TL;DR: Going cuckoo – when breakfast gives you brain fever!
Grappling with freshly caught breakfast, a young Common Hawk-cuckoo tries and fails! A story of growing up — and evolution
Category: Birds
Birds are probably the gateway drug for many people into the fascinating world of nature. Because they are ubiquitous, birds arouse curiosity. Birdwatching is also among the most accessible of hobbies. Soar with birds in their world as you read these posts that celebrate birds and draw us into their world of marvels.
Fjords and Feathers — The Wild Side Of Norway
King Eiders and Atlantic Puffins, Northern Gannets and Walruses… and landscapes that evoke hushed disbelief. Kakul Paul embarks on a 16-day sojourn through Norway, discovering its varied landscapes and stunning wildlife
Thattekkad Diary – Lessons In Birding, Guiding, and Tourist Privilege
A reflection on the economic and psychological pressures of informal ecotourism, which weigh heavily on the skilled birding guides of Thattekkad
Finding home in the company of birds
Homesick in the UK, Ramya Sriram found comfort in the company of birds. Then followed a series of epiphanies that culminated in a different sort of homecoming for the artist, writer, musician, and birdwatcher in her
Losing and finding love in Nieuwe Driemanspolder
A peek into the love lives of Western Yellow Wagtails in Nieuwe Driemanspolder sets off a chain of insights into why we love, and why we win and lose at love
TL;DR – Why did the wintering Grey Wagtail sing?
A migratory Grey Wagtail singing in winter is an oddity. So, why was this one singing?
Falling For Fall – A Tropical Birdwatcher Celebrates Autumn
For a birdwatcher familiar with tropical seasons, the experience of fall in North America is a revelation
Pranayama with Bar-headed Geese – A Pilgrimage in Gadag
Bar-headed Geese are masters of pranayama, making use of atmospheric oxygen like few other birds can. In that sense, they are true yogis, and making a journey to see them is akin to a pilgrimage.
Romancing a Taiga Flycatcher in a tangle of pronouns
Walking by the woods on a wintry morning, I romanced a Taiga Flycatcher. We began a relationship. Two roads diverged – which would I choose?
TL;DR – Death Stalks Like A Marabou Stork
Meet Africa’s Marabou Stork. Its unfeathered head and neck give this scavenger a calm and patient mien of morbidity.
Ghouls among the Garbage – The Greater Adjutants of Guwahati
Meet the carrion-devouring Greater Adjutant, one of India’s largest storks, which flourishes in the reeking garbage dumps of Guwahati
Dimorphic Egret – Meet this East African mystery bird
East Africa’s Dimorphic Egret closely resembles the Western Reef-Egret, until you look for the differences. Easy, huh? You wish!
Rat-atouille? No, it’s a Spotted Owlet at breakfast!
Spotted Owlets are ace rodent control agents, but catching one as it relishes a breakfast of freshly caught rat is an epiphany indeed!
Costa Rica Diaries – Parting Gifts
Pura Vida. The phrase that translates roughly to “Pure Life” doesn’t do enough justice to all that Costa Rica offers the nature lover. It’s goodbye for now.
Costa Rica Day 6 – Resplendent Quetzal: Part Bird, Part God and Full-Time Economy Driver
On a rainy Day 6 of Sandy’s birding tour in Costa Rica, he and his fellow birders seek out the Resplendent Quetzal, which the ancient Aztecs venerated as a feathered serpentine deity, Quetzalcoatl.