brown headed barbet .... got lucky to spot a nest ..

Barbet nests are the most unconventional ones . So much so that even if you spot one of those you can't be sure it is a barbet nest unless you see a live bird sitting on it ... or sitting on the threshold . At least this nest has a threshold kinda thing . I spotted a barbet during my morning walk and as i was following the bird i noticed him/her hopping over to another tree and the next hop took him to a hole in the trunk . Now i wanted a picture , the bird hastily flew away and perched himself over a telephone wire nearby .

I examined the nest while the birdie sat here...looking at me with the corner of his eyes...

Another one comes to the drumstick tree in my garden . Probably picks up worms, i don't think barbets eat flowers or pollen or nectar ....but hey now i know they eat small fruits... 

Their movements are very swift , not like pigeons . Pigeons are clumsy and make sloppy sounds when they take off or set their feet somewhere....Barbets are swift and quick....

See how this one is calling out loud to someone ...or they make this gesture to sense something ... as i see them opening the beak wide and pointing upwards ... the call is not very loud and no other bird seems to come after that.... as with bulbuls you see the other one coming as soon as one sends a call...

Calling again....or just opening up his sensors ?

I have mostly seen the barbets alone . Even around the nest i didn't notice any family though do not stay there for long...studying their behavior and knowing more about them is so intriguing . The more you get to know the more you want to know...

A family of Babblers was teaching a young chick flying in the evening today and it was pure joy watching them . The kido looked like a lazy dumb who wouldn't listen to the parents . He got himself perched on the Ashwagandha plant in my backyard and that is when i thought of clicking some pictures . Will share some pictures but i am worried about the kido now after about 6 hours of this sighting . The chick is still sitting on the same branch of the Ashwagandha plant and is not moving , looks like sleeping but i am worried about some cats or dogs coming and attacking him . I know what i am going to do first thing in the morning ... Will keep you posted...

Thursday challenge...no words this time ...just a cute picture..

                          Thursday challenge
                                                  for fun and learning

                        HAPPY (Celebrations, Parties, Gifts, Enjoyment,...)

oriental white eye ... the little one you can easily miss...

Some of the birds have superb sense of camouflage ... they choose such trees where they find similar colored leaves , if their own feathers are yellowish green they will choose a branch where some of the leaves are senescent and that's how they blend with the background ...see that if you can spot her...

A bunch of these oriental white eyes comes in the morning when i water my plants . They are tempted to take a shower and keep jumping under the fine mist ...or under the leaves where the water is still trickling down . I can't take a picture at that time as my hands are occupied , more than that i want to enjoy that time with them ...

There is time to click pictures when i keep aside the hose and they climb up the Jamun tree to 'dress up' after the bath...

Bending this side or that side , picking the beak here n there ....preening and coiffing her pretty dress...

And then checking if everything is alright...

And she is aware of someone looking at her , as she knows who gave her the shower...looking at me in between ...

Then pretending to be busy...

looking for the other one..

Coiffing her pretty dress some more...straightening out everything...

Vibrating and fanning the tail to get dry...

The checking out the woman below the tree...

What do you think eh...

Will i keep sitting here and posing for you ? let me dry my wings too...

One last shot ...happy ?

Oh yes ... i am contended seeing them having a bath only ...these pictures were a bonus . I have seen them playing on the Jamun tree in the afternoons . They make a circular hopping on the branches , twitting quickly and sharply all the while , shifting their place taking short hops. That is a very happy sounding playful game , may be a mating ritual , the sound makes me so happy and i often watch them from distance , not disturbing them . They are so small in size that the pictures are never clear whenever  they are more than 3 meters away ... this one was sitting on a lower branch for my convenience ... this was about 2 weeks ago...

Another one came closer today , hopped around the rose pot and gave me enough time to click some more pictures...can you spot her here...

 And here...

More clear...


How cute is that...

She picked up some worms i guess from the soil..

 Looked out for more..

had her fill..

 In a relaxed mood...

Any closer and she would fly away ...she is so small its hard to locate her once she makes an exit ... how cute is the bird !! I am amazed at her speed and her size she is just the size of a butterfly when you spot her like this...

soft .... and dangerous...

                                             Thursday challenge
                                     "SOFT" (Pillows, Toys, Snow, Baby, Focus,...)
Nature provides some kind of protection to all the soft creatures....I spotted one such baby today....soft and dangerous...

Take a closer look ...how her belly looks soft ... it is a very poisonous bee like insect which makes a hive looking like a mud hive .... these are very common around my place as there are many plants and trees ...i have funny experiences with these insects...

I used to be very courageous and pick them up by hands whenever they came anywhere near Mithi ..... I was terrified that they might sting her and used to shoo them off any which way possible.... i got very close to this one today too ... and was taken unaware when she just sprinted towards my face  :)

You know what i was doing ?
I tried to shoo her off by a very indigenous method... blowing by my mouth ...phoonk maar ke ...:)


Now another softy gone dangerous...potted this time....

Armed for the possible dangers....
Both of these creatures...and both of these are looking just beautiful...aren't they ?

a green pigeon visited us...

He finds the upper canopy comfortable , and is not as daring as the common rock pigeons . And he comes alone most of the times and flies off as soon as the other one comes ....probably they don't trust our locality. But the good thing is , they are coming more often and may find our place more pleasant ...

See how they choose the perfect camouflage...can you see the birdie...

I spotted this one when i noticed a movement up my head while i was showering my plants in the morning . A huge green bird was perched on a jamun branch and was fanning his/her tail . That was strange , the slow fanning movement that is... and I asked Arvind to come with the camera ...hush hush moments...

 He clicked a few pictures while the green pigeon shifted his position and had stopped fanning his tail by then ....that gesture must a mating thing as another green pigeon flew in soon . The tail side looks fluffed up here ...i am such a shameless woman ... exposing a bird's modesty :)

Look at this ...a better view...Also how they clasp the claw to perch...

Now the green pigeon shifts a bit , noticing the both of us shameless fellows...

The fanning tail is withdrawn and he is looking for someone....

The other one comes too , they look restless and fly away.... can't stand two stupid shameless people around them ... here is the other one...

Aren't they cute ... much like a dove . The face looks like a dove , and very innocent ...Look at this one ...perched on a neem branch ......

another shot...

another...i know the pictures are noisy but i am so excited to see them and show them off here too...

This one didn't get a nice camouflage , or did consciously so...

Looking around...

The green pigeon looked for another branch to hop over and flew off....

 This one i spotted while watering my plants too , such a nice good morning moment . These pictures of the green pigeon perched on the neem tree are shot today and it was really a nice good morning for the both of us...

Wishing you all a good day too...

can you see me there.....?

                                           Thursday challenge 
                                                      for fun and learning
                     "REFLECTIONS" (Mirrors, Windows, Water, Sunglasses,...)
Can you see me on the beach ...the billowing surging waves seem so far and i stand this side of it .. this side of the endless universe

Does the universe has sides ?
It does when you see across a frame...or your perspective...

And now ...can you see me beyond that concrete jungle ?

Taking pictures of paintings is not a good idea , but i believe it is like an appreciation to the artist . In this case i do not know the artist , the signature was not clear and these picture were a part of an office decor ... there is a sign of "no mobile phones" too..could you see that ?

There was no sign of "no camera "...and i took advantage of that...:)

Some people would be able to recognize my kurta too , in the reflection :)

what are you doing during the Earth hour....

Switching your lights off for an hour may look like a difficult task in the modern life . But just think about it being therapeutic for you , not just for the planet...
Here are some ideas how you can make this hour fun for you...

1..Go for a rejuvenating walk , do not worry about the traffic and late hours pollution if you live in a metro city , go to walk in a park or chose your own home for walking . you can do some serious walking within the four walls of your home with music playing on...

2..Bring some nice candles and keep them in front of a mirror for a beautiful late evening . Some good music for the soul , a nice drink or snack and this can be a daily routine for you if you like it....imagine celebrating Earth hour everyday...( the drink needs not be alcoholic everyday )...

3..What about a game of antyakshari ...this is what we used to do during power cuts in our childhood days. Do it now if you haven't done it yet . Low phone call rates allow you to play antyakshari over the phone or go to twitter and play antyakshari ...what an idea !!!

4..A candle lit dinner if you feel like , this one can be a daily routine too ...extending the Earth hour in your life...everyday...

5..Take a nap if you are exhausted and start with a meditation or Yog Nidra if you can...going early to bed has been a forgotten habit and may be you can try this for one day...catching up on your lost sleep..

Watching some nuclear power plants going on a rampage must have shaken you too....so act today and think about the planet .... it is a living body ...a system on work .... and can react to something overburdening it...

the world of sci fi stories....Once Upon A Blue Moon...

 I have read very few science fiction , the most i liked was by Amitav Ghosh , The Calcutta Chromosome . This book is my all time favorite when it comes to sci fi literature .

Going by those standards i am not an easy person to be impressed by something in the same genre ....The book i am talking about here is not the same genre per se...almost an educative science fiction , disguised in a throbbing mantle of a social story .... reading the preface prepared me for this book...

You know you are going in for a treat when you learn that this woman has been spinning stories right from her childhood . Spinning stories with the warp and weft of science . Each story introduces you with a new scientific fact and the characters introduce you all about scientific facts , the way you would never forget them... Good way to learn some basic science , especially when it comes to young impressionable minds.

So this book is called Once Upon A Blue Moon by Sukanya dutta. I knew Sukanya is a terrific writer as i read her blog posts on the NISCAIR blog and have also read some of her articles about popular science. But these stories were a real packet of surprise . I never imagined she has such a strong insight into characters , such keen observation of the life around us as she depicts very intelligently...a magical conception of sequences and characters and very realistic stories woven around them......

Can you imagine an insect eater plant could turn into a man eater ? Read her story 'Full Circle'...

'When the tide turns' is a story about all the albinos of the world working together to take on the world when ordinary human beings will become an 'outdated species'  ...

Another story named 'Borrowed Death' is about how a heartless tycoon arranges a liver transplant for him and invites his own death...

I found 'The Technology Transfer' very intriguing ...as the robots are being more like humans while humans are going on to be almost like robots....

There are 12 stories in this collection and all of them are as captivating ...i am already reading her other book called Beyond The Blue and those stories are as lively as this collection...

The stories come like a dream to you , She takes you to a new world with each of the story ...the backbone of the story is science but not hard hitting science to sound academic...actually almost a chimeric realisation of scientific facts ...you have to read them to believe...go on grab a copy ...the publisher is the National Book Trust and price only Rs 70 ....

the verdant nature....

                                              Thursday challenge

                                  "GREEN" (Plants, Cloths, Cars, Toys, Houses,...)
The theme is green and all i can think is the viridity spilled by nature all around me...There are so many green pictures of my plants that i am in a fix ..

I chose the pictures where i have shot the apex of the plant , the parts which inspire me the most . This is the part of the plant which decides growth , the part where the cells not only divide and multiply in numbers , but they differentiate to make the leaves , the flowers and many more parts of the plant...varying in form and color...

See these Poinsettia crown of leaves ...surrounding the tiny petal less flowers...
Red hot or a hot green ?

 And this is a holy basil inflorescence .... krishna tulsi ...the leaves are purple green and the tiny flowers are beautiful purple....a delicate tall inflorescence .....

Now comes the sweet basil...white flowers making a tall and sturdy inflorescence ...

And here comes the Thai basil ... a deep purple compact inflorescence ...

So many colors provided by the verdant nature ...... the greens taking on such beautiful colors ...as if accommodating for the new challenges .Green pigments of the plants actually do synthesize new pigments of other colors so that they can trap all the colors of light...fascinating ...isn't it ?

Look at this rose bud ...coming up to face the world...the leaves are spattered with dust after a dust storm ...so what if the time of the birth is not right for our little rose princess......it has to come and change the world...

And change the world it does...

 Green is the master healer as far as the color is concerned , the green pigment is a starting point of the food chain ....the most powerful .
A silent power.
And see how it gives way to other colors 
Why does the green mango turns a golden yellow after a while ... because it has to take on a new role ... a new duty ...