Even birders rarely felicitate bulbuls with a second glance, worse if they are Red-whiskered or Red-vented Bulbuls. But when we head up to the hills, the sight of the Himalayan Bulbul is a joy to us. For it means we are in the hills, and there’s a bounty of birdlife waiting to be discovered. Continue reading Encounter – Himalayan Bulbul
What happens when a monkey chances upon a coconut? Well, let’s just say there’s no business like monkey business. And monkey business is show business. Enjoy this video Continue reading Nut job – When a monkey steals a coconut
Happy 2015! Take inspiration from the Indian Desert Jird. Dig deep into your past to find the key to the future. Continue reading It’s not a bird, it’s a jird
No matter how long you’ve been birding, it’s never too late for an enlightening moment of stupidity Continue reading Birding Nirvana – Still stupid after all these years
What is west to India is east to Pakistan. But what does the Thar care for such demarcations? Its dunes sift with abandon, and thrum with life Continue reading Rajasthan – A Thar Desert Lifescape
An Oriental Skylark in song at Goa’s Chapora Fort evokes Shelley. But you must listen to the song to believe that the poet wasn’t exaggerating in his effusive praise Continue reading A Skylark on song evokes Shelley
Meet the only eucalyptus species native to the northern hemisphere, the Mindanao Gum Tree or Rainbow Eucalyptus, so known for the vibrant colored patterns left by its peeling bark Continue reading In Rainbows – The Mindanao Gum Tree
The first time I came upon ‘chough’ I thought it was a dictionary entry for an act of expectoration by one with a North Indian surname. It would be a few years before I got the hang of what it was really – a kind of crow Continue reading Chuffed by a chough
It’s that time of the year when I ache to be anywhere but in an office, feeling the tug of the breeze on my face, the burst of impatient rain. To be drenched in the news of the sea that the monsoon brings ashore. So much for dreaming. I’m still here. Clacking away on a keyboard, conjuring up visions. So share my pain. With monsoon Instagrams. Continue reading Seven monsoon Instagrams to set the mood
Why did the caterpillar cross the road? Apparently, to get to the other side. In a tearing hurry. Continue reading Why did the caterpillar cross the road?
Every now and then I delight in a moment where I can introduce my daughter to something alive and wild — the birth of a butterfly, a sisterhood of elephants, the jawbone of a monitor lizard, the nest of a carpenter bee, the bill of a pelican, the colour of a fruit bat’s fur, the proud puff of a baby cobra’s hood… And when I meet parents who, like me, revel in the moment they introduce their own children to these fast diminishing joys of nature, I can sense their wonder and share their delight. And rest, at least for a wink, in the comfort that our tribe will increase. Thanks to Krithi Karanth for this innervating talk about her dream to re-wild India. Watch, share and teach your children well. Continue reading Krithi Karanth’s dream to re-wild India – we second!
For many years, the Spotted Forktail was just an apparition in a dream. Now, happily twitched off the list, it is one of my favourite Himalayan birds. Continue reading Encounter – The Spotted Forktail
In flu-fearing Hong Kong, Victoria Park is perhaps the sole isle for anyone who cares for a spot of garden birding. Continue reading Birding in Hong Kong: One flu over Victoria Park
It wasn’t a day fit for birding, but even on such a dull day Melbourne had plenty to offer to a jet-lagged birder on a lightning first-time visit to Australia. Continue reading Birding notes from Melbourne, Australia
Every time you thumb through a field guide to nature, say a little prayer to Roger Tory Peterson. His path-breaking field guides breathed life into birding. Continue reading Remembering Roger Tory Peterson