birding

Zafar Futehally, who passed away on 11 August, 2013, was known for the deep interest, knowledge and passion he brought to the fields of bird-watching and conservation. He was 93. Zafar Saheb, as he was affectionately referred to, was born in 1920 in Mumbai. He was a student of Economics. At the age of 22, he joined his uncle and cousin to run a machinery company. His wife Laeeq is a niece of the incomparable ‘Birdman of India,’ Salim Ali. Zafar and Laeeq had two daughters, Zahida (Zai) and Shama, both of whom became writers. Zafar was soon initiated into…

I got introduced to Rohan Chakravarty some time ago, when he moved from Nagpur to Bangalore. He was also with us in this year's Bangalore Bird Race (an involved debate about some waterfowl made their tally about 50 species less than ours, though we were mostly going around together!)I don't know him very well yet. We've met for a couple of cartoon exhibitions, and I asked him to contribute a cartoon for the write-up I did for the Bird Race website In person, he comes across as rather quiet, and I suspect this is because I do not know him…

Another visit... I went to Lalbagh on Friday evening, because a friend wanted to try out the 300mm prime lens. I've not often been to Lalbagh in the evening, and was freshly amazed at what one can see and observe, in spite of many more people being there than in the morning. Apart from the sights and sounds....were the smells, that cannot be replicated, at the present state of technology. The air was redolent of the scent of the entire lane of Sampige (Champa, Shenbagam)...Michelia champaca, belonging to the Magnolia family, says the scientific mind...but my mind was thinking of how the…

  Here are some of the common butterflies that one can see around us, right now. One of the good places I look for them is the Reserve Forest in the MICO Arikere Layout; but quite often, I find these beauties in the gardens nearby, too!SNOW FLATLEMON PANSYCOMMON ROSEBARONETBARONET closed wingCOMMON CASTORTAWNY COSTERPALMFLYCOMMON PIERROTPLUM JUDY:CRIMSON ROSE mating:And, just to wind up, a beautiful beetle, too.JEWEL BUGI keep looking around me as I walk in the residential lanes of our city....these lovely creatures provide spots of colour and beauty to my day. ⊕

 We generally dress in our oldest, dull-coloured clothes to go on nature trails, because many creatures are sensitive to bright colours, and vanish as soon they see such colours moving around. In Nature, blending in with one's surroundings is often the key to survival...what stands out is often what's eaten, and also what could be dangerous.But there are creatures who manage to blend beautifully into their surroundings, and yet remain very colourful!The PRAYING MANTIS that we found on Saturday at the Valley School was a prime example:It was quite tough to see the Mantis at first, but we all soon…

  We got out of the train after a birdwatching trip to Dandeli, and as we were lugging our bags out, I looked up into the Eucalyptus tree in the City Station parking lot...and ....there were CHESTNUT-TAILED STARLINGS in the tree! (Click on the name for the Wiki entry.)Chestnut-tailed Starlings are local migrants and I usually enjoy seeing them feasting on the Silk-cotton flowers on that gigantic tree in Lalbagh.But who expected to see them at City Station? Not me!I promptly pulled out my MLC (Mary's Lamb Camera...my Canon SX10) and took two quick shots. Now that is a very satisfactory…

The horticulture department is planning a foodcourt at Nandi Hills. The proposed location is part of the habitat of Nilgiri Wood Pigeon. The plan is likely to have impact on this I do feel that Government can use the present buildings at Nandi Hills, some of which lie unused and abandoned. I request each of you to email the concerned people and voice your concern. I received an email from Subbu, an avid bird-watcher of Bangalore. This should come as a shocker to all those who love watching birds at Nandi Hills. The proposed food court on top of Nandi…