The Jacaranda tree around the corner of the next block fizzed furiously with grape soda petals exploding in a million tiny floral bubbles. It is my favorite tree, and when it decides to bloom, I cannot walk past it without a stupid grin on my face. One day, it is an unobtrusive tree, a lone... Continue Reading →
Rose-ringed parakeets do not know how to make a subtle entrance. On evenings, when the dusty Bangalore sky finally ruptures and oozes cadmium red, shrill squawks rend the air. Crimson-nosed emerald torpedoes on wings scud into view, banking and weaving through trees and buildings at ridiculous speeds and with disdainful dexterity. As they come closer,... Continue Reading →
The Asian Green Bee-eater was perched on the tip of a low-hanging branch of the drumstick tree outside my house. It had warmed itself up sufficiently from the overnight chill and looked to be out to hunt. With quick sallies from the perch and purposeful, acrobatic twists and turns, it returns back to its roost... Continue Reading →
White-cheeked barbets make me truly happy. But first, let us get the visuals right. White-cheeked barbets have a bright green back. Their beaks are thick, sharp, and long, almost like the kingfisher family. Their beaks are orange mixed with pink. A brown head and a brownish chest complete the ensemble. You can spot the white... Continue Reading →
We've had the best bird sightings on Sunday mornings. Today, we saw a flock of rose-ringed parakeets weaving furiously between canopies. These candy-colored fliers are no dandies. They seem to rocket through the leafy lanes with speed, precision, and power. We heard a few white-cheeked barbets before we spotted them hopping around in extra thick... Continue Reading →
The Purple-Rumped sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica), along with the Asian Green Bee-Eater (Merops orientalis), is one of the most colorful birds I encounter at home. When the pomegranate plant that grows on my balcony or the shampoo ginger (pine cone ginger) flowers, these sunbirds arrive early to beat the usual queue. Up close, the Purple-Rumped sunbird... Continue Reading →
I was very worried about the Black Drongo that I saw perched on the telephone line two nights in a row in the same place. The Black Drongo was one of those rare common bird that I could identify from when I was a kid. Its Tamil name, Rettai Vaal Kuruvi, also helps aid recollection... Continue Reading →
For some days now, I have been reading Tim Birkhead's excellent book Birds and Us, A 12,000 Year History, from Cave Art to Conservation. I picked it up in Kinokuniya in Bangkok (at the Central World outlet). Sometime this year, I started taking a fledgling interest in the birds visiting my Bangalore home, chiefly the... Continue Reading →
Travelling with Fabulosity
Author
This is about my trips and adventures.
Tales of humour, whimsy and courgettes
Games, Illustrations and Short Stories
The Reluctant Book Worm 
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