Wildflower Wednesdays: Clusters of Color

Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the clustered rhodiola. It isn't the standard wildflower: hasn't got a visible pollen center, not strictly defined petals. It survives all year round, favoring rock crevices, where it can grow easily, but flowers from June till August. This one was spotted at Tarsar Pass, overlooking the beautiful blue Tarsar…

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Red

It has been raining in Singapore lately. Not, of course, as much as Chennai - but enough that the patch of grass outside our home is filled with a different fungi each day, and that we can set our clock to the 3:00 monsoon. These red pinwheel fungi are one of the results of the…

Of Paintings and Project Noah

Some of you may recall my recent post of a lilac-breasted roller we spotted in Kenya. If you don't, refresh your memory. This bird was at the top of my to-see list in Kenya, not despite and in fact because it was so common there. Satisfaction guaranteed. (I also had a second, non-official list, which…

Buzzing Time

This gigantic bee was spotted at an altitude of above 3,000 meters in the Himalayas. The largest social bee in the world, Apis laboriosa, is found in - fittingly - the largest mountain range in the world. While the species above is not Apis, it is, however, a telling reminder to not forget that which…

Plumbeous Pride

Plumbeous Redstarts are the other species of the two I found on the banks of the Tirthan River. While initially they appear to be a dull black, in proper lighting their glistening slate blue coat is revealed. Though I usually found them perched precariously on a rock dangerously close to the rushing river, this one…

Crimson

These beautiful dragonflies are often seen at the edges of pools and man-made water bodies.