Water Lettuce

Water lettuce or Water cabbage as is commonly known is a weed that is also grown in ponds and pots of water at home for ornamentation. the botanical name is Pistia stratiotes.

African snail..

With the onset of monsoons, the African snails make their appearance. For more details on these creatures visit http://giantlandsnails.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/

Enjoy...!

Unfazed by the flooded streets, this boy has come out to take advantage of the situation and play water polo! In his hands is a coconut that he found floating in the waters! Mumbai is typified by this opportunistic never say die behaviour.

Weathering....

Braving the strong winds and rain the crow ponders....

Siesta..

The autorickshaw driver taking a short nap

Storm trail..

Under weather...

The result of the cloud build up..... It created havoc in Mumbai..

Mumbai monsoons

The sky over the Mumbai domestic airport on the 29th evening holding rain to be unleashed..

Frequent visitor

This guy is a frequent visitor, specially just before and during monsoons. Click on the photograph for a heightened experience.

Another flock..

Another flock of flamingos on their way... Click on the photograph for a heightened experience.

Back to the flamingos

The flight of the flamingos is a treat to watch.. Click on the photograph for a heightened experience.

Water logging...

After the celestial fireworks it poured continously leading to water logging in several places. The water receded after about 3 hours. The stormy weather was due to a depression in the Bay of Bengal.

Thundering....

23rd night onwards we have had thunder and lightning, scaring poor Bozo under the table! This was accompanied by strong gusty winds and rains.... more about it in the next post.

Suddenly...

...we were surprised by a huge flock of flamingos flying past! Will post these few pictures over the next couple of days.

Sewri Fort

The ruins of the Sewri Fort as seen from the Sewree creek.

Unique

Unique way to go fishing! This guy has just started out on his own and cant affoard a boat as yet so he has this makeshift contraption of a tyre tube in which to sit attached to a creel. It works for him! Ingenuity!

Checking..

Checking and sorting his catch of the morning...

Fishing

Fishing for his supper in the Mahul creek

Fisherman

A fisherman inspecting the nets laid out in the Mahul creek. Now we will see the different sights that we come across on our flamingo sighting trip.

Exodus...

The flight of the flamingos......is an awe inspiring sight....

Three....

Three flamingos on their way away from gawking bird watchers of Mumbai!

Two more...

Taking the cue, two flamingos decided to fly away to a secluded place in crowded Mumbai!

One flew....

This one got bored of all the Mumbaikars watching and decided to fly off.....

Bird watching...

Bird watchers busy trying to capture the beautiful sights on camera and memory in the sewree mudflats of Mumbai

Pink island...

As the boat moved ahead we were treated to a beautiful sight of a pink island! The flamingos seemed to be on the dance floor now at the mudflats of Sewree....

Some more...

And then there were some more flamingos...looked as if they were having a small little party with their favorite algae on the menu!

And then....

Up ahead in the distance we saw a row of flamingos strolling along..... in the Mahul mudflats where they come for nesting. Here they get to eat the particular algae which colors them pink.

1st Bird!

We are off on the flamingo sighting expedition in the mahul creek at last! And there we spot the 1st bird....not a flamingo though. Can fellow bloggers identify it please?

Pilot...

This is our pilot who will guide us through the shallow waters all the way to where the flamingos are nesting...

Readying...

Getting the boats ready to take us for flamingo sighting in the Sewree mudflats from Mahul jetty.

Threatening...

The sky as seen this morning at the mumbai domestic airport. Though it looked as if we would have thunderstorm, it all ended in a whimper...no rain only rising temperatures with rising humidity..

Mahul jetty...

This is the Mahul jetty from where we will board the boat to go flamingo watching!

Showers..

We had premonsoon showers last evening bringing the much awaited drop in temperature, albeit slight drop. This was the picture at Shivaji park signal. Opposite is the Sena Bhavan the Headquarters of a political party - Shiv Sena.

At the nets...

Rows of stacked nets for catching crabs lined up along the jetty with other fishing equipment.

Boats...

Boats used for fishing in the Mahul river that flows into the Mahul/Sewree creek. Took this photograph while i waited for a boat to take us for Flamingo bird watching in the Sewree mudflats and Mahul creek.

Cloudy sky

Love this sky.... sign of rains round the corner....aah relief rom the torrid heat!

Pigs..

Pigs' day out!

Cleanup

Equipment used to desilt the Mithi river at the Bandra Kurla Complex

Balancing act...

Trying to strike a balance?!!!

The Metropolitan...

The Metropolitan in the Bandra Kurla Complex

Sitting pretty

All is quiet on the eastern front of mumbai.

Quiet morn'

A quiet morning in MIG colony Bandra (East).

Early...

Early bird looking for company inMumbai

Fluff

A fluffy morn in Mumbai at the Bandra Kurla Complex

Summer aflame...

The gulmohars reflect the torrid tropical heat of summer in Mumbai which is hot and humid..

Breakfast...

Breakfast meeting for the birds at the Bandra Kurla Complex

Pretty...

A security outpost in the Bandra Kurla Complex - a pretty sight!

ICICI

One of the leading financial institutions in Mumbai.

Cleaning up...

The place where the Mithi river meets up with the mahim creek before flowing into the Arabian sea, being cleaned up before the monsoons to avoid any flooding during high tide.

Also building..

These are workers at a different level - the organised sector. The difference in the working conditions as against the previous picture is obvious.