Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

 130.78sq. km. of Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary was notified by the state government of Maharashtra in 1985, under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The sanctuary is situated on the crest of Western Ghats that is recognised as one of the 12-biodiversity hotspots of the world.   It has large varieties of fauna including endemic species like Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa indica), state animal of Maharashtra .Sanctuary also harbours variety of avifauna hence has been declared as an Important Bird Area sites (IBA). Sanctuary also is rich in plant diversity especially medicinal plants which are used in traditional medicines.

                                                                                                   
Padarvadi We take our first halt at this    place.

                               

sunset From Padarvadi                          






                                                                                   

                               

                                                     padargad fort                              

Fruit Of  mahwa or mahua Madhuca longifolia   

                         kuda  flowers  Holarrhena pubescens  

                                   

Karanj flower, Indian Beech Tree,Pongamia pinnata 

Common Kestrel
Falco tinnunculu
देव ससाणा, खरुची

shekru
Indian giant squirrel
Ratufa indica

This animal is State animal of Maharashtra State.,many subspecies found in forests around India, it is endemic to the Western Ghats and is particularly abundant in the Sahyadri mountains of Maharashtra.

Wild Mushrooms

Ant House,

made of just soil and sheer hard work!! Who's great, humans or  ants?                                                                                            

Bhimashankar is also an important religious place. Shrine of Lord Shiva ,. The shrine is very old belonging to early 17th century and is a monolithic structure carved in Hemadpanthi style of architecture..

Way to Gupt Bhimashankar 

 

 





                                                                                                                   
                                                                 

A little ahead of bhimashankar is Gupt bhimashankar. A trek down the thick forest for 30 to 40 mins leads to a stream. Gupt Bhimashankar is a stone carved group of 5 shivlings under a waterfall

 

                                                                               

                                                             

                 sleeping Time

  maggi ..Favourit snacks

                  Trekking Material

                                                                         Shidi Ghat

                                                                 Return  journey

                          

                                            vad ,  Indian banyan Tree (Ficus  benghalensis)

                                      

Egg Development

 

The Glimpse of Dombivli Kopar creek

Plantation

On 5th of june 2011, Seed Planting program was done at Shankar maharaj temple premises in Titwala.





 

Nisarga Vidnyan sanstha office

Nisarga Vidnyan sanstha office

Birding at Bhandup Pumping Station

Birding at Bhandup Pumping Station:
It was fun to be at Bhandup Pumping Station near Nahur station again. We sighted nearly 60 species overall. Also it was in good company of Mr.Raju Kasambe  Suvrashis Sarkar, Vijay Kulkarni, Nandish Songire, Delip Kumar Bisharga Das and others. However, the most important sighting was not a bird, but a butterfly: A Chocolate Albatross which is very rare in Mumbai area!!!
The important ones we saw are listed here with estimated numbers (not perfect anyway!).
Lesser Flamingo (600)
...Greater Flamingo (40 including juveniles)
Pied Avocets (1000)
Blue-tailed Bee-eaters (36)
Osprey (1)
Marsh Harrier (2)
Eagle (Unidentified, Greater spotted?)(Bisharga Das, photos please)
Marsh Sandpiper
Curlew Sandpiper
Eurasian Curlew (2)
Black-tailed Godwit (700)
Gull-billed Terns (250)
Whiskered Tern
Caspian Tern
Gulls (Brownheaded and Blackheaded, 1100)
Common Babbler.
Unfortunately there were no birds in the salt pans, otherwise the list would have easily crossed 70 species. Thanks and wish you HAPPY BIRDING!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nisarga Vidnyan Office