Birds – Cardamom House

Water!

Di Collins — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 07:32:40 +0000

The monsoon failed and the temperatures are rising, yet there are still plenty of birds around. Yesterday morning guests watched as a flock of around twenty painted stork wheeled around above the remnants of Kamarajar Lake.

Nearer to home, bee eaters have taken to diving into the pool.

Things to do in and around Cardamom House

Cardamom House — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 14:27:55 +0000

There are so many things to do at Cardamom House. You can spend the day locally, visit the nearby village of Athoor or go on half or full day trips.

Cardamom House is ideal for relaxation and contemplation.

Hours can be whittled away reading, writing, sketching, photographing and watching the world go by.

The swimming pool (11m x 6m x 1.5 m) has a separated children’s access area. There are sun loungers and a shaded area.

There is a sports area for volleyball and badminton.

You can walk around the lake or climb up to the Sadayandi Temple a cave, overlooking the lake.

Some guests practice yoga and meditation.

The season’s visitors

Di Collins — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 09:22:16 +0000

At Cardamom House we have a wide range of visitors. Kumar and the rest of the staff team are always alert for new visitors .Here are some of the most recent visitors. We have so many bird books to check out the names of the birds. It is good to see that many of them have been attracted by a full Lake. The painted stork is an exotic visitor, which roosts in colonies on the far shore.

A variety of habitats

Di Collins — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 05:54:52 +0000

As the grounds around Cardamom House evolve, a variety of habitats are developing, ranging from shrub, to flower gardens, to more established trees and to open grassland. In addition we have views across the lake and up onto the hillside. This means we have a richness of birdlife.

For a few nights a tailor bird rested at night beside our entrance driveway. A number of birds are currently nesting.

Weaver Birds

Di Collins — Fri, 04 Jul 2014 06:08:46 +0000

Weaver birds have started to build in the trees by the main roof terrace. They have had a few fights over territory. Two nest are almost complete. The birds’ colouring suggests that they are breeding males. We wait to see if the nests will be occupied. Towards the lake another nest has been built. Pandi has been down to check out this one. He reports that this site is currently active. He has returned with photographs of an almost completed nest. We will be monitoring this to find out whether they are occupied and any chicks are successfully reared.

Photography tours

Di Collins — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 08:05:58 +0000

Over the last few years the beauty of the locations and the wealth of opportunities close to Cardamom House has meant that we have been visited as a part of a photographic tour. For example, Charlie Waite has brought two Light and Land Tours to Cardamom House. The participants have spent time photographing sari-clad women slipping through the palms, while discovering the intricacies of accurately capturing the vibrant colours and delicate light. With Pandi, they have explored the village. Some of their images have won prizes in competitions. Some participants have also taken the opportunity to take ‘time out’ from the intensity of being a part of a group and gone with their cameras to explore the peace by the lake and in the gardens.

Keen photographers.

Di Collins — Fri, 30 May 2014 14:39:12 +0000

All the staff are keen photographers. Samy noticed that migrating butterflies had gathered on a root, possibly to feed on the rich mixture, contained in it, in preparation for the mating season. Meanwhile, Murugesan (Muggy) has been taking close-ups of sunbirds and Pandi has been pursuing mynah birds, as well as doing dawn and dusk trips to the lake, monitoring the bird life. Polpandi can boast being the only member of the team to successfully photograph a hoopoe. He and Shankar have also recorded the growth of tailor birds from hatchling to free-flying chick.

Babblers

Di Collins — Wed, 14 May 2014 11:12:10 +0000

Babblers are always around. They feed on insects, berries and seeds – and crumbs. Locally, they are known as the seven sisters, because they are usually in gangs of seven. The word ‘gang’ has been used advisedly. They are territorial and protect their patch noisily and sometimes violently. We’ve had an East Verandah Gang and a West Verandah Gang, but occasionally they change their territories. It’s almost impossible to distinguish the males and the females.

Regular visitors to the garden

Di Collins — Wed, 08 Jan 2014 15:50:02 +0000

Sunbirds are always around in the garden. They seem to focus on one flower colour and then move on to another colour when the first is in short supply. They will often come right up to the verandah, where guest are eating breakfast or reading a book.

Robins are also regular visitors. They often build a nest in the gable of Valley House. Their red rump makes them different from the robins seen in Europe and in North America.

Peacocks regularly walk through the garden searching for food. They can be seen picking at the pomegranates, when they are in season. This year there was a brood of five chicks in the far corner of the grounds, near the farm.

The bulbul is also a regular visitor. It can often be seen siting on the highest perches on the neem tree in front of the main house.