nature

Dr. S. Subrahmanya ("Subbu"), one of the very experienced naturalists/ornithologists of Bangalore, writes:Over the recent years, I have been campaigning for planting bird-friendly plants in gardens. In the process, based on my own observations, I have developed the concept of a 'Sunbird Corner' that can be adopted in sizable home gardens and public parks.This Sunbird Corner is developed on the concept that nectar available to sunbirds is in short supply and that habitually, individual sunbirds or pairs defend known sources of nectar yielding plants. Towards this, sunbirds tend to become territorial and ward-off any unwelcome `thieves'. Thus you can spend…

Have you ever wondered how important colours are, in the world of Nature, around us?Colour is often a way of attracting attention; for these flowers, it is their bright colours that attract bees which will pollinate them, and propagate their species. Colourful flowers. Pic: Deepa Mohan For animals and birds, too, colour is a way of saying, “Here I am!” Nothing depicts colour better than the prismatic plumage of the peacock, flaunting his wonderful tail: The peahen, presumably, chooses the most colourful peacock to be with. Peacock with tail. Pic: Deepa Mohan  Sometimes, colour helps the creature hide instead of…

  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 (Bhavita, Kannan and I...the smallest group I've gone on, in a long time!) were returning from Nandi Hills when the sight of this Chameleon brought us to a screeching halt.What a beauty! Luckily, it had not been flattened by traffic on the other side of the road, and was already on our side. It goose-stepped, or should I say, chameleon-stepped, into the grass verge. Watch this video, the progress of the reptile is funny, to say the least!  Here it is, closer to the grass verge:It then climbed on to a rock:And disappeared into the shelter of the leaves and…

One of the lizards that we often see around is the Peninsular Rock Agama...and around this time, as the male takes on its breeding colours, it can be a beautiful thing to see.Here's one specimen, which was perched, totally immobile, atop a cut-down tree-trunk on Bannerghatta Road:As it spotted some insect, the reptile was off in an incredible flash of speed, on to the ground below:The scientific name for this lizard is Psammophilus dorsalis. Tje female's camouflage is so good that she often cannot be spotted on the rocks! click here for the Wiki on this lovely creature, that eats…

When we set about hunting for a house, our seven-year old declared very matter-of-factly that we should ensure at least one balcony that would offer a view of a forest with the sky above. He had been into Tarzan and Mowgli and had also gone for an overnight camp in the city outskirts near a small forest. For him it was ‘cool’ to dwell just next to a jungle. The denser it was, the more the thrill. I was of course not alarmed with this condition he laid down. As far as his imagination stretched, an orchard over half an…

A childhood's memories Of looking and waiting For something exciting From the grove of coconut trees A busy woodpecker An agile tree climber Two young boys Who made little noise If we missed these We simply counted the trees What rekindled these memories Was Visthar's coconut trees! Situated in an eco-friendly campus in Dodda Gubbi off the Hennur Road in east Bangalore, Visthar is a treasure trove of nature's bounty that drives one to reflect inwards while celebrating life. A veritable hub of socio-cultural and environmental consciousness this organization turned twenty one recently. Famous for hosting annual festivals and events that…

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…

There is no "I" in team work. I love this quote and these two flowers growing in tandem and multiplying their beauty seemed to signify just that. This photograph was taken at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. A guest post by LUBNA KABLY.