Wildlife

Organising a plant/tree/insects walk in the Arekere Reserve Forest was as interesting as taking a group for a birding or wildlife trail... In fact, it was more so, indeed, because a very knowledgeable and enthusisastic group came all the way from R T Nagar! It was a walk where all of us pitched in with what we knew.. and it wasn't even a walk, it was a slow inching forward, looking around and down, instead of the "up" of a birding trail. The Forest Department (the blue/green boards are theirs) has gone to town with the slogans, nailing them to…

Caterpillars are creepy? Each time I saw a worm or a caterpillar wriggling, I would let out a shriek that would stun people around me. They sniggered when they found the reason. Times change and I now adore caterpillars. I got into the company of some ardent butterfly watchers, who did not mind lying on slushy ground or walking miles together in pursuit of butterflies. With them, I started to learn fascinating facts about butterflies. Butterflies exhibit mimicry, they migrate, plan amazing strategies to avoid predators; the list goes on. One life time is not enough to learn about them. To understand butterflies better, one has to…

Pic: Bharath Rajshekhar I have been told time and again that the cow is holy, and I have believed it until I was witness to this... a shocker, the most disturbing incident. I had been to Chickpet to buy some electrical appliances and was sitting in the shop waiting for my things to be packed. Suddenly, a big cow appeared in front of the shop. The emptiness in its eyes gave me the impression that its stomach might be empty too. I proposed to the shopkeeper that we offer her something to eat, maybe some bananas. I was taken aback when he…

When we observe water birds, we find that they have many different varieties of fishing for food, and here's one of the most interesting. The birds in my photographs are Painted Storks, beautiful birds which you will see in almost all large lakes of Bangalore. I took these photos at Kaikondrahalli Lake, on November 23rd, 2014. Here's a Stork, standing in the water, getting ready to look for its breakfast. The eye is already cast down in concentration. As the birds look for fish under the water, they raise one wing and hold it just above their head level. This…

Email to the bngbirds egroup: It was very pleasant to be able to go to Kaikondrahalli Kere after a long time and find that, apart from the dumping and levelling going on down one side of it, the lake is generally still well-maintained. An ambling walk of a couple of hours was very productive from the birding point of view, and we watched the nesting behaviour of the Great Cormorants, and the fishing by almost all of the waterfowl. Several juvenile Brahminy Kites, swooping at the surface of the water now and then, provided the raptor touch. The flock of…

If you find an injured wild animal or bird, or even a domesticated pet such as a cat or dog: 1. Keep the creature as comfortable as possible, in an area lined with paper to facilitate cleaning. 2. Call People for Animals on 9900025370 or 9980339880, Landline - 080 28611986 / 28612767 / 22733350.  3. In south Bangalore, you can take it to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC). You can visit their webiste here: http://www.wrrcbangalore.org.  With some wild creatures though, especially bird nestlings which have been thrown out of their nests, heartless as it may sound, nature's law of selection may be at work,…

One evening I heard a buzzing sound near my glass door overlooking the garden. I did not pay much attention as I did not expect anything unusual. After a while I noticed two bees in my living room. One of them was lying on its back and was desperately trying to come back to its normal position. It took some time and started flying all around the house. I was scared of its sting—it took me a lot of courage to not swat it with a newspaper. After a long bee hunt, it was finally set free outside. These bees had started to build its…

Bannerghatta Biological Park is happy to announce the addition of three new species of animals into its inventory that is kept for the public display. These animals have been received from Nandankanan Biological Park, Bhubaneswar in exchange for two pairs of lions from Bannerghatta Biological Park on November 5th 2014, through the Animal Exchange Program which was approved by the Central Zoo Authority, New Delhi. Four Horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) Three (One male, two females) The four-horned antelope or Chousingha, is a species of small antelope found in the open forest in India and Nepal. The most distinctive feature of…

I was sitting in the balcony and gazing at a copper pod tree on a Sunday afternoon. A tailor bird was busy collecting nesting material. Some butterflies fluttered around  looking for nectar. The resident squirrel came by to nibble a few grains from my balcony. The squirrel kept a watch on me, each time I moved, it went and hid itself behind the pots. Though these are routine sightings, they keep me entertained and refresh me when I need a break from the countless chores at home. Yes, I do get pleasant surprises too when something very different happens in…

Dr M B Krishna writes:   The birthday of Dr Joseph George who started the group birdwatching activities in Bangalore falls on the first of October. It is now over two years since his demise. So it was thought to have a memorial talk for theoccasion. Since Dr George did so much to show that non full time professionals too could be contributing to our knowledge of birds, it was thought Shyamal would be the best person to give the talk for the day. Especially so since Shyamal's recent visits to the museums in London and Tring have given him new perspectives and hearing bits and…