Voyage 361

Birds at Ranganathittu - A complete list with photographs Eurasian Spoonbill Asian Open-billed Stork Painted Stork Black Headed Ibis Pelican Cattle Egret in breeding plumage they have golden plumes on their head, chest, and back Little Egret Intermediate Egret Great Cormorant Little Cormorant Darter or Snake bird Great Stone-Curlew or Great-billed Thick-knee or Great Stone Plover Fruit bats or Flying fox Pied Kingfisher Common Kingfisher or the Eurasian Kingfisher Female Asian Koel River Tern Black-Crowned Night Heron Purple Heron Grey Heron Eurasian marsh harrier Pale Billed Flower Pecker Oriental Magpie Robin Red-Whiskered Bulbul White Spotted Fantail Flycatcher Tickells Blue Flycatcher White-browed Wagtail Red-wattled lapwing

Goa in Monsoons Although Goa is famous for beach parties and casinos, we choose to go on a relaxing vacation. During monsoons Goa turns green over its entire length and breadth. There are many beach resorts in Goa to spend on a relaxing vacation time. We had no plans in mind, but was looking for a relaxing vacation. Even though Goa is a small state but due to the curvy and ghat roads, it takes longer than normal to drive. So it is advisable to plan over North Goa, old Goa & South Goa. Mostly only two of these parts should be planned for a relaxing holiday. So I would advice either choose north Goa or South Goa along with old Goa. South Goa plan: Agonda Beach or Palolem Beach Any of these beaches Cavelossim Beach, Varca Beach, Benaulim Beach, Utorda beach Bamanbudo Waterfall Either Dudhsagar Falls or the Old Goa North Goa plan: Mandrem Beach or Arambol Beach Chapora Fort and Anjuna beach or Aguada Fort and Candolim beach Harvalem Waterfall Old Goa Follow the rive

Road trip to the hills of Kemmangundi and Kudremukh: In our last visit to Chikmangalur we visited the Mullayanagiri and Bababudengiri hills, so this time we decided to visit the other two magnificient hills of Chickmagaluru Kemmangundi and Kudremukh hills. Kemmangundi was something which was planned in our previous trip, but due to its dry conditions in summer we had to skip it. This time we had planned in last weekend of July, Kemmangundi on day one and Kudremukh on the second. Kemmangundi On our way from Bengaluru we took the route through Arsikere to visit the 13th century Hoysala masterpiece, the Ishvara Temple . We reached the temple by 9am, and there were hardly any tourists but the temple is functional. Ishvara Temple, Arsikere - Star shaped shrine (left) and open hall dome (right) The Ishvara temple dates back to 1220 CE built by the Hoysala Empire using soapstone. The asymmetrical star shaped shrine hosts the sanctum with the shivalinga inside. Although the m