Nature’s Layers Unravelled – Encounters with birds, beasts, and relatives
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.
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
A reflection on the economic and psychological pressures of informal ecotourism, which weigh heavily on the skilled birding guides of Thattekkad
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
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
A migratory Grey Wagtail singing in winter is an oddity. So, why was this one singing?
For a birdwatcher familiar with tropical seasons, the experience of fall in North America is a revelation
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.
Walking by the woods on a wintry morning, I romanced a Taiga Flycatcher. We began a relationship. Two roads diverged – which would I choose?
Meet Africa’s Marabou Stork. Its unfeathered head and neck give this scavenger a calm and patient mien of morbidity.
Meet the carrion-devouring Greater Adjutant, one of India’s largest storks, which flourishes in the reeking garbage dumps of Guwahati
East Africa’s Dimorphic Egret closely resembles the Western Reef-Egret, until you look for the differences. Easy, huh? You wish!
Spotted Owlets are ace rodent control agents, but catching one as it relishes a breakfast of freshly caught rat is an epiphany indeed!
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.
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.
Trees full of toucans, and a gobsmacking parade of macaws… the birding bonanza in Costa Rica seems to get better and better with a last-mile burst of lifer luck. And, yet, there’s more to come!
