Klishmaklaver

The Purple Sunbird , Cinnyris asiaticus , is a very small old world passerine bird that feeds mainly on nectar. Less than 10cm long the most prominent feature of this bird is its down-curve bill with brush-tipped tubular tongue.The species is distributed widely from the Persian Gulf through South Asia and into Southeast Asia. They are resident birds in most parts of India distributed over the east of the desert region and south of the Himalayas.  The Indian Grey Hornbill ( Ocyceros birostris ) is a common hornbill found on the Indian subcontinent , one of the few hornbill species found within urban areas in many cities where they are able to make use of large avenue trees. About 24 inches long, the call is a squealing call. Mostly spotted in pairs, their flight is heavy and gliding. The Great Tit ( Parus major ) a passerine bird of the Tit family, is a widespread species of temperate Europe & Asia. The great Tit does not usually migrate.14cms in size this bird has a variet...

Unity in Diversity,  Is today's concern. Varied though in cultures and tradition, We all belong to one great Nation. We love each other And together  we pray, May we Indians stay together, Forever, This way! Happy Republic Day!

Learnt about 55 Fiction just a few days ago. Theres really so much out there that I'm oblivious about..And I considered myself one of the well-read people walking this earth. Hah!  So here goes my first attempt at penning one! Please bear with me friends... It was a rare sighting in the concrete metropolis like Mumbai. Ram’s pregnant wife had screamed “ Look!”. Atop their car was a huge, handsome Golden furred Baboon. “ It has left a half-eaten banana behind.” “Bajrang Bali ki Jai!”, said Ram and picked it up with reverence.  Next day a healthy son was born!

Only these 2 can give me precise info about the birds I’ve recently spotted through my camera lens, Dr. Ajay Pradhan & Wikipedia.  And this is what I’ve learnt the second time around… The Greater Coucal or the Crow Pheasant ( Centropus sinensis ) is a non-parasitic member of the cuckoo order,  the Cuculiformes. It is a widespread resident in India . The Coucal or the Crow Pheasant is colloquially referred to as the Bharadwaj bird or Kumbhar kaola in Marathi.  There are mainly too varieties- The Greater & the Lesser, informs Dr. Ajay  and what I’ve clicked here is the Greater Coucal. It is considered lucky to have spotted one! With a purplish black body and rust coloured wings it is a large bird at 48 cm. The play of sunlight on its wings when in flight makes it appear golden! An extremely handsome bird it is. This pair is the Eurasian Golden Oriole (Oriolus Oriolus). As the name clearly suggests, these birds are found in Europe and Asia except for t...

It was a misty and cloudy morning today. And this is what I saw.. Its really an overwhelming feeling to behold this phenomenon- The Sun & The Moon co-existing in the same picture frame..So close-by..standing side by side! Not such a great pic' I agree! But you get what I mean?!!!

Here the eyes not care for another soul. The heart's plea has none to heed. Fingers touch, They do not feel! On friendship's name , Company indeed. You think with your heart? You are insane. Why burden yourself with another heart's pain? Live your life and enjoy it! The thinking brain overtakes the heart. Emotions & feelings left far behind. The going gets tough in this concrete world.... Love hath lost its way mankind!

Introducing Amitabh Bachchan say the credits. Indeed writer & Director R.Balki meticulously plans every angle of his movie like the great Ad-man that he is! Paa is a very rare Father-Son Son-Father story says Balki weaving the same tongue-in-cheek wise cracks into his script like the previous success 'Chini Kum'. Its truly entertaining to see how he used humour to have all of us fall for the little Auro. No strain of the movie harping on the boy's illness and yet making it a gripping tale! Kudos... Progeria is that rare genetic condition wherein aging is accelrated and manifests at a very early age. Those born with this condition typically live only upto 13 years of age.Full justice ha sbeen done to the character of Auro by none other than Bollywoods undeniable Badshah Amitabh Bachchan. No one must have imagined how age could have been used to the advantage while playing the role of a 10 year old! The role was so well-played to the hilt that one almost forgets that it...

I was suggested by my feature editor to do a story on migratory birds in Pune this winter. Being completely ignorant about our avian friends I owned up and almost immediately declined. The story was taken up by a more knowledgeable pen later but I was left thinking! How could I have missed out? I came home to peek out my terrace only to be even more bewildered by the blind eye Id turned towards the beauty around. The garden facing my flat, rich in flora & foliage was also being visited by a whole lot of interesting feathered friends. My friend, the ever-obliging Dr. Ajay Pradhan who’s an avid bird-watcher also came to my rescue and helped me recognize the birds by their names. He started updating me on the basics of bird-watching, “ Just watch them patiently and carefully and you’ll see there’s so much to learn he says!” So this is what I saw ….   The adult Ashy Drongo (Corvidae Dicrurini)  breeds in central India and also along the Himalayas . “Next time u see this...

As the clouds sailed over the beautiful full face of the moon, we watched with bated breath, awaiting the lunar eclipse. This phenomenon would not occur again untill 2028. The Blue Moon on the evening of 31st Decemeber 2009 seemed to say peek-a-boo to the New Year 2010. And for a few minutes I thought I could see a blue halo around the floating white moon. My silly mistake was that I actually voiced it. Thats when the real info' started pouring out of the knowing brains around me. My well-read hubby cleared the sky of any ambiguities, " The term blue moon does not come from its colour,dear!". He continued, " When there are two full moons in a single month, occurring approx' every 2.7  years, the rare phenomenon is called a blue moon." That's when our other well-informed friend added, "This year's blue moon is even more special because it coincides with a partial lunar eclipse happening on the last day of the International Year of Astronomy....