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.
As we headed out of Guwahati airport towards Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh, the Bugun Liocichla (Liocichla bugunorum) was on our minds. Though none of us mentioned it (since no one wanted to be thought of as a twitcher), every one of us was hoping to catch a glimpse…
Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, also known as Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, is located between the branches of the Periyar River in Ernakulam district of Kerala. The great birdman Salim Ali had surveyed Thattekad in 1930 and described it as the richest bird habitat in the peninsula. He later urged the Kerala…
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.…
We had finally stumbled upon the beauty secrets of the gorgeous Red-headed Bullfinch, and his mate
The arrival of the Jacobin Cuckoo announces that the monsoon is here
I woke up at half past five to a clear dawn sky. There was a cold edge to the happy laughter of the brook. Ambling down on creaky knees to wash, I heard an excited chirruping and saw two lovely white-capped water redstarts (Chaimarrornis leucocephalus) chasing each other up and down the length of the brook.
Like thousands of coins jingling in hundreds of fists, the chirruping of sparrows heralds dusk. Trees quiver as roosting flocks fuss like train passengers arguing over berths. The din dies down with the fading light and all is quiet again. Until the morning, when breakfast squabbles are made public and…
Even a peacock must bow to this unchallenged monarch of mountain fowls, the majestic Himalayan Monal
All right, shoot me. I have never had any luck with the Black Francolin.
When I was a child, the Brain Fever Bird was one of my mystery birds. Its plaintive call, rising to a feverish crescendo, kept me awake on many moonlit nights. I was to encounter the bird again, and again, and again, and each time the story wedged itself deeper in my imagination
A fascinating story of bird migration has come to light, involving a Bar-Headed Goose (Anser indicus), which was recently photographed near Somnathpur in Karnataka. On December 26, 2007, Niranjan M. posted a picture of a flock of bar-headed geese at a lake near Somnathpur. One individual in the flock bore…
Sept. 30 – Oct. 2, 2008 Alpine Swift (Tachymarptis melba) Ashy Woodswallow (Artamus fuscus) Bar-winged Flycatcher Shrike (Hemipus picatus) Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis) Black-crested Bulbul (Ruby Throated) – (Pycnonotus melanicterus gularis) Black-headed Cuckooshrike (Coracina melanoptera) Black-lored Tit (Parus xanthogenys) Blue-bearded Bee Eater (Nyctyornis athertoni) Bronzed Drongo (Dicrurus aeneus) Chestnut-headed Bee…
It was in March last year that I stole a trip to Sultanpur, a few minutes by road past Gurgaon, Haryana. It seemed every bit like the wetlands of my dreams. It was the end of a prolonged winter, and the last stragglers — shovellers and gadwalls — were rehearsing…
The ban of the veterinary drug Diclofenac comes as a relief to conservationists. The drug, administered to domestic cattle and water buffalo, has been blamed for the Great Asian Vulture Crisis. Diclofenac enters the food chain when vultures feed on livestock carcasses, causing kidney failure. Ornithologists the world over have…
