URBAN TRAVELLER

Series I

Destination: Sipadol (Doleshwor temple area and Maali gaon)

We started our hike around 8: am after having tea and light food near Suryabinayak temple then headed to Doleshwor temple on the bike. After parking our bike at the bus stop we then headed to Mali gaon through a newly constructed motorable road. Though the construction has disturbed the natural habitat, there is still some green vegetation of grasses, shrubs, invasive plant species, and a small Pine forest alongside, which has helped us to see some birds and insects like spiders, butterflies, beetles, dragonflies, etc. We did snap some photographs of birds like Turtle dove, Great tit, warbler species, etc

Turtle Dove

Eurasian Hobby

and insects like butterflies (Indian skipper, Pale grass blue, Red lacewing, Sailer sp, Sergeant sp, some swift species, Pallid argus, etc), moths ( Episteme adulatrix, Noctuidae and Soritia strandi, Chalcosiini), 

Indian Skipper

Pale Grass Blue

Red Lacewing

Soritia strandi

Episteme adulatrix

spiders like Neoscona sp, Giant wood spider Nephila pilipes (Nephilidae), Orchard spider Leucauge decorata (Tetragnathidae), etc

 

Orchard spider

Neoscona sp

Giant Wood Spider

and Odonates like Asian widow or blue-tailed yellow skimmer Palpopleura sexamaculata (Libellulidae), Wandering Glider Pantala flavescens (Libellulidae), Fulvous forest skimmer Neurothemis fulvia (Libellulidae), Green marsh hawk Orthetrum sabina (Libellulidae), etc,

Asian widow

Fulvous Forest Skimmer

Green marsh hawk

 Orthoptera sp like the Coffee locust, Hymenoptera ( Blue-banded bee Anthophora sp) Coleoptera (Flower chafer beetle), etc. 

Coffee Locust

Blue-banded Bee

Flower Chafer Beetle

The landscape around is so much mesmerizing with varieties of plant species like Lantana camara, Chilaune, Uttis, Pine forest that are providing nectaring to pollinators, nesting for birds and many insects. The landscape view from Mali gaon is the one anyone couldn't deny to watch and capture in frame. 

MesmerisingLandscape from Mali Gaon