It was a quick decision to join my  birder friend Kalpalatha for Nelliampathy on a one day  birding trip on an otherwise idyllic weekend!

The place had been on my to-do list since long but somehow never could make it . Beside , I felt I could do with a quick jungle therapy to combat the daily stress and decided to go for it.

We started off at 5 am from Coimbatore , picked up a wildlife enthusiast Ranjith Ram on way at Chitoor  and headed for the hills .As we approached the foothills, Pothundi dam stretched alongside the palm fringed road, making a picturesque setting.

Peacocks could be seen casually strutting around in the open fields on the opposite side . The morning was bright and lovely giving a heady start .

As we climbed uphill, the air turned cooler and soon we were getting enveloped in a cloud of mist. What a respite from the scorching summer hear of the plains! It had rained there the previous night as we could see on way and the scent of the drenched forest was intoxicating.

Chestnut headed bee eaters , copper smith barbets, hill mynah, hawk eagle and kingfishers ,were spotted during the climb. A giant Malabar squirrel was seen jumping around the trees.

We stopped at the view point for a quick black coffee , watching the mist laden valley , listening to the tales from the tea shop owner Guru , a sprightly old bearded man who recounted a king cobra and tiger sighting just a couple of yards away few days back , much to his and our amusement.

Soon we reached Nelliampathy town beyond which we had to hire two jeeps to go into the forests.

Passion fruit , Orange ,Coffee and tea estates enroute gave this hilly town a subtle charm that was quite beckoning .

The jeep ride was quite a bone rattling one as we rode through the bumpy rocky terrain into the forests filled with the loud cacophony of cicadas .

A lone Malabar grey hornbill was spotted perched on a tree stump.

The air was laden with the fragrant scent of white coffee blossoms which gave the place an ethereal feel.

We stopped at a view point and alighted to explore a bit. The mountains and the valley looked every bit stunning. Suddenly our guide could detect the call of the great Indian hornbills from the nearby thicket . We waited eagerly , and soon after ,a male hornbill could be seen flying across the valley. A majestic sight to behold!

After taking a couple of pictures , we proceeded further into the jungle and were lucky to get yet another hornbill sighting, this time a tad closer to where we stood.

Piping hot homely lunch awaited us at Misty resorts: the end point of our tour.(beyond which I am told is the forest road that leads to Parambikulam). We walked around and explored the place (which was teeming with flame of forests , coffee , eucalyptus making it a colorful palette) before getting back into the jeeps for the return ride.

Sambhar deers, a Barking deer and bisons grazing on a hill side could be spotted on way back .

It was a fulfilling day and though tired , we proceed downhill quite content having experienced the wilderness up close and personal .