blooms in January each year and the leafless tree looks glorious with pink blossoms. Besides the visual element, its leaves provide oxygen and some folks use its branches as fire wood. I am told that its leaves and bark are useful to keep away rats.

Gliricidia drops its leaves every winter and once the flowering period ends, the  bare branches will spring forth with hundreds of new leaves. They swathe the hills in wonderful shades of green during the monsoon – making it seem like a dense forest!

Here are the flowers up close!
Pink white flowers in racemes
So why have I titled the post as Flawed Beauty?
That is because this exotic plant does not support other native fauna – birds do not nest on this tree and no birds/insects/ animals enjoy its nectar. Nothing grows below these trees so native herbs, shrubs, grasses are slowly disappearing. There have been calls to remove these trees and this particular plantation has drawn criticism from environment activists as well.

Here are some more images..



Trees planted in systematic rows on Pune hills




Lenticels on the bark. The branches grow vertically up and easily help identify the tree

A Gliricidia seen against the morning sky


So would you say this beauty is flawed?

I am participating in Parul’s #ThursdayTreeLove32. Do head over to see some amazing trees from around the world. 
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A Tree In A Temple (#ThursdayTreeLove)

The Ram Mandir in Pune’s Tulshibag is a heritage site and it was constructed during the peak of the Peshwa rule. It was completed in 1761. The temple has stood the test of time and despite huge changes in its surroundings. 


Beautiful as the temple is, it was the Muchkunda tree growing in the courtyard that caught my eye.. It has a magnificently gnarled trunk (is that possible) and its roots seemed to have surfaced and uprooted some of the surrounding tiles. I have no idea if the Muchkunda is as old as the temple but it has certainly seen many a monsoons…







Muchkunda or Pterospermum acerifolium belongs to the Sterculiaceae family and is also called Kanak Champa in some parts of India. It can be easily recognised by its typical peltate leaves and flowers that are intensely fragrant and look like a peeled banana!  

Notice the leaf shape and the flowers. This image of a Muchkunda located elsewhere

Restoration works at the site have included creating a base of stones around the tree but I am not sure I really like that grey structure. Here are some more images


The newly restored temple and the Muchkunda Tree

Looking up!

Research has revealed that the Pterospermum acerifolium has some mythological importance as well. You can read about it here and here. 


If you ever get a chance to visit the Tulshibag in Pune, do not forget to admire the magnificent Muchkunda.


I am participating in Parul’s #ThursdayTreeLove31. It is a photo feature posted on the second and fourth Thursday of every month. Head over there to see some amazing trees from around the world!

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Golden (#ThursdayTreeLove)

Salai, Pune, Tekdi



This is a Boswellia serrata of the Burseraceae family (locally called Salai). In the above image, the golden glow is due to the morning sunlight on its fading (hence golden yellow) leaves in the autumn. The hills in Pune have many Salai and its easily recognised by its peeling pale coloured bark. It blossoms in January though the flowers are not very conspicuous. The tree exudes an oleo-gum-resin which is said to have medicinal properties, as is the tree bark. 

Here is the same tree in the monsoon – isn’t it a glorious transformation?? 

The following image shows the peeling bark. If you can zoom in, its possible to see a greenish layer beneath the yellowish papery peel.




Fall colours in the colder climates are a much sought after touristy delight, one that is high on my wish list. The deciduous trees in my city also display changing leaf colours in the autumn which are just as beautiful.  


Have you noticed leaves turning golden in November every year?


I am participating in Parul’s photo initiative #ThurdayTreeLove. This is my contribution to #ThursdayTreeLove21

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