A rabbit-eating tortoise. An ungrateful parakeet. An orphaned baby bat. Three weird, funny and moving tales from the animal kingdom as it knocks heads with the Anthropocene Continue reading Tender, funny, macabre – three wild tales from a weekend in the Anthropocene
It was a cold, windy night on the coast of North Carolina. But there was a celestial event that brought one determined photographer out to gaze skyward – the blood moon! Continue reading The night the moon blushed red
The Andamans. Looking out of the window of a passenger aircraft descending to land, it looks like any other mass of land. Look closely you will see the work of a maverick artist with a sense of humour Continue reading In the Andamans, nature is an artist
Photo: Sahastrarashmi Chopta, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand The Green Ogre – Birds, Wildlife, Ecology and Nature notes from India. Continue reading Wordless Wednesday: The hues of advancing autumn
On the 64th anniversary of India’s freedom, we wonder about the efficacy of captive breeding programs. Are they really worth it? In the last six odd decades since Independence, India has been witness to the exploitation of its wildlife and natural resources along with apathy to diminishing forests coexisting with strident conservation initiatives. In this land of abundant wildlife, royals and nobles were enamoured with shikar. With ample help from their English masters, they brought about a rapid decline in the population of species large and small. In the latter part of our history, conservation programs have attempted to create … Continue reading Freedom in a cage – a critical look at captive breeding
Eminently readable, Stephen Jay Gould’s Life’s Grandeur is a must for anyone who wants to understand Darwin better Stephen Jay Gould (Sep 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) is one of the best known and most influential writers on the Theory of Evolution. The author of more than two dozen books on the subject, the scientist is also known for his theory of Punctuated Equilibrium (with Niles Eldredge). “Life’s Grandeur – the spread of excellence from Plato to Darwin” (Vintage, 1996, current printing 2005) is a compelling and eminently readable account of one of Gould’s favorite themes — the process … Continue reading Book Review: Life’s Grandeur by Stephen Jay Gould
What goes flap-flap-glide, flap-flap-glide? A Grey Hornbill in flight!Grey hornbills (Ocyceros birostris) fly like tiny missiles — if not by speed, by profile. Flap-flap-glide, flap-flap-glide… when you see one pass by you can always expect another one to be close behind – usually its soulmate. This one was headed straight for me when it realized I was right ahead, braked in the air spreading the wings and tail feathers, and within a second, it changed direction by ninety degrees and disappeared into the branches of a tree. Text and photo by Sandeep Somasekharan All rights reserved See all posts in … Continue reading On The Wing: Indian Grey Hornbill
The next time you hear a chuckle from the treetops or endearing squeaks and musical caws, look out for the Malabar Grey Hornbill. Or maybe a whole flock! What’s so different about the Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus) compared with the other three hornbills found in the Western Ghats? The casque, of course. Rather, the absence of it. Although the attention-grabbing casque — the horn in hornbill — is not present in this southern species, the bright orange bill (in males) makes up for it and you realise the true meaning of the word “Hornbill”. The bill is shaped exactly … Continue reading Encounter: Malabar Grey Hornbill
Photograph: Sandeep Somasekharan All rights reserved See all Wordless Wednesday posts The Green Ogre – Birds, Wildlife, Ecology and Nature notes from India. Continue reading Wordless Wednesday – Sitting Duck
Watching one of our most efficient predators in the wild is a treat and a privilege. Most people might be obsessed with cats, but give it up for the Dhole, our very own wild canid Just after I told my wife how endangered the Indian wild dog or Dhole (Cuon alpinus) was, we saw about ten of them on our first three trips together. Which, naturally, evoked the question: “Are they really endangered? I have seen more wild dogs than tame ones since our marriage…” Sadly, they are… At first glance the dhole is very like a dog When, as a child, … Continue reading Encounter: Dhole – the Indian wild dog
It’s been a high traffic week at The Green Ogre. This week we gave away our first freebie — a wallpaper download that doubles as an August calendar. Got it yet? Snakes have always got the wrong end of the stick. So it was with trepidation (for the snake, of course) that I watched the movements of one in my yard. First, it attempted to climb a coconut tree and then hid amid a pile of pipes just a few feet away from the toiling gardener. Was it a cobra or a rat snake? Who would have cared before killing … Continue reading The Green Ogre Weekend Update August 7
The brilliant brick reds, salmon-pink and yellow of Cassias light up avenues even as summer wears out its welcome. Sahastrarashmi presents an intimate encounter with the flowering tree as never experienced before Studio portrait of Red Cassia – the yellow (possibly hybrid) variation Studio portrait of Red Cassia – the brick-red flowers are interspersed with pink, but from a distance overshadow other shades The seemingly endless tropical summer tends to linger a bit longer on the eastern coast down south where I live. It’s an extended goodbye, a season that begins to grudgingly allow the relief of a few cool days … Continue reading An intimate encounter with the lovely Red Cassia
Vultures are the most misunderstood of birds despite the fact that Hindu mythology associates them with virtue rather than evil. In the last decade, our callousness has led to a huge decline in their numbers. But it isn’t too late, we think… Vultures are not really everybody’s favourite birds. Traditionally, they have been associated with war, death and doom. Pathetic imitations of vulture calls have been used in popular cinema to signal the entry of villains, possibly to convey the impression that “now the vultures shall feed.” Little do we realise that these birds face a fragile future, driven as they … Continue reading Raptor Friday: Long Billed / Indian Vulture.
Hidden Pleasures THE GOAN JUNGLE BOOK BY NIRMAL KULKARNI HERPACTIVE PUBLICATIONS INR 300 This book could have used the services of an editor and inept printing has muddied many photographs. That said, it warmed my heart to read it. These illustrated essays on Goa’s wildlife, though by no means styled after Peter Matthiessen or even Madhaviah Krishnan, are the spoils of a gallant indie effort. At the very least, the book might inspire tourists to more than ogle and tank up. Despite hundreds of square kilometres of seashore, rainforest and undulating coastal plain, Goa has received scant attention for its … Continue reading Book Review: The Goan Jungle Book
Photo: Sandeep Somasekharan See all Wordless Wednesdays The Green Ogre – Birds, Wildlife, Ecology and Nature notes from India. Continue reading Wordless Wednesday: Damsel drunk on daylight