A passage through time

Lapwing, originally uploaded by SrikanthT.

Every day i hear calls of Lapwing flying over my house, with loud sounds. We share a common compound with a factory with some open space and few trees which they use as a storage space for steel plates. While Lapwings are noisy birds as usual, Saturday evening I could hear unusually loud sounds of lapwing, and wanted to checkout whats happening and went into balcony. I could see a lapwing hovering over air very close to balcony behind the wire mesh of the factory. I normally see them sitting far off on the top of the shed, and never stay so close to our building, even thoug they fly past. After a while I could a see another lapwing on ground, with my view of it obstructed by the fence of the factory and an electric pole. Another lapwing joined the hovering lapwing, both of them shouting very loudly. I find it interesting, and grab my telephoto to get a shot of lapwing. For almost half hour I could see the lapwing, but obstructed by the fencing. I never tried shooting a lapwing as they never come closer, while I enjoy watching and hearing to them.
After around half hour, the lapwing on ground start to move, and after another 15 mins, I see something else moving. Its a baby lapwing. Now I understand the reason for the "aerial survailance" and mother staying on ground for so long.
The baby I am not sure if it was just born, but already curios to watch out the surroundings and the survailance continue on ground and air. The baby was getting under the steel plates on ground and come out, being watched by the adults.
The story doesnt complete without a villian on the scene right. A stray dog enters the scene, and suddenly the aerial support gets very active, and with the help of ground forces(mom) scare the dog away, It was an amazing sight to watch, three birds could scare away a dog, what an achievement. I was happy. I wanted to go there, and save it, but cannot scale the 20 ft high walls of the factory with electric fence.
They got support for the kidoo, in form of the factory security, who have observed the scene by then, and held the young bird by hand and scared the stray dog away and left it closer to the mom bird. They brought their security dogs, to scare away any further "intruders", and the security dogs seem to be well behaved following the handlers, who rescued the bird. I get some confidence that the kid has a chance to survive, and retire into home.
Sunday morning, I couldnt hear as loud calls as Saturday evening, and I was anxious what happened to the young one.
To be honest I donot know, but I have seen the mom lapwing sitting on ground like a hen(Normally I have seen lapwings only standing) and the dad lapwing on the top of shed watching watchfully. I guess and hope all is well with the kid.

The tiny just born lapwing seen in this picture with mom lapwing.(Saturday evening shot)

Gracious, originally uploaded by SrikanthT.

Ever seen a walk as Gracious as this?
On the way to Ooty on 4th of May, found this in Bandipur around noon. I didnt expect to find them around noon though, but there were 3 adults and a calf grazing along the side of the road, closer to the Mudamalai side, and this one crossed the road after some stupid people in another car, got down to go in front of the herd to get some pictures with elephants, and the adults quickly formed a cover around the calf. It was a delight to watch them.
Then came the real adventure to negotiate 36 hair pin bends which would take you up almost 5000 ft in 20 kms
Before that managed to find a sambar stag with well grown antlers, which disappeared into forest before I could grab my camera, and a mangoose greeting at the entrance of Bandipur