Wild orchids of the Mumbai region

snonymous

Please look at my photos in the Photo Section of Mumbai endemic species of orchids. Dont know how to post them here ! Any help welcome. Thanks

SitaParityaga

They are lovely pictures, you can check my favorite out here

snonymous

Thanks Sita. Do you know how to post photos in these thread posts? Thanks.

Nick-H

snonymous's photos: Here

They're looking great! I'll look properly later tonight; my relaxing over the photo gallery time

You can post "attachments" to a post in a thread, but if you've uploaded the pic to the gallery already it is probably better to give the URL to that photo, or (as you just did) to let people know they can see your stuff in the gallery.

Attachments are really for small pics just to illustrate a point in a thread.

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snonymous

Thanks Nick. I didnt quite understand that attachment bit but I'll get there I hope. Not too savvy about these tech things you know. How do you get the URL of the photos in the gallery or the "here"? Answer whenever convenient, I am in no hurry. Thanks.

AvidTrekker

Type out your reply, for example, "See pictures here."

Now open a separate browser window. Go to the actual pictures link. See where you type the URL on top ? Click your mouse on the small picture at the beginning of the URL. Now the whole URL is shaded as if you have run the mouse over it. Do "Edit-copy" or "Control C".

Close or minimize the separate browser window.

You will automatically come back to your reply. Run your mouse over the words "here" in your reply. They will be backgrounded blue in this case. Now click the eleventh icon in the second row above below the Smiley face. (it says "insert link"). It will open up a window where you have to enter a URL.

Just do a "Edit-Paste" or "Control V" and click "OK".

Your work is done. Proceed with the rest of the reply.

I have noticed that you have entered the Generic names of the Orchids. Can you similarly identify himalayan flowers etc??

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Nick-H

Your photos are lovely; nice to know we have another naturalist aboard!

How many of those did you grow yourself? Are you a gardener too?

AvidTrekker

Yes, very much!!

But then... who is the first one?? (Naturalist, I mean)
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Nick-H

I think we have several, judging by the stuff in the photogallery, but I know from an IM meetup that Mikewill is an insect pro. He's posted some interesting stuff about staying in forest houses --- something I have yet to get around to doing.

snonymous

Avid Trekker
Thank you so much for your efforts and all the detailed explanation ! I will certainly try it out.
I always prefer botanical nomenclature as there is no mistake in identification of species. With common names, there are too many discrepancies and you never know if you are referring to the same species.
I have not been to the Himalayan regions except once fleetingly near Shimla, so Im sorry I cannot help you there. You can contact Mr JM Garg who is a botanist at jmgarg1@gmail.com, or you can buy Shrikant Ingalhalikar and Isaac Kehimkars excellent paperbacks on wildflowers and check the photos.

Nick
Yes I love wild gardening, if you can call it that - in Mumbai where do we have gardens? I have a small open terrace adjoining my fourth floor flat which Ive converted into a mini forest with some potted fruit trees, lots of perennial [easy]flowering shrubs, wildflowers, ferns and orchids both wild and hybrids. As I mentioned in another thread, I have collected a lot of wild orchids from the middle Vaitarna dam site where the dense forests are slated for destruction starting from any time now as the tenders have been . It is such a pity. I plan to do another final trip this monsoon to enjoy the beautiful gorge there and to salvage whatever I can. Apart from orchids there are a lot of wild flowers and ferns there which are not found easily elsewhere, due to less grazing. NH3 which is the main road route there is in such a horrendous condition due to the roadworks in progress.

I will try your suggestions Avid Trekker later on today or this week when I have more time. Thanks again.

mikewill

Any chance of a photo of your garden Snonymous? When my brother-in-law lived in Singapore they had orchids all over their balcony. We have to make do with the less tender varieties on window sills indoors or in the greenhouse. Our native orchids are very beautiful but not as showy - they are just starting to flower now.

Kind words Nick. I think many of the real pros (who can identify hundreds of insect species without a second thought) might take a different view, but I'm very happy to be thought of as a naturalist.

snonymous

Certainly Mike, more than happy. It is not a "garden" in the usual sense, it is a collection of wild unchecked, mostly unpruned growth all over my terrace - in my desperate desire to simulate a forest - but there must be something right, because a tailorbird stitched its unique nest in my avocado tree last year, so did a red whiskered bul bul in the dense undergrowth behind a monstera! We also get a few butterflies and other insects, although not half as many as I see in the big trees across the road; and more than our fair share of 'pet' lizards who sometimes earn their keep by eating mosquitoes, but more often lurk around to catch unsuspecting naive moths. Cant forget my centipedes and worms escaping from my vermi bin. If you send me your e mail id on my PM or snonymous@gmail.com, its a lot faster to send the pics than posting them all here [for my limited capabilities anyway!]. I also have a lot of insect pics, mostly lepidoptera, some which need id, so if you can do the honours, I would be most greatful. Please also post your native orchid pics, or send them to my gmail. Thanks.

Nick: I read somewhere that a "naturalist" is also a person who frequents nude beaches !!!!!!! On a separate note, I tried posting a couple of photos last evening and even though, after a while the message said "uploaded", the next frame where you add to the description / location did not appear and the photos seem to be lost in cyberspace.

mikewill

That'll be a Naturist, Snonymous! A frequent but slightly worrying confusion. I find it's best to be wearing clothes when looking for wildlife. It makes it harder for the mozzies to find somewhere to bite too!!

Nick-H

...That's a naturist!

We have tailor birds in our garden, also red-vented Bul Buls (I call them the Red Backside Bird, and love their crest and cheeky appearance) among others. I'd love to see them build a nest, but it would be as source of great worry for me if they did nest in our garden, due to the presence of our cats.

snonymous

Naturist v/s Naturalist: I stand corrected.
Red whiskered bulbuls make beautiful architecturally perfect nests. Unfortunately the baby birdies did not survive because two out of the three eggs hatched, and the mother in her desperate attempt to hatch the third egg, suffocated the 2 babies. I cried inconsolably when I realised. The brain that created such an architectural marvel of a nest, did not have the common sense to ensure the survival of her chicks.
The tailor bird babies hatched alright. One of them fell out of his nest and was quite happy when I picked him up and tipped him back in. We repeated the performance the next day, and they flew out eventually.
We get a lot of sunbirds, red venteds and rose ringed parakeets as well but no nests so far. Also have some barn owls and the ocassional crimson breasted barbets, magpie robins, kingfishers and of course the ubiquitous crows and pigeons who are most unwelcome.