Most people who have a garden have seen weaver ants. Many hate them — and for good reason. That bite is sharp, sudden, and leaves a burning sensation that stays with you. Anyone who has accidentally brushed against a mango branch with a weaver nest on it knows exactly what I mean. And the nest itself — that too is familiar. Large leaves folded and packed tight, like those old-fashioned leaf parcels from a grocery shop. The kind vendors used to wrap betel leaves or vegetables

The Common Tailorbird that chose my backyard. I didn't go looking for this story. It came and nested right outside my window. For five years now, a pair of Common Tailorbirds has been breeding in my backyard in Palakkad. Same pair or their descendants — I can't say for sure. But every year, without fail, sometime around mid-April, the familiar loud calls start up again. And I know — they are back. It starts with the courtship. Loud, energetic calls from early morning, mostly

I’ve always been drawn to the smaller life around me. Even if I get a few minutes, I end up looking around—on leaves, along stems, just to see what’s happening. Back home, I have a small garden behind the house. Nothing fancy, but there’s always something going on if observed closely. My little garden A few days in a row, I noticed something odd. Some leaves had these neat, curved cuts—almost like someone had used a tiny punch. Then I started seeing the same pattern on nearby

I am visiting Thattekad - Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary in Cochin, Kerala, for the past many years. I like the place, for its abundance & colours in bird life. During my last visit, I wished to see Grey-headed Bulbul, which is one of the highlights of the place, but I missed it. Post-lunch, I was birding in a thicket, searching for Cuckoos. Though I didn't see any cuckoos, I saw an Indian Pitta, flying low. It landed inside a thick bush. Then I noticed, there were two Pittas. I wa

While travelling to Kabini & returning back, we always used to stop at the lake on the way near HD.Kote, which usually have plenty of bird life, like jacanas, coots, ducks, egrets, herons, storks and ibis. Also, sometimes, we could see marsh harriers and kites. This time, while coming back from Kabini, we stopped for some time and were watching for the bird life. We noticed a coot with 2 chicks foraging near the banks in between the grass shoots. It looked like the adult coot

A love story! Bhitarkanika! The story of how did I fall in love with this place. I always loved Kingfishers. During my childhood, a Common Kingfisher fascinated me with its shining blue colours sitting right next to me and that was one of the key reasons that made me fall for wildlife. I always wanted to see different types of Kingfishers in their natural habitat. When I was done with all types of them from southern India, I came to know that Bhitarkanika is the best place to

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Laungwala toad-headed agama (Bufoniceps laungwalaensis) In Thar desert of Rajasthan, when you notice a trail on the dunes like this, then...