Nature’s Layers Unravelled – Encounters with birds, beasts, and relatives
Journeying in another Green Ogre’s footsteps, this wild crane chase off the beaten track culminated in an immensely rewarding avian spectacle. The Demoiselles of Khichan are alive and well, and numerous and beautiful as ever! The Demoiselles of Khichan Heading from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer we took the road less travelled…
Concluding Anand Yegnaswami’s sojourn in Alaska, this episode sees him face to face with a Grizzly and learning something new about the gender of Santa’s red-nosed reindeer Refreshed from a rather uneventful third day of our trip we emerged from our slumber gung-ho about what was to be our first experience…
A birding spree from Mudumalai to Masinagudi and Theppekadu to Ooty
At Exit Glacier, not far from the top of the world as the puffin flies, we stayed at a historic hotel and stayed clear of bears We were drained from the previous day’s drive to the Arctic that ended only at 3 AM on Day 3 of our trip at…
Dandeli, post-monsoon, is a completely different forest. Quieter, darker, denser, and offering a whole new birding experience that left us unsatisfied A misty morning welcomed us as we got down at the VRL bus stand at Dandeli and through the veil of vapor we could see three Malabar Pied Hornbills…
Leaving Mt Denali behind we left with optimism for the Arctic Circle, into the ragged latitude of the midnight sun Disappointed with the weather at Denali National Park that denied us a view of Mt Denali on the first day of our trip to Alaska, we looked for an suitable…
Someone once told not to look a gift horse in the mouth checked the dental signature of a Moose instead and discovered 12 molars, 12 premolars, 6 incisors and 2 canines. Oh dear, a moose is actually a deer, as Ogden Nash evidently knew! Confronted by a mouse or moose,…
On the 64th anniversary of India’s freedom, we wonder about the efficacy of captive breeding programs. Are they really worth it? In the last six odd decades since Independence, India has been witness to the exploitation of its wildlife and natural resources along with apathy to diminishing forests coexisting with…
Moose, elk, grizzlies and caribou are on Anand Yegnaswami‘s mind as he recalls a trip to Alaska’s Denali National Park Alaska was a part of Russia until 1867 when US Secretary of State William H Seward played a key role in purchasing it for $7.2 million. It is believed that…
Anand Yegnaswami witnesses a bizarre encounter between a spider and a wasp and stumbles into a freakish discovery of manipulation in animals Mind manipulation is not new to many of us, considering we have watched Jedi Mind Tricks, read about suicide bombers, and seen cricket-playing teams sledge players to get…
For the dung beetle, crap doesn’t just happen. It’s very happening!
Bright yellow, almost 12 inches long and half a foot across, it seemed almost artificial among the bright green leaves where I found it. I wondered first if it was a life-like miniature kite that was stuck in the leaves. I called out to the Green Ogres and exclaimed “Butterfly!” and got a curt rap on the knuckles. “Moth!” Well, most of the moths I had come across hardly had the vivid patterns I was looking at, so I knew this one was special. We were looking at the Malaysian Moon Moth (Actias maenas)
There are enough roadkills, but why are vultures absent from our skies? An independent filmmaker explores the reasons Himalayan Griffons engage in a scuffle Several animals are killed in road accidents but we hardly see any vultures hovering above and swooping down for a cleanup operation. Ever wondered why? Neloy…
Honorary Ogre Anand Yegnaswami is mystified by the phenomenon of soaring after watching raptors do their thing A Black Eagle on outstretched wings Our recent trip to Dandeli with the Ogres got me acquainted with a majestic flyer. We were walking up the Nagzari trail, which leads to a waterfall of the same…
