The resilience of birds never ceases to amaze me.
All around us, in the face of “development”, I see so many birds which manage to adapt to urban life, and live amongst us. The crow, the kite, the myna, the pigeon… these are the common examples, as are cattle egrets and pond herons. But yesterday, at the busiest of places… the Silk Board junction, I saw these beautiful Red-rumped Swallows flying and perching on the wires!
Long may our urban birds last!
"Will you walk into my parlour?" Said the spider to the fly. "I've spread a carpet of silk and diamonds! Walk in, and don't be shy! Do come along, for I grow thinner... I've LOVE to have you, ahem, for dinner!" Jokes apart, Funnel Web Spiders also called Wolf Spiders, are named because of the funnel-like web they weave...and the second name is given because they are ferocious predators. They build a flat sheet of nonsticky web with a funnel-shaped retreat to one side or occasionally in the middle, depending on the situation and species. The typical hunting mode is…
It was like a rare alignment of the planets: several factors come together to pull me out of my usual Ranga Shankara ambit for watching a play. I had not been to visit Bangalore International Centre, which opened a while ago in Domlur; Bangalore Little Theatre, as part of their "VP 80" festival, was staging "Credit Titles"; the play, written by Vijay Padaki, whose 80th birthday the festival marks, was based on a story by Vinod Vyasulu, an eminent economist whom I've known for a long time, as our daughters share a cose friendship dating from 1988. And last but…
Felt nice to read this report. Barbets are in good numbers in Bengaluru and also I have spotted yellow orioles a couple of times at a park near st.Johns hospital. I see a couple of little birds almost everyday in a bush in our apartment, I think they are honeysuckers. Also I have spotted the Kestrel quite a few times in our apartment.
Thanks, Naushad. However, we do not have Honeysuckers in Bangalore, you might be seeing Sunbirds. Also, a Kestrel is an extremely rare occurrence within the city limits, as it is an open-country raptor…are you sure it might not be a Shikra, which is much more common? If you have, indeed, seen Kestrels, it should be reported to the birding community.