Costa Rica Day 4 – Midnight weightlifting, flashing hummingbirds and misgendering in Spanish
On Day 4 in Costa Rica, Sandy learns his Spanish grammar the hard way, and indulges in a little light experiment with hummingbird photography
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.
Indian Nightjar, Sweet Child O’Mine
Nightjars own the dark. To spy one by daylight is a gift from the night. An Indian Nightjar with a baby by its side is a vision
Christmas at Boca Tapada – Costa Rica Birding Diary Day 3
Scarlet Macaws, Great Green Macaws, Shining Honeycreepers, King Vultures — a great big birding feast! What better way to spend Christmas in Boca Tapada, Costa Rica
TL;DR – What colour are a Black-winged Kite’s eyes?
Look closely at the eyes of a Black-winged Kite. Are they red? Or orange? Or yellow? The eyes will tell you if you are looking at an adult or a juvenile bird.
Muddy Boots in Guapiles | Costa Rica Birding Diary – Day 2
From white bats huddled like dumplings under banana leaves and shimmering hummingbirds and gaudy tree frogs, to majestic owls necking in the dark of the forest, it’s just another birding day in Guapiles, Costa Rica. Is crazy!
Costa Rica Birding Diary | Day 1 – Cinchona and Sarapiqui
Exploring the bird life of Costa Rica, Sandy meets many that he assumes are either marital partners or relatives, but is mistaken!
TL;DR – White-naped Woodpecker Double Bill
Seeing one White-naped Woodpecker is exciting. Seeing a pair at work in the woodland is a bonus. And here’s a fun fact about the bird’s Latin name.
TL;DR – No Ugly Ducklings
There are no ugly ducklings. And here’s proof! Just one look at these adorable young Indian Spot-billed Ducks and you’ll want to adopt them
TL;DR – Little Grebe, Holy Diver, Tireless Parent
Little Grebes are tiny wetland birds specially adapted for diving in search of food. Each dive can last up to 30 seconds!
TL;DR – Pheasant-Tailed Jacanas in Love
Pheasant-tailed Jacanas exhibit polyandry, a reversal of sexual roles in which a female courts and maintains a harem of males
TL;DR – Black-winged Stilts, helicopter parents
Black-winged Stilts are anxious parents, always patrolling their nesting sites. Predators get a brutal sendoff.
TL;DR: Oriental Skylark, Grassland Songster
Bring the grasslands back, rethink mindless tree-planting projects, and we will begin to hear the skylark again.
Make Bengaluru’s Saul Kere bird-friendly again
Saul Kere is one of the richest biodiversity areas in urban Bengaluru and a birding hotspot. However, thoughtless development may put an end to that
Song Sung Blue – A Malabar Whistling-thrush broods in Muthirapuzha
Close encounters with a nesting Malabar Whistling-thrush in the violated hill station of Munnar
The trees are dead! Long live the forest!
Dead trees are vital habitats for nourishing life. Then why do we have a problem with them?