Weekend Reflections

Welcome to the first Weekend Reflections post of 2011! This photo was taken in Singapore by my husband when he visited in September.
To see more posts visit James at http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Skywatch Friday

For today's Skywatch I'm posting pictures sent to me by my friend, Smita. All these pictures were taken in the mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh (on the way to the town of Tawang). With the fog and the clouds you can barely see the mountain top here. With altitude ranging from 10,000 to 13,000" the views are spectacular!

One often comes across herds of yak. This solitary yak is silhouetted against a cloudy sky!

Only in the mountains you'll come across a sight like this! So beautiful and so peaceful.

My thanks to the Skywatch team for hosting this hugely popular meme. For the best skyshots around the world, go to http://skyley.blogspot.com/

The Common Grass Yellow

The Common Grass Yellow butterfly/Eurema hecabe simulata feeding on the penta and the mums in my yard. This is a medium-sized butterfly that flies close to the ground. Its wingspan is about 40mm. It belongs to the family Pieridae.

This year I couldn't take very many shots of butterflies so it's a pleasure to be able to click any kind that stops by for a sip of nectar! Here is an Irish blessing that I found online...words that I would wish for all my blog friends and visitors...always!

May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun

And find your shoulder to light on,

To bring you luck, happiness and riches

Today, tomorrow and beyond.

Red-vented Bulbul

Some time ago I had posted pictures (in my other blog) of bulbuls perched on a clump of sunflower plants. Here's one of the shots again with the barely noticeable birds...this was taken in July in Delhi. Ginny of Let Your Light Shine asked me whether I could post clearer pictures some other time. Well, I was lucky! The other day I spotted the red-vented bulbul on my neighbour's terrace. These aren't the best shots but so much better than the ones I had taken in Delhi on my cell phone.

The red-vented bulbul/Pycnonotus cafer is a member of the passerine birds. It is resident breeder in tropical southern Asia, from Pakistan to south-west China. It has been introduced and has established itself in the wild in many Pacific islands including Fiji, Somoa, Tonga, and Hawaii.It has also established itself in parts of Dubai,the United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand.

The size of the bulbul is about 20-22 cms. The crest and the crimson patch at the root of its tail gives the bird a distinctive appearance. This is a bird of dry scrub, open forest, plains, and cultivated lands. Bulbuls feed on berries, nectar, insects, and occasionally geckos. In the Pacific islands and in New Zealand they are considered pests because they damage crops. They are also known to disperse the seeds of invasive plants such as lantana camara and miconia calvescens.

Weekend Reflections

I am joining Weekend Reflections hosted by James @http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com
This meme runs Friday at 11am EST through 11pm Sunday.

A scene from summer. From a journey back home during the rainy season when the rice fields were green and the flooding caused by the rains reflected a brooding sky. The green interspersed with the reflected blue/white of the sky was as far as the eye could see. Looking back, I'm glad I captured this image from a (slow) moving car. When you cross the city's outskirts in summer, this is the scene that you see...rice fields and dragonflies in their hundreds!!

Christmas Eve Skywatch Friday

Although we don't get to see this kind of scene around here, the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh in the foothills of the Himalayas has these spectacular sights. This was taken by my friend, Smita Agarwal, in October this year on her way to Tawang The snow-capped mountains speak of distance and the wire speaks of human habitation,
To see more Skywatch photos from around the world, please click here.

I wish all my blogger friends and visitors A Merry Christmas and a wonderful year ahead! 

The Oriental Magpie-Robin

 A bird that is commonly seen around our gardens and neighbourhoods is this one---the oriental magpie-robin/Copsychus saularis.. It's a small bird, a little bigger than a sparrow. The male as you can see from the picture is darker. Both male and female have a white-fringed tail.

 The female is more of grey than black. I love to hear the melodious call of these birds. They feed on the insects in my garden and I often see them on the ground foraging amidst the fallen leaves. Although these birds have attempted to build their nest on one of my trees, the crows never let them. But I'm glad to see them everyday seeking food, if not shelter, in my garden. All the photos in this post have been taken on my mango tree and its surroundings.
The magpie-robin is the national bird of Bangladesh where it is known as the Doyel. It is a widely used symbol there, appearing on currency notes and a landmark in the city of Dhaka is known as Doyel Chatwar meaning Doyel Square.

In order to see birds it is necessary to become part of the silence.~ Robert Lynd