Pediatrician and a Forensic Expert. A passionate PHP geek. Currently CTO, SANIsoft. Also a photographer, bird watcher, nature lover and a FOSS enthusiast.
The Indian Roller (Coracias benghalensis), also called the Blue Jay in former times is a member of the roller family of birds. They are found mainly in the Indian Subcontinent, but also in a wider arc stretching from Iraq to Thailand and are best known for the aerobatic displays of the male during the breeding season. They are very commonly seen perched along roadside trees and wires and are commonly seen in open grassland and scrub forest habitats. It is not migratory, but undertakes some seasonal movements. Several states in India have chosen it as their symbol.
A recent assessment for IUCN reports 3000-3500 of these animals live scattered over several areas in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The lion-tailed macaque ranks among the rarest and most threatened primates. Their range has become increasingly isolated and fragmented by the spread of agriculture and tea, coffee, teak and cinchona, construction of water reservoirs for irrigation and power generation, and human settlements to support such activities. They don’t live, feed or travel through plantations. Destruction of their habitat and the fact that they avoid human proximity, has led to the drastic decrease of their population.
Most twitchers would go gaga if they spot this bird, the reason being that Ruddy-breasted Crake (Porzana fusca) is a extremely shy and secretive bird. You are lucky if you manage to get a shot. It is a dream come true if one decides to walk in the open for you 🙂
Exactly 10 years ago I wrote my first rather inane journal entry on Live Journal. Seems a very long time ago from one perspective and then not. It is interesting to look at your past 10 years on a single page. The most visually striking thing is perhaps my travails as a photographer from the early days of my first 1 megapixel camera till now. However that is not what I remember the early days for…. I still miss the kind of interaction and discussion which we had on the Live Journal friends page – a Facebook wall just does not cut it but then the rise of social media definitely killed off journaling.
Now I don’t think I can call these writings a journal – it is more of a blog, more of a photoblog, aggregating reactions from people on my pictures, mostly a one way conversation.
The best take away from my journal has been the friends I have made over the years almost all of them I have now met personally. There are friends who I have still not met after 10 years like the Sunshin3girl, in reply to her meme I had written this – A peadiatrician and a forensic expert, how did you become a PHP geek almost 6 years ago. She recently became a mother and both I and Swati were so over joyed that we told the news to each other at the same time… We will meet her some time – YES.
Then there are a few who do not want to be in touch… no reasons I guess people just move on!
The love story of our (mine and Swati) life before the journal days has been interwoven in bits and pieces in the early year writings – putting that in proper timeline with the gaps filled in is a task that needs to be done. I want Aasim to know as much details as possible, right now he thinks he does not need it or does not have the time…
This male Lion despite having gorged himself full came back and shooed away the Lioness as soon we approached. As if just to reiterate who the king is….
