As Winter Storm Thor freezes North America in his icy tentacles, Sandeep Somasekharan wriggles free to reveal some stunning snowscapes. Continue reading Whiteout: Winter Storm Thor shows his artistic side
Day 3 of our Great Himalayan National Park trek takes us from Humkhani to Dhel Thatch (3500 m) – 7 km and 1400 m to climb. Sandeep Somasekharan continues with Part 4 of the travelogue Continue reading GHNP Trek Day 3: To Dhel, and the layers unravel
Once we are across the bridge, it feels as if behind us a huge wall of forest has grown, shutting us out completely. It is silent, dark and mysterious. Day 2 of our Great Himalayan National Park trek, recounted by Sandeep Somasekharan Continue reading GHNP Trek Day 2: Beyond the bridge, the wilderness
Day 1 was an ‘acclimatizer’. Ha. Acclimating is an oxymoron. Ask those who laboured up the slopes from Neuli to Shakti and ended up painfully breathless by the end of the day. Part 2 of Sandeep Somasekharan’s report of The Green Ogre trek to the Great Himalayan National Park in 2012 Continue reading GHNP Trek – Day 1: An oxymoron called acclimating
Warming up for our trek to the Great Himalayan National Park, the Ogres spend time in Delhi, waiting impatiently to get there. Part 1 of a new series by Sandeep Somasekharan Continue reading Great Himalayan National Park Trek – Day Zero – Warming up
A Fourth of July trek report from Mission Peak, California. Warning: Birds inside. Continue reading Mission (Peak) Accomplished – A Trek Report
What would birds say if they could talk as humans do? Enjoy these candid moments from the avian world – words of a feather. And don’t forget to share the buzz! Continue reading Words of a feather – what birds would say if they could talk
You have probably seen the Grey Plover on a sandy beach in Kerala and not paid it any attention. Up close, its grace and beauty are alluring Continue reading On The Wing: Meet the Grey Plover
It is indeed a majestic sight, and you can’t but stand there with your jaw hanging open, watching this glorious common kestrel (falco tinnunculus) hover overhead. You obviously can’t afford to gape at this site if you are a tiny rodent, or a small bird, or the garden lizard, because you could get a hell lot closer view with the talons outstretched , within no time. Continue reading S.P.R.E.A.D of the Common Kestrel
A birding trip to Koonthakulam, Tamil Nadu, revealed a rare sighting of Lesser Kestrels, seasonal migrants that pass through India en route to Africa Continue reading Raptor Friday: A meeting with a Lesser Kestrel
The nictitating membrane protects a bird’s eye from dryness and injury. You might call it a Meluha moment, this blinking of the third eye. Take a look and be amazed. Continue reading Meluha Moment – In which I blink my third eyelid 😉
On the first day of 2014, we found this adorable Kentish Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus) in half minds whether to sing or not. Warm sunshine, sandy beaches and blue skies – who wouldn’t want to? Continue reading Morning Raga by the Kentish Plover
Humans toss pancakes but birds like the Blue-tailed Bee-eater grab venomous insect prey like wasps and bees in mid-air and thrash them dead to dislodge the sting before tossing them in the air a la Rajinikanth with the cigarette Continue reading Winning The Toss: Blue-tailed Bee-eater pops a meal
The Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola) is a bird of decidedly unique appearance. It found along the coasts of Asia and Africa, where it chases after crabs and deftly pries them open with its highly specialized steak-knife of a bill. Here’s a picture of one on a beach in Kerala. Continue reading Say, does this Crab Plover speak Malayalam?
Rain drives some of us indoors. But a Green Ogre loves nothing more than to step out, get wet and click madly. Uh, let’s go see what the birds are up to. Continue reading Monsoon romance: Birds love rain, rain loves birds