Read Part one here
As you know, I was in Madikeri district capital of Coorg and was getting ready to go to Mangalore.
I was up and ready by 6am, picked up my backpack and headed towards the KSRTC bus stand. Mangalore is a 6hr bus ride from Madikeri, but the road was bad for a stretch of 40km. I boarded a Suvarna Sarige more commonly know as the red bus to Mangalore.
I had checked for the tide timings and found that the best time was from 1 pm to 4 pm. But thanks to a breakdown I reached Mangalore only by 1.15 pm. Mulki, which is about 22km away from the bus stand in M'lore was the best spot for birding but decided to go to Panambur Beach hoping to find something on the beach.
I alighted at the Panambur bus stop right after the New Mangalore Port on the West Coast Road. The beach is a 15min walk from there. The road had many trucks waiting to get clearance for entry in to the port as the transport vehicle entry is only a few meters away from the beach entrance.
I was guessing that the beach would be relatively empty as it was a Saturday afternoon. Only a few life guards and security guards were seen apart from a handful of tourists.
The beach is open on the right side of the main entrance for public and a small stretch of beach which is to the left which also has a watch tower (red color) is restricted as it adjoining the port.
I saw a few birds at a distance on the restricted side and spoke to one of the guards. He said no with out evening listening to what I had to say. A few mins late another guard came, he seemed to be in-charge, and tried to speak to him, and he agreed, but I was too come back before other tourists come to the beach. I was happy. ( permit can be obtained at the office which in on the main road ~2km away.)
The sand acted like a reflector as the Sun was shining brightly. At a distance I saw two birds and headed towards them( I had never photographer or seen shore birds before). My approach was very slow and stealthy, I was flat on the sand. After some time I was as close as I could get and started photographing.
After having clicked a few photographs, I looked for more birds around, but there was nothing. I slowly got back on to my feet and started back. When I reached the red watch tower, I saw a few bee eaters exactly behind the tower. It was a small woody place, I waited there for some time and found the bee eaters again, it was the Blue Tailed Bee-eater.
After clicking the blue tailed, I ventured a little more, I spotted a small little light brown bird, it was cute. It was the Asian Brown Flycatcher.
There were many birds there drongos, bulbuls, laughing doves, black kites, and a nesting brahminy kite.
I spent a lot of time there and then returned to the main entrance of the beach. Which was now seeing a great in flow of tourist and localities, and many 'make shift' stalls were up and running.
A few water rides were also set up including the water scooter, there were two ATV zooming around on the beach as-well.
I headed to a relatives place for the night and gear up for the next day.
Day 3 Sunday :
It was 6.30AM and my mobile phone rang, It was my friend Pavan Calling, I answer the call and he asks where should I get down. I took a moment to realize that he was now in Mangalore and will join me for the next few days. I told him to get down at KSRTC Bus stand and wait there.
After thanking and saying good bye to my relatives, by 7.15AM I reached the Bus Stop and looked around, he was sitting on a bench and half asleep. I woke him up and we left his luggage at the cloak room . At about 8.30 we reached Bunts Hostel bus stop. We were heading to Pilikula. We had a tough time getting the right bus thanks to the confusing directions people gave us, we went to three different bus stops which were close by and finally found a bus going back to State Bank-( the starting point of most local buses). It was a '3c' if I remember it right. We reached the zoo by 9.45 AM after all the confusion.
The zoo is quite ok for what it was, I don't think many people will fancy revisiting the place many times.
That day was one of those very hot days and being a coastal city, the humidity was very high. Dehydration was on. By the time we reached the end, we found out that the zoo is not a circle like most zoos and had to walk back all the way.
We manged to walk back to the main entrance bordered a bus that was waiting for people. We got down in front of KSRTC bus stand and went into Bharath Mall for a nice lunch. We had a few things on our menu and it was good.
After the meal , we decided to go to the beach again and reached the beach. That day unlike the previous day the beach was full of people. I was pretty sure that looking for birds with so many people around was a wast of time and we decided to walk on the right side.
We spent some time there photographing the Sun slowly set and disappear and a few crazy photos of each other. By 6.30PM we started from the beach and got down near the KSRTC bus stand by 7.15PM.
We took the luggage from the cloak room and waited for a bus to Madikeri...
Lesson Learnt : Never travel on a Sunday with no bookings, we had to leave 7-8 buses because all seats were booked. At about 11.30 in the night a bus, red bus from Udupi came and had a few seats, the conductor first filled the seats to Mysore and finally 1 seat left. We grabbed it and took turns until we reached Madikeri.
Part 3 coming soon...
As you know, I was in Madikeri district capital of Coorg and was getting ready to go to Mangalore.
Day 2 Saturday :
I was up and ready by 6am, picked up my backpack and headed towards the KSRTC bus stand. Mangalore is a 6hr bus ride from Madikeri, but the road was bad for a stretch of 40km. I boarded a Suvarna Sarige more commonly know as the red bus to Mangalore.
 |
| Rufous Treepie |
I had checked for the tide timings and found that the best time was from 1 pm to 4 pm. But thanks to a breakdown I reached Mangalore only by 1.15 pm. Mulki, which is about 22km away from the bus stand in M'lore was the best spot for birding but decided to go to Panambur Beach hoping to find something on the beach.
 |
| Busy Day |
I alighted at the Panambur bus stop right after the New Mangalore Port on the West Coast Road. The beach is a 15min walk from there. The road had many trucks waiting to get clearance for entry in to the port as the transport vehicle entry is only a few meters away from the beach entrance.
 |
| Green Shank with catch |
The beach is open on the right side of the main entrance for public and a small stretch of beach which is to the left which also has a watch tower (red color) is restricted as it adjoining the port.
I saw a few birds at a distance on the restricted side and spoke to one of the guards. He said no with out evening listening to what I had to say. A few mins late another guard came, he seemed to be in-charge, and tried to speak to him, and he agreed, but I was too come back before other tourists come to the beach. I was happy. ( permit can be obtained at the office which in on the main road ~2km away.)
 |
| Close-up |
 |
| Common Sandpiper |
 |
| Blue Tailed Bee-Eater |
After clicking the blue tailed, I ventured a little more, I spotted a small little light brown bird, it was cute. It was the Asian Brown Flycatcher.
 |
| Asian Brown Flycatcher |
There were many birds there drongos, bulbuls, laughing doves, black kites, and a nesting brahminy kite.
I spent a lot of time there and then returned to the main entrance of the beach. Which was now seeing a great in flow of tourist and localities, and many 'make shift' stalls were up and running.
A few water rides were also set up including the water scooter, there were two ATV zooming around on the beach as-well.
I headed to a relatives place for the night and gear up for the next day.
Day 3 Sunday :
It was 6.30AM and my mobile phone rang, It was my friend Pavan Calling, I answer the call and he asks where should I get down. I took a moment to realize that he was now in Mangalore and will join me for the next few days. I told him to get down at KSRTC Bus stand and wait there.
 |
| First Light |
The zoo is quite ok for what it was, I don't think many people will fancy revisiting the place many times.
That day was one of those very hot days and being a coastal city, the humidity was very high. Dehydration was on. By the time we reached the end, we found out that the zoo is not a circle like most zoos and had to walk back all the way.
 |
| The Lion Twins |
We manged to walk back to the main entrance bordered a bus that was waiting for people. We got down in front of KSRTC bus stand and went into Bharath Mall for a nice lunch. We had a few things on our menu and it was good.
 |
| A Visitor - White Bellied Sea Eagle found near an enclosure. |
After the meal , we decided to go to the beach again and reached the beach. That day unlike the previous day the beach was full of people. I was pretty sure that looking for birds with so many people around was a wast of time and we decided to walk on the right side.
 |
| Sunset Time |
We spent some time there photographing the Sun slowly set and disappear and a few crazy photos of each other. By 6.30PM we started from the beach and got down near the KSRTC bus stand by 7.15PM.
We took the luggage from the cloak room and waited for a bus to Madikeri...
Lesson Learnt : Never travel on a Sunday with no bookings, we had to leave 7-8 buses because all seats were booked. At about 11.30 in the night a bus, red bus from Udupi came and had a few seats, the conductor first filled the seats to Mysore and finally 1 seat left. We grabbed it and took turns until we reached Madikeri.
 |
| Headless Pavan |
Part 3 coming soon...
( Wishing All of you a Very Happy 2014)
