Tuesday, February 15, 2011

The Pond Heron

There are some God's creations which are so normal and ordinary that we do not even notice them or the beauty they add to the awesome Nature. I aim to pay tribute to each of these God's Ordinary creatures; trying in my own way to in a very small way say Thank You to Mother Nature!!

The Pond Heron: The Indian Pond Heron or Paddybird (Ardeola grayii) is a small heron. Breeding in southern Iran and east to India, Burma, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. They are widespread and common but can be easily missed when the stalk prey at the edge of small water-bodies or even when the roost close to human habitations. They are however distinctive when put to flight, the bright white wings flashing in contrast to the cryptic streaked olive and brown colours of the body. The camouflage is so excellent that they will often allow humans to approach very close before taking to flight, and this has resulted in folk names and beliefs that the birds are short-sighted or blind.

They are very common in India, and are usually solitary foragers but numbers of them may sometimes feed in close proximity during the dry seasons when small wetlands have a high concentration of prey. They are semi-colonial breeders. They may also forage at garbage heaps. During dry seasons, they sometimes take to foraging on well watered lawns or even dry grassland. When foraging, they allow close approach and flush only at close range. They sometimes form communal roosts, often in avenue trees over busy urban areas.

Food and feeding

The Indian Pond Heron's feeding habitat is marshy wetlands. They usually feed at the edge of ponds but make extensive use of floating vegetation such as Water hyacinth to access deeper water. They may also on occasion swim on water or fish from the air and land in deeper waters. They have also been observed to fly and capture fishes leaping out of water. Sometimes, they fly low over water to drive frogs and fishes towards the shore before settling along the shoreline.

The primary food of these birds includes crustaceans, aquatic insects, fishes, tadpoles and sometimes leeches (Herpobdelloides sp.). Outside wetlands, these herons feed on insects (including crickets, dragonflies and bees, fish and amphibians.

Dheerey Dheerey Machal ....Lyrics Added.


Think there is nothing much I can add to this beautiful composition by Kaifi Azmi and music composed by Hemant Kumar for the Classic movie Anupama which released in 1966 but to say that it in a way sums of my marriage!!!


Lyrics......

Dheerey dheerey machal aye dil-e-beqaraar

Koi aata hai....

Yoon tarapke na tarpa mujhey baar baar

Koi ataa hai...

Dheerey dheerey machal.....

Uske daaman ki khushboo hawaaon mein hai

Uske qadmon ki ahat fizaaon mein hai

Mujh ko karne de karne de solaa singhaar

Koi ataa hai...

Mujh ko chhoo ney lagi uski parchhaiyaan

Dil ke nazdeek bajjti hain shehnayiaan

Mere sapnon ke aangan mein gaata hai pyaar

Koi ataa hai...

Rooth ke pehle jee bhar sataoongi main

Jab manaayen ge woh, maan jaoongi main

Dil pe rehta hai aissey mein kab ekhtiyaar

Koi ataa hai........

Saturday, February 12, 2011

My Car was invaded by An Alien!

Been working real hard to get back in shape over the past couple of weeks! What am I getting ready for? Dunno!! But the kilos piled on were taking their toll. So there is an hour of badminton every morning at an indoor court nearby which has helped me cut down three kilos in two weeks! Lemme see if I can get some before and after pics... LOL!!

One of the days at the Badminton Court; I came across an Alien.. on my car.. here are the pics..
















The silhouette was just too good to miss. So I clicked away! Below is a clear picture of the subject in question... a type of bug...

Cheers!!!

A Trip to the Land of Mowgli - Pench Tiger Reserve - Masurnala Gate

  Growing up, many of us especially the 80s kids would have at least heard about The Jungle Book! Rudyard Kipling's book about an Indian...