Transformation - The Magic of Monsoon

Finally !! the monsoon has arrived. After the sweltering heat of the summer months, the whole landscape and every living organism including human beings, look up at the sky and wait for the clouds to burst. The effect is magical, particularly in forests… the monsoon changes the visual sense of the forest completely and recharges the whole environment. It's a whole new scene of wildlife that takes place….

Just a few days back, when the sun was at its scorching best, the forest was set for this transformation as if anticipating the monsoon, like it has for millions of years. Life emerges from the forest floor in a myriad forms. Such is the variety and diversity, that it is just unbelievable. This breath-taking natural wonders has to be experienced to be able to believe. The forest floor is now littered with flowers, crabs, bugs, beetles, spiders, caterpillars, frogs and what not. It is amazing what the first shower does to the landscape. The monsoon proclaims the beginning of plenty, a season of new life….. a Transformation.

Take a walk in the forest and enjoy this treasure trove..you never know, how many years this magic will last !!

I have attempted to portray this “transformation” through some images that were captured around Mumbai (Tungareshwar, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, aarey colony area, Yeoor and Nagla forests) during the last few days.

(Click on the image to enlarge and to see the text)

Fruits of Schleichera oleosa also called locally as Kusum.... these are collected by tribals to eat....it tastes something like "khata meetha" lichie

At the height of summer, the forest abound with wild fruits, that are not just collected by the tribals, but also enjoyed by all the forest denizens - Here the Rodents feed on the fallen fruits

Before the rain starts, the tribal make merry - they collect forest produce like they have been doing for several centuries, this is the month of bounty - Children collecting wild fruits in Tungareshwar WLS

Camouflage - a Grasshopper camouflages itself amongst the dried leaves

A bark Scorpion ssp. hides amongst the leaf litter in wait for its prey

Baby skink slithers away amongst the forest litter...most baby skinks sport colourful tail

Male calotes fighting to gain the dominance for the approaching breeding season

A wolf Spider scans its territory from his den

Nymphs of Red-silk cotton bugs emerge from under the dried leaves

A weaver ant tends to the Aphids - Ants have been farming the Aphids for millions of years to obtain a sweet secretion

Mushroom emerge to carry out the mission that best suits them - Decompose and Recycle

A crysalis of a butterfly waits in anticipation of rains.... the caterpillars will then have a better chance of survival in the season of abundance and greenery

The reptiles in all their glory




The rains have started - the first drops collected in Bracket fungi

A velvet mite emerges from its loooonnnngggg sleep .....
It is believed that the emergence of these mites signifies good monsoon :-)

A Deccan banded Gecko is on a look-out for the baby insects..... it is the best season to encounter reptiles and amphibians

Orchids bloom - Rhynchostylis, Arides, Dendrobium, Habenarias (These are Orchid varieties).....its a season of bounty for all of them

Velvet mites tussle with each other to occupy feeding territories

Wild turmeric emerges from the parched land

Various species of Chlorophytum emerge immediately after the first showers of rain..... they would just last for about a couple of weeks, before they fruit and disperse their seeds..... such flowers / herbs are called "ephemerals"

Curculigo - Kali Musli...of the a.k.a "Musli Power" fame. Such and hundreds of medicinal herbs sprout immediately after even a little amount of rain

Scilla hyacinthina flowering

A baby brahminy skink scampers amongst the forest floor

Fungoid frogs emerge from their aestivation.....their summer sleep

It is also a colourful season of beetles

Mushrooms everywhere....they get the vital "water" to speed up the decomposition process and give the nutrients back to soil

Scilla hyacinthina in bloom

The Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher has also arrived..... they are breeding migrants to our region arriving at the onset of monsoon.

Splashes of green - The Praying Mantis looks on with its 180 degrees head turn

Myraid colours of the insect world


The rains have arrived ..... Finally !!

Amorphophallus commutatus or Wild-Yam sprouts everywhere....a favorite amongst vegetarians



Mahua seeds (Madhuca indica)germinating....proclaiming that the season of Life has arrived