Mother Nature issues a wake-up call

Futurity.org – Mother Nature issues a wake-up call

We have been trekking all over St Petersburg these last few days, enjoying the divine weather, sunny skies, chill winds, blue of the Neva river, and the parks, all green with trees putting on their spring fashionwear.

According to a study done at the University of Rochester, this is good for us, energizing us. The article link is for all the doubters and sceptics, who actually didn't know this already!

What is novel about this research, write the authors, is that it carefully tests whether this increased vitality associated with the outdoors is simply the feel-good spillover from physical activity and people-mixing often present in these situations.
To tease out the effects of nature alone, the authors conducted five separate experiments, involving 537 college students in actual and imagined contexts.
In one experiment, participants were led on a 15-minute walk through indoor hallways or along a tree-lined river path. In another, the undergraduates viewed photographic scenes of buildings or landscapes. A third experiment required students to imagine themselves in a variety of situations both active and sedentary, inside and out, and with and without others.
Two final experiments tracked participants’ moods and energy levels throughout the day using diary entries. Over either four days or two weeks, students recorded their exercise, social interactions, time spent outside, and exposure to natural environments, including plants and windows.
Across all methodologies, individuals consistently felt more energetic when they spent time in natural settings or imagined themselves in such situations.
The findings were particularly robust, notes Ryan; being outside in nature for just 20 minutes in a day was enough to significantly boost vitality levels.

(My teenage son came along on these walks, without the crutch of an ipod, with a pleasant expression on his face, and was actually amused at the antics of the gulls, terns and ducks on the river, and the sparrows and fat pigeons in the park. Hmmmm, so maybe there is still hope!!)

Collared Pratincole at Siruthavoor

Pratincoles are birds that live on the ground around water bodies and have a lapwing-like stature.

Skandan reports,

The scorching May month heat was about to put an end to our birding for a month.But our birding instincts forced Sripad and me for a drive to Siruthavoor today.

We were lucky once once again with this sighting of "*Collared Pratincole*". They are not so common here.

Oriental Pratincole & Collared Pratincole look very similar.
Collared ones
1) have Tail tip reaching the tip of the Closed wings at rest.
2) have White trailing edge in the primaries (visible in flight)

Collared Pratincole - Photo by Skandan
Collared Pratincole - Photo by Skandan

Pictorial differences between Oriental Pratincole vs Collared Paratincole.

Butterfly migrations in south india

Butterfly migration latest_kishen_das

View more presentations from kishendas.

Bandhavgarh - Land of Tigers

So we thought we had seen a lot of tigers at Ranthambhore, but here's somebody who has seen plenty too, and lovely photos to boot! Arun spent ten days at the Bandhavgarh sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh has one of the highest tiger densities if I'm not mistaken, and also has a fort atop the hill within the sanctuary. However, the forests are evergreen sal (like Kanha) and not dhok like Ranthambhore.

Enjoy !

BANDHAVGARH - - Land of Tigers - arun - Picasa Web Albums

Plenty of plovers

Madras is a warm and hospitable place. The Lonely Planet does not think much of the city, but its one of those places that creep up on you and becomes home.

It seems to have affected the birds as well. A month ago, the MNS e-group was full of distressed emails about the pittas, which were refusing to leave, and quite tragically, dying for their loyalty. (The pittas need to go back to cool climes you see.)

And now, Skandan and his buddies have been lurking around the Adyar estuary and catching these plovers, that are usually only winter visitors to the city, coming in with the music season and the rustle of silks, and leaving well before the summer, mangoes and cotton!

We are well into summer and they are still here, and in breeding plumage to boot.

Grey plover, in breeding plumage. Sighted in Kelambakkam backwaters. Photo by Skandan

The plovers are medium-sized waders - birds that live along the water's edge, with short necks and kind of stubby bills. The non-breeding grey plover is , well, grey! The striking black chest is to attract the ladies!

Lesser Sand plovers, in the sand! Photo by Skandan

The Lesser Sand Plovers were in the sand thankfully, being faithful to their name. And yes, there are Greater Sand Plovers, which are marginally bigger, with slightly longer legs and a more pointy beak.

Click on the picture above and spot the breeding males -the ones with the black mask around the eyes. The morose ones with brown upper necks are the females.

Find the lone Terek sandpiper, among the lesser sand plovers. Photo by Skandan

Its the one with the looong bill! What's it doing hanging out with the plovers, I wonder? The Terek sandpiper's bill is much longer than the common sandpiper, which is quite common. They are endearing birds to watch, slight bobbing up and down, quick stuttering darts along the ground and complete absorption in finding their food!
Pacific golden plovers. Photo by Skandan

Beautiful birds, both in flight and when they are in repose. The golden colours usually catch the evening sunlight beautifully, in the estuary. The striking white markings are prominent in the breeding males.

White-winged tern - breeding plumage. Sighted at Kelambakkam backwaters. Photo by Skandan

I love to watch tern acrobatics over the water's surface. They swoop and glide, and are constantly calling, and are fun to watch through the binoculars. This tern that Skandan has photographed, has a black head only during breeding, and its non-breeding plumage is just white and kind of dull grey or dirty white for the body!

I find the terns very confusing to distinguish during non-breeding, they all look similar!

Skandan and friends also found a Collared Pratincole at Siruthavur.