It’s been a slow-burn year for us Ogres for many reasons. One: We never got to travel anywhere together in 2014, save a morning outing at Hesaraghatta (Arun, Andy and I went). Two: Arun and Sandy spent a good part of the year overseas. That much said, we’re glad to announce that The Green Ogre is still alive and kicking (a la those lovely Dancing Frogs discovered by Dr Satyabhama Das Biju and his team). Watch this video – it’s our favourite from 2014.
Here are our favourite posts of 2014. Tell us which ones you enjoyed.
1. Meeting with a Lesser Kestrel
Sandy’s encounter with a Lesser Kestrel in the wetlands of Koonthankulam in Tamil Nadu was one of our best posts of the year. Read more>>
2. Americana – a birding diary
Arun finally got round to processing his pictures from his sojourn in the US last year, and wrote this pretty pictorial post featuring the feathered pals he made there. Read more>>
3. A Blue-tailed Bee-eater wins the toss
Some photographic moments are treasures of time. And timing. Sandy got lucky with this Blue-tailed Bee-eater that allowed him to capture it tossing its meal in the air. Read more>>
4. A Little Egret’s moment of reflection
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Bad puns notwithstanding, Andy proved true to his reputation as a birder-philosopher. Watching a Little Egret fishing, he ruminated about its marital eligibility and proceeded to consult an astrologer. Read more >>
5. On the Wing – The Grey Plover
A thousand words beg to be spoken of this poetic image that Sandy made of the Grey Plover on a sandy beach in Kerala. Read more >>
6. Words of a feather – If birds could talk
Another fun compilation of images of birds from Sandy, in which he puts words in their mouths. Read more >>
A tryst with a chough in the picturesque mountains of Switzerland is really something to crow about. Read more>>
8. Have a beer on this kingfisher
Despite their regal name, kingfishers have to work hard like serfs for their daily fish. Read more>>
9. In Rainbows – the Mindanao Gum Tree
In which we made peace with the eucalyptus, upon learning that there is one species native to the northern hemisphere – the Mindanao Gum Tree. And upon gazing upon a venerable individual of this species at Singapore’s Katong Park. Read more>>
10. Mission (Peak) Accomplished
Been a while since we had a nice trek report. Sandy ended the drought with this account of a Fourth of July trek up to Mission Peak in California. Read more>>
11. A barbet and a window of opportunity
They say a window of opportunity seldom presents itself twice. Wasn’t so in the case of this barbet. Read more>>
12. Osman Sagar – A flamingo oasis
From his sojourn in Hyderabad, Arun painted a picture of pink. Flamingos – and other beauties – from the city’s watering hole – Osman Sagar Lake. Read more>>
Gayatri Hazarika’s lovely photo-essay on monsoon life was among our best guest posts this year. Read more>>
14. A skylark on song evokes Shelley
A dull brown bird on a rock at Goa’s Chapora Fort had me hooked. To its song. A relative of this Oriental Skylark had inspired Shelley’s gushy paean. Listen. You’ll know why. Read more>>
15. Hudhud have thought it was the Hoopoe?
Cyclone Hudhud, named after the Arabic word for hoopoe, made headlines for a while. Rajneesh Suvarna guest-blogged about the bird behind the name. Read more>>
16. Rajasthan – a Thar desert lifescape
Chinkaras by the wayside. The glowing eyes of a desert fox at dusk. Clouds of Demoiselle Cranes. The magic of the Thar desert has to be experienced to be believed. Read more>>
And, don’t forget, this year brought us a cornucopia of wallpapers. Doff your hat to Sandy for those!
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