My Tryst with Nature

Hello, I am Bubo. I am two years old.   I have been called by many names, but I simply loved it, when I was christened Indian Eagle Owl .   A good dose of patriotism courses through my veins too. You see!!!                    A countless lore, myths and superstitions surround my family and me. We are perhaps the only birds that have captured the imagination of the humans throughout the centuries. Probably for all the wrong reasons, I wonder!!   Either we send a creepy shudder through the spine or make people open their eyes wide in wonder and marvel at our beauty and elegance.          We live in a very beautiful rocky ravine. Our residence is made of many stone boulders on which we can lazily perch. A leisurely gurgling stream runs through our ravine and creates a mystic ambience. Gently sloping hills and a thick green forest complete my enchanting habitat. Many of our relatives live in grasslands, semi arid deserts and some even have learnt to live near human habitation.

       White-naped Tit (Parus nuchalis) is a rare catch one would envisage to sight on the trip to Kutch.  As for as I was concerned, it was a 'do or die' situation. This was one of the rarities, without which I was not willing to go back. Fortunately, we were based in the village of Motivirani, adjoining the town of Nakhatrana in Kutch. Many sightings in Gujarat have come from this specific area. This is because, this bird is a dweller of a very singular and typical habitat. The typical terrain is a dense, scrub like vegetation and consists primarily of small, thorny trees. Main species are, Acacia catechu and Acacia nilotica,  that shed their leaves seasonally. These trees typically do not exceed 10 metres in height.           A typical thorny habitat              Endemic to the India subcontinent,the White-naped Tit occurs in two distinct and small populations. One in the northwest areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan and other in the eastern ghats in the  Karnataka,

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.                                                                            - Robert Frost Greater Hoopoe Lark ( Alaemon alaudipes) is one of the most coveted species for any serious birder. It is the phantom of the desert and can prove to be a very tough customer to even sight. Leading birders have had to make multiple visits to bag this beauty.  This bird is found in extreme desert environments, and is capable of surviving in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius.  The Greater Hoopoe Lark is well adapted for its preferred desert conditions, and does not need to drink water to survive . During periods of intense heat, this species takes shelter in the burrows in the desert floor , in order to remain cool and prevent water loss .  The population of the Greater Hoopoe Lark is of four   subspecies , each of which differs slightly in size and colour, and   Alaemon alau