Picto Diary - 10 January 2016 - Nigel... briefly
Above: Peacocks and Peahen. Jawai Leopard Camp. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Peacocks and peahens were teaming in large numbers around a nearby Hindu temple.
We left the camp at 7:00 AM to arrive near the above peacock pictured place 20 minutes later. A Maruti carrying other hotel guests was already at this location when we arrived. We were in a different location from where we saw Nigel last night. Our guides had been advised by the trackers hired by Jawai, that Nigel had shifted to this spot.
We saw that the people in the previously arrived Maruti had their glasses trained on a spot in the distance. I raised my glasses... and.... THERE was Nigel, laying down, facing me. It was a stroke of luck that he appeared in the narrowly defined field I selected to view when I first trained the binoculars.
I whispered to my Maruti mates... 1%, Heat, the Admiral, and JD (guide) that I had a sighting. Almost immediately, Nigel arose, and walked about 20 feet into a cave. My sighting lasted about 30 seconds. I would be the only member of The Margaret Taylor Dance Troupe to have a leopard sighting that morning. Heat - diplomatically - said I was making too much noise with my enthusiastic whispering and might have scared him away. I resolved to do a better job of being quiet next outing.
We learned, on returning to the camp, that our neighbors, who were present when we arrived, had been on the scene for a half hour... and had a sighting of Nigel throughout the whole time they were there. We resolved to leave earlier the next morning.
Still, we were two for two in leopard sighting outings. Last night, when all participants caught a glimpse, and this morning with just Mwah (sic) being the leopard sighter.
Above: Indian Ring Necked Parakeet. Jawai Leopard Camp. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Above: Variable Wheater. Hindu temple. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Above: Black Drongo. Jawai Leopard Camp. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Above: Common Stonechat. Jawai Leopard Camp. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Above: Common Hoopoe. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Above: Green Bee Eater. Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Above: Heat, 1%, JD (guide) and The Admiral. Jawai Leopard Camp, Sumerpur, Rajasthan, India. 10 January 2016.
Post Bishop Nigel sighting coffee break on granite bluff.
Bishop feeling a bit bad that only he sighted Nigel and that his blustery whispers might have scared the cat away.
Addendum:
Above: Skiing the Daly Chutes at Deer Valley with Drums. 09 January 2016.
Image by FeeBee.
The kids started ski classes today. It was a bit crazy when we got there, I guess because it was a Friday afternoon and that is when most kids who are in school can go.
Anyway, there was no where to park close so we followed some other parents and parked in the regular drop off area. We got everything inside and had to wait in line to complete the registration. Then because the boys are older, they were sent to a room upstairs with about 50 other kids. The parents had to help the kids get dressed so I helped the boys get ready and then had to stand in line again to get them signed in and assigned to an instructor. Once that was done, I had to take Roy down to another room and get her signed in. They dress her age group so I was able to leave to go move the van.
I ran to the post office to pick up your mail and when I got back I was able to find a close parking spot. I went through the lodge to try to get some pictures and just happened to get there as Z was coming down the hill with his instructor. I wasn't able to get my phone out in time to get a picture of him skiing but did catch him on the magic carpet (third picture: he has the blue helmet just above the yellow fence).
I was standing on the upper deck behind the lodge then and heard Roy coming out with her instructor (second picture below). She was sobbing and asking for me. I thought it best to not reveal myself because I knew if she saw me she would never do it. It took probably 15 or 20 minutes before her instructor and another one were able to convince her to put on her skis but once they did they got her on the magic carpet (first picture) and away she went.
I kept watching from the deck for awhile to try to catch them skiing but couldn't see them so I went inside to get warm. Hopefully next time I'll be able to sneak out and get some photos.
Portland
