Nature’s Layers Unravelled – Encounters with birds, beasts, and relatives
The Black-winged Kite alias the Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is easily the most handsome and the most distinguishable of kites. The first time I saw this bird was in a photo, shot by my photography guru Prabakar Venkatraman, in which this bird was perched on a steel rod at the…
I always thought only humans queued up, and that too occasionally when they have no choice. Ah… and ants. But on our very eventful tramway trek in Parambikulam, Kerala, we experienced an epiphany. And the evidence of such orderly behaviour came from an unexpected group of insects: Butterflies. Halfway into…
Until five years ago, every bird that soared was an “eagle”. I had just started birding and I don’t know how many times until then I had let pass this intriguing bird as an eagle. And by “eagle” I would have meant the ubiquitous Black Kite or Pariah Kite (Milvus…
The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also known as White Scavenger Vulture and Pharaoh’s Chicken, is easily distinguishable thanks to its unusual plumage. Its large size, creamy white plumage, hook-shaped beak, and yellow face are diagnostic. In flight, the undersides of the wings show a clear demarcation between the black flight feathers…
Hunters 1 Freeloaders 0, at least that was the score when I left a Crested Goshawk to eat its meal in peace. The crows had to be content with looking I was at Sim’s Park, Coonoor, after a casual day-drive with my wife and a couple of friends. As I…
Birds of the scrubland, harriers are unmistakable for their flight – close to the ground, with the wings held in a high-upstroke V, and the eyes directed downward looking intently for prey. A male Montague’s Harrier on the hunt I have seen Montague’s Harriers (Circus pygargus) frequently in and around Mysore but…
Though smaller than other Aquila eagles, the Booted Eagle (Aquila pennatta) is a powerful bird of prey. It hunts reptiles, small mammals, and medium-sized birds, including crows and partridges. A pale morph Booted Eagle banks in flight My first prolonged and high quality sighting was near the Ranganathittu Bird…
To a layperson, scrublands connote territory that is laid to waste. Dead, deserted places to stay away from. But that impression deserves to be tested. Scrublands, in fact, are dry, open spaces with a thin layer of surface grass, occasional shrubs and small, hardy trees such as acacias. Visit one…
If your guide points to nothing on the bark of a tree, you can be sure you’re looking at (but not seeing) Draco dussumieri, the Southern Flying Lizard!
Meet the Short-toed Snake Eagle (Circaetus gallicus) or plain “Short-toed Eagle”. It is a raptor of open countries, grass/ scrublands and semi-deserts, which, as its name suggests, loves to devour snakes and reptiles and occasionally mammals as well. And yes, the toes (or talons) are shorter compared to other birds of prey.…
A natural portrait of an owl and a squirrel is when the latter is in the claws of the former. Owls and owlets are generally fond of rodents, and squirrels do fall under their diet regime. Strangely though, I have witnessed squirrels quite often in and around owl territories. And…
The Indian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo bengalensis) is a sub-species of the Eurasian Eagle Owl, formerly known as the Indian Rock Eagle owl. My first run-in with this enigmatic bird was near Mysore’s well-known landmark – Chamundi Hills. My friend saw him sitting on a tree near a quarry, and…
It’s easy to see why Lord Shiva fell in love with the Ganga. Mere mortals can be hopelessly smitten.
A glimpse of the majestic Golden Eagle When I set out on the Madmaheshwar trek in September 2010, I had not entertained hopes of seeing a Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos daphanea) as the altitudes we would frequent would not be high enough to be the habitat of this majestic raptor.…
We had finally stumbled upon the beauty secrets of the gorgeous Red-headed Bullfinch, and his mate
