Mangalajodi in Odisha is not just a winter birding hotspot. To the passionate birder, this is a place of pilgrimage. Besides the opportunity to watch a number of species at extremely close quarters with minimum intrusion, it offers something else — serenity Continue reading Mangalajodi – birds and serenity in a winter wetland
The ebb of winter is a fine time for birders. At Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge, a nature photographer has a field day. Here’s a page from his diary Continue reading Birding at Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge – A Photographer’s Diary
A White-bellied Sea Eagle won’t make that astronomical push without a gastronomical pull and this one had no apparent interest in playing the avian Sisyphus. Continue reading A White-bellied Sea Eagle fishes for compliments
You have probably seen the Grey Plover on a sandy beach in Kerala and not paid it any attention. Up close, its grace and beauty are alluring Continue reading On The Wing: Meet the Grey Plover
It is indeed a majestic sight, and you can’t but stand there with your jaw hanging open, watching this glorious common kestrel (falco tinnunculus) hover overhead. You obviously can’t afford to gape at this site if you are a tiny rodent, or a small bird, or the garden lizard, because you could get a hell lot closer view with the talons outstretched , within no time. Continue reading S.P.R.E.A.D of the Common Kestrel
A lucky and rewarding encounter with the Bald Eagle, one of the enduring symbols of America, in Maryland’s Conowingo Dam Continue reading Encounter: The Bald Eagle, America’s most majestic raptor
An attractive raptor even while perched, the Black-shouldered Kite is hard to forget once spotted hovering For a long time after I learned to identify this bird, also called the Black-winged Kite to differentiate it from the Australian Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris), I did not witness its flight. During the winter dusk near my village in Rae Bareli, I always saw it hover over potential prey that it had spotted on the ground. All you needed was to scan the horizon and, eight times out of 10, you could spot this bird hovering. The kite hovers over open scrub or grassland patches with … Continue reading On the Wing: Black-shouldered Kite
The spectacle of a Racket-tailed Drongo in flight can make an air-show look like a cheap circus The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) is quite a character. The funky hairdo over the beak, the long-flowing tail and its ability to mimic scores of other birds makes it one very interesting chap to watch. This individual was found next to a huge congregation of birds – the only mixed flock we saw on our trip to ARRS last month. Other birds included Brown-cheeked Fulvettas, Blue-winged Parakeets and Yellow-browed Bulbuls. The drongo would take off from its perch on the verge of … Continue reading On the wing: The Racket-tailed Drongo
Ever wondered why some birds never fly? And we are talking of little birds, not ostriches and emus… Flit: v. To move lightly and swiftly. I have always been amazed as to how some birds never seem to fly — they always flit. Whenever I have come across a flock of Indian Silverbills (Euodice malabarica), also called the White-throated Munia, I have had a hard time observing their wing movements. They always seem to be in a hurry and appear permanently unsettled. All one ever gets to see is a blur of wings accompanied by a soft buzz or a short hop. … Continue reading On the Wing: Indian Silverbills
Watching a great bird in flight is an experience both meditative and educational A Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) rises slowly on a thermal — an updraft of warm air rising up from the sun-warmed earth — above the dense forests in a … Continue reading On the wing – Himalayan Griffon in flight