Wordless Wednesday – Who said three’s a crowd?
Photograph: Sandeep Somasekharan See more Wordless Wednesdays The Green Ogre – Birds, Wildlife, Ecology and Nature notes from India.
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.
On the wing: The Racket-tailed Drongo
The spectacle of a Racket-tailed Drongo in flight can make an air-show look like a cheap circus The Greater Racket-tailed Drongo (Dicrurus paradiseus) is quite a character. The funky hairdo over the beak, the long-flowing tail and its ability to mimic scores of other birds makes it one very interesting…
Raptor Friday – Last Hope for Disappearing Vultures
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…
Encounter: Chestnut-tailed Minla or Bar-throated Siva. Or whatever.
Why call it a chestnut-tailed whatever when no one notices the colour of the tail? Bar-throated Siva? Ah, that’s another story.
Raptor Friday: Brahminy Kite
Though dirt-common, the Brahminy Kite is both gorgeous and majestic if you care to give it a second glance An adult Brahminy Kite surveys the landscape beneath overcast skies To quote my good friend Nikhil: “The only mistake the Brahminy Kite ever committed that made him a non-celebrity among birders…
Encounter: Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin
It had given me the slip in Kutch, but in Oman I caught up with the Rufous-tailed Scrub Robin.
Birding in Nagaland – a trip to Fakkim Wildlife Sanctuary
Atul Jain and friends track down the Spot-breasted Parrotbill, the Mountain Bamboo Partridge and other incredible birds at Fakkim Wildlife Sanctuary Mountain Bamboo Partridge The plan to visit Pungro and Fakkim WLS, Nagaland was hatched on “Emerald Blue”, the sailing boat which had taken us to Narcondam Island. The usual…
On the Wing: Indian Silverbills
Ever wondered why some birds never fly? And we are talking of little birds, not ostriches and emus… Flit: v. To move lightly and swiftly. I have always been amazed as to how some birds never seem to fly — they always flit. Whenever I have come across a flock…
Encounter: In Shangri-La with Bar-headed Geese
Meeting the Bar-headed Goose, arguably the world’s highest flier, in its breeding grounds at 15,000 feet is a rare and humbling privilege
Encounter: Fork-tailed Drongo-Cuckoo
Is that a drongo? Or a cuckoo? Or a bit of both? Meet the Fork-tailed Drongo-cuckoo
Encounter – What’s black and white, and hovers?
Ogres Sandy and Arun recollect their encounters with the common but lovable Pied Kingfisher Black, white and eats fish Sandy: The first time I saw the Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) was in Thekkady, Kerala, in my fledgeling days of bird-watching. As a kid I had read that kingfishers were of many…
Where eagles dare… to soar!
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…
On the wing – Himalayan Griffon in flight
Watching a great bird in flight is an experience both meditative and educational A Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) rises slowly on a thermal — an updraft of warm air rising up from the sun-warmed earth — above the dense forests in a valley in Uttarakhand, northern India. Among the largest species of…
Raptor Friday – The Common Kestrel
The Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) visits the subcontinent in winter. It is also resident in the Himalayas and to a lesser extent in the Western Ghats