Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Reading, learning, birding, blogging - I and the Bird #109

I and the Bird is a carnival celebrating the interaction of human and avian, an ongoing exploration of the endless fascination with birdlife all around the world. It is also a biweekly showcase of the best bird writing on the web published on alternating Thursday.

Its my pleasure to host this fortnight's IATB.

IATB I was to host
For which I received many a post.
With virtual wonder I did embark
to mountains, deserts and nature parks.
I share with you now all that I learned
As from one blog to another I turned.

Close to home, on the outskirts of Bangalore
T&S discovered a treasure.
Streaked Weavers they found
And their joys knew no bound.
They clicked away at leisure,
for all our viewing pleasure.


Ashwin, further north, was wandering the deserts of Thar
Looking for Raptors and Agamids near and far.
Falcons and eagles a plenty he did find
Uromastyx hardwickii, they did not mind.


A pair of Black Drongos, Ameen did see
As he drove along Ranthambore in his Gypsy.
They screamed and duelled and rolled about,
Is this war or love? Read and find out!


Over the oceans, to a place called Mull
Where Ian
Saw Dunlins,
Sanderlings and plovers,
Godwits and even an Otter!




Across the Atlantic, GrrlScientist's in NYC,
Birding and educating,
Travelling and teaching.
Check out her mystery bird from South Dakota,
Of which I had no inkling, not even an iota.


Larry is in California
Writing about Athene cunicularia.
This Burrowing Owl
Has him concerned
Can we give homes to these fowls?

Connie in nearby Colorado
Had a sunny interlude with a Junco.
While it bathed in the sun
She had so much fun
That she has written all about it!



Up at the Idaho Bird Observatory,
Rob tells this story.
Hawk trapping -
netting and banding
raptors
attracted to lures.
And then came the Peregrine
In a stoop, dive-bombing,
Roaring,
Putting a jetplane to shame!

The Peregrine was also spied in Arctic bay
By Clare on a snow day.
The latter definitely not craven.


Ravens, though common in the concrete jungles of Mumbai,
Is not among Sunita’s favourites which fly.
She prefers Oriole and Weaver
Bulbul and Flycatcher
And even that thieving parakeet is better!




Amila, these days is making excuses.
The dSLR that he uses
Is attracted to dragonflies and spiders
Butterflies and grasshoppers.
Between Macros and Skywatches
Frogs and such obsessions,
There is no digiscoping,
And acute paucity of birding!


But Nate loves his mudflats, shorebirds and digiscoping.
On the shores of Jordan lake in NC, he was hoping
to sight a Ruff.
But though the going was not tough,
the American Golden Plover was real enough!

Rooster Sunny was not amused
To see a Sharp Shinned Hawk peruse
Summer Foovay’s chicken and hens
Early one morning, out in the pen.

Down in Bukit Tinggi in Malaysia
A cicada of the genus Dundubia,
BESG found, clamped in the bill of a Trogon.
It sucked on the plant sap
and urinated from the back
before ending up as bird food and a goner.

Science on Tap has two book reviews
And here I am giving you a clue.
Alex and Wesley evoke many smiles and tears
The parrot and owl, such lovely creatures.



Duncan went to Peach Flat Phoenix
To see if Latham’s Snipe he could fix.
There was a first sighting of the season,
But to visit, an even better reason
Were the Flame Robins, spectacular in pics.


Jo at J M Oudesluys
Sketches all the birdies
This time its Ovenbirds she spied
And drew, as her they eyed.

At Potter County, the grosbeaks blushed
Chickadees roamed
and the yellow rumped was actually a Cape May Warbler!
And Mike was amply rewarded
as Ruffed Grouse his path crossed,
and a hen allowed him to photograph her!



Felled by disease and diclofenac.
More scavengers we need
And for this I do plead
Lets rehabilitate
Before its too late.

Liza Lee Miller at Egret's Nest
also wishes these scavengers all the best.
So please drop by and see.


And so I round-up my verse
Which I hope was better, not worse!
And see you next time
In a different clime
At Foovay's Cauldron, a blog so diverse!

IATB 110 to be hosted by Summer Foovay at Foovay's Cauldron on October 1st 2009. Come join the celebrations!

{All Photos are from the respective blogs..}

25 comments:

  1. Great post, Ambika. Always enjoy your writings.

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  2. Ambika, neat verse - great hosting, excellent post. Now I want to visit all the sites you've mentioned!

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  3. What a star studded IATB, Ambika!
    Geez, I hope some of them will get Bollywood contracts.

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  4. Oooh, nice!
    'rehabilitate & late' - just loved the rhyme.

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  5. To be feted thus and thus
    by Ambika, makes me happy
    The many posts a reading plus
    Can now read for hours carefree
    Rambling around Madras and setting birds to rhyme
    Makes me envious of her all the time

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  6. Wow Ambika, I didn't realize that you were a poet on top of everything else! Bravo for a wonderful roundup. I enjoyed your verses as much as the actual posts.
    BTW, the grammar policewoman in me winces every time I read "I and the Bird": it should be The Bird and I, don't you think?!

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  7. What an excellent presentation! Great edition! Thanks for all of your hard work putting this together.

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  8. :-)
    Enjoyed the lines, the links & the photographs!

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  9. What a wonderful post, pictures and verse. Rooster Sunny (who is having rain today) will be proud of his mention. Now I'm off for some world birding travel from my desk :D

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  10. Thank you all! It was great fun to do this post, and also delightful to explore all the linked blogs and posts!

    Thank you for the rhyming words, Col Baindur!

    And Kamini, I wonder if "IATB" is to cock a snook at the grammar police?!

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  11. Very well done! You still surprise me with a thing or two after 15 years together!

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  12. That was fantastic... rhymes to lead us down the birding path! Now you've given me the perfect gift. More blogs to devour and relish. Thanks!

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  13. The little rhyme above
    took just a little time
    please visit here..

    http://thebutterflydiaries.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/flowergirl-birds/

    I've had more time to rhyme...

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  14. Excellent edition of IATB Ambika! I love your verse and putting it all together with the photos and links, very artistic.

    Brava! Well done!

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  15. Lots of reading and reference. Good one!

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  16. ambika, i loved your post - the rhyme and the links. certainly among the best blog carnival editions i've come across!

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  17. Thank you all! I've had many a rhyming repartee, in response to this post, which I should share here:

    Vijay wrote:
    Eliot, Wordsworth, et al
    Just felt a wee bit small
    For to make birds sound poetic
    Needs tune, and a quaint trick.

    Chitra responded:
    Have you heard this one of Ambika,
    a keen naturalist and blogga (blogger)
    of birds and the bees
    and butterflies and trees,
    and birders from here to America!

    Arati -
    the trees are jealous of the attention given to the birds -
    "be they on our branches or within poetic words;
    we are fascinating too", they cry, *a little green behind the ears*
    and attach this link to show off their day in verse.
    http://ringsofsilverpv.blogspot.com/2009/08/tropical-tree-tales.html

    (Do check out that link - its a wonderful tree poem)

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  18. I am truly amazed
    In fact still dazed,
    At all the rhyming
    and terrific timing,
    Such hidden and latent talents
    among the city's naturalists!

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  19. Anonymous's comment is the best!

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  20. Dear Miss blooming Ambi Kach
    Take a minute or two
    If its not too much
    there is an award waiting for you

    at

    http://thebutterflydiaries.wordpress.com/2009/09/26/superior-scribbler-awards/

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  21. I know I took more than a minute
    Its actually been a couple of days
    But time, I just couldn't find it
    To thank with a proper turn of phrase!
    What with navaratri kolus,
    sundal and payasam
    My rhyming I was to lose
    and my blog was so lonesome!!

    Har, har...

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  22. The "I and the bird" carnival seems to have gone off pretty well. Congratulations.

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  23. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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