Back

Yes folks, I'm back in Inja for a couple of months. An exceptionally smooth flight with absolutely no issues save for my unreasonable irritation at the entirely predictable behavior of my fellow passengers:

1) Loosing all sense of politeness when boarding, being seeming desperate to get to thier seats.
2) The person in front of me immediately putting thier seat into full recline AND then stretching thier arms up and back over thier headrest such that they actually interfere with my view of the screen.
3) Being even more desperate to get off the flight pushing and shoving etc.
4) Having rushed to get off the plane then dawdling in the corridors and standing on elevators.
Actually 4 is good cos it means that I can wait until the plane is virtually empty and then by walking briskly and taking the stairs I can beat 95% of them to immigration.

Other points of note were that my baggage was forth and sixth piece off the carosel respectively. There was a slight hiccup at incoming baggage screening in Mumbai when I thought I was going to have to go through the experience of being detained for questioning (again) about the dutiable status of my camera equipment and I did have to report to the customs office where a rather nice young Indian lady in a very smart white customs uniform asked to look in my bag. When she saw my binoculars she asked if she could have a go and spent a couple of minutes looking through them and giggling whereupon I was told I could go.

Birding this morning in Karnala, and pre-dawn the temperature must have been as low as 15C! Karnala was good with some good birds seen including the best views I have ever had of Large brown Barbet. Then we went to take a look at the Uran wetlands and was pretty devastated to find that the whole bleedin lot has been filled in. Gone, under countless tonnes of hardcore, square miles of marshland that was incredibly species rich, unbelievable. Progress I guess. Even so spirits were lifted by a great view of a female Pallid Harrier. Back here for a late morning doze ( only got three hours sleep last night). Delhi tomorrow and back to the cold, it has been as low as 4C there these last few days....
Still cant quite shake off the usual feeling of unreality caused, I'm guessing by a combination of jet lag and the extreme difference in culture, climate etc etc....
A few film recommendations: 'Moon' is quite entertaining as is 'Surrogates' and have just watched a film called 'Traitor' whis is a halfway intelligent look at Islamic extremeism. What is it with all these single word film titles? Saw 'Avatar' (in 3D natch) back in Brighton, probably the best film I have ever seen that I have absolutely no desire to sit through ever again. A strange combination of amazing and boring.....
Anyway, hope to get these blog updates back on track now that I'm back in the subcontinent and the muse is upto strength.