Sandy has been mulling over offering free wallpapers for a while and here’s his first gift to all Green Ogre readers. He made it one step better — these wallpapers double as calendars. Go to the link below and download the first one — for August. Spotbill Ducks (Anas poecilorhyncha) take to the skies. Although the most common of our resident duck species, they are threatened by the loss of wetlands to development and urbanization.  Photo: Sandeep Somasekharan Download this file and make it your desktop calendar Disclaimer: This Green Ogre free download is hosted at File Factory, a third-party … Continue reading Download the Green Ogre August wallpaper

Alaska, Gaia and birds whose presence is dwarfed by their voices — that’s what The Green Ogre was all about this week  It’s the last day of July with the monsoon still in full force over the subcontinent. In the rainforests of Agumbe, the frogs must still be calling, their trails of spawn must have hatched into little tailed tadpoles, and the snakes must be making merry at the abundance of chow. Over in Bangalore, pelicans have joined cormorants and herons in our lakes, feasting on the seasonal glut of fish. And here at The Green Ogre, we’ve been housebound, … Continue reading The Green Ogre Weekend Update July 31

Last week the birds returned to The Green Ogre, though we have been feasting on frogs and snakes after our Agumbe conclave and continued to lick our fingers into the week that was The Golden Frog The Golden Frog (right) poses for an ardent admirer Frogs have inspired fable, poetry and myth. And Sahastra, too. Back at Agumbe, he spent long meditative moments in the august (wasn’t it June?) presence of the Golden Frog. And he came back with a lovely photo-essay on the species. Inspired by Matsuo Bashuo’s immortal frog haiku, he wrote: “They were trusting, accessible and — … Continue reading The Green Ogre Weekend Update July 24

If you’ve missed anything this week, the weekend edition of The Green Ogre should sort you out… I’ve been away on a family vacation most of last week, soaking up the monsoon in south Goa. Rain-washed Goa is refreshing. The Western Ghats slope down in a verdant riot that skids to a stop beside the ocean, buffered only by deserted beaches of soaked, clingy sand. Butterflies, dragonflies and birds were everywhere. Despite a domestic ban on birding, I sneaked sly glances at stork-billed kingfishers, prinias, spotted munias, black drongos and even a crimson sunbird that dropped by the hotel garden to say … Continue reading The Green Ogre Weekend Update July 10

What you missed while you were slaving away at the office If your office blocks the beautiful Internet that lies outside of your work network, and if you’re not too savvy about the whole proxy thing, you’ve probably missed out on an entire week’s worth of The Green Ogre. Fret not, help is at hand. This weekly summary will bring you up to speed. Our amazing Agumbe Diaries have revealed some lovely experiences from the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station, where we held the first Green Ogre Monsoon Conclave in June. Here’s a summary of the week’s best: The Blue-eyed Bush … Continue reading The Green Ogre Weekly Update July 3

Even as male weaverbirds build their love nests, tenants are waiting in the wings for real estate prices to crash Imagine that the lady you are wooing would accept your proposal only if she is impressed with the houses you have built for her. Such is the tale of the weaver bird.  A male baya weaver looks out longingly for the lady who will grace his nest The rains are almost here. Everywhere I have gone in the last three weeks, I have seen weaverbirds busy at work – both Baya Weavers (Ploceus phillippinus) and Streaked Weavers (Ploceus manyar). A male … Continue reading Weaving the love nest

Why are male Eurasian Marsh Harriers so hard to come by in winter? A juvenile, banking in flight With early winter the wetlands of India become the haunt of a chocolate-brown raptor, some individuals showing an odd facial coloration as if affected by leucoderma. This, to the uninitiated, is the Eurasian Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), also known as the Western Marsh Harrier. A closer look at a juvenile I have often seen this bird in wetlands, sailing above the reeds, eyes fixed below, concentrating on the happenings in the reeds. It hovers momentarily above spots where prey is spotted, and … Continue reading Raptor Friday – Eurasian Marsh Harrier