Sahyadrica

Cicindela sexguttata , photographed in early spring at Medway Creek, 2010 Patience is virtue, but if there is an insect that knows how to test your patience, it has to be a Tiger Beetle. Belonging to the order Coleoptera, family Carabidae , subfamily Cicindelinae (all Tiger Beetles belong to Carabidae, but not all Carabidae beetles are commonly called Tiger Beetles; they were previously considered to be under a distinct family Cicindelidae), these beetles are commonly referred to as Tiger Beetles for a very good reason. We all know that tigers are carnivores, earning the rightful throne of being on top of the food pyramid in their prime habitats. Their hunting tactics involve ambushing, stalking, chasing and surprising the prey, making them efficient – if not supreme – predators of the Indian subcontinent. Likewise, Tiger Beetles are known to use all these tactics while hunting for food. Only difference between the mammalian tiger and an insect tiger is their apparent size, but if w...

Grus canadensis , Sandhill Cranes on the lake “I’m not sure if this is related to the [study of] environment …” said a colleague with a shrug. I was talking about the project I assisted for in the past two months. According to him, studying Sandhill Crane study is not a part of environmental studies, or I may simply say wildlife study is not related to environmental studies. So what is environmental studies – is it sitting in the labs measuring the amount of Carbon dioxide in the air, or the amount of heavy metals in the water, or environmental policies and laws that we study in our class? I never had to answer this question. Because I never separated these aspects of environmental studies from nature. A talk with the colleague revealed a great wisdom of academic knowledge, but he failed to impress me with his words I repeated above. I think, and I hope I am wrong, that he forgot what environmental studies is for – it is not for the sake of the pollutant we discover in air or water,...

Looking over the Inner Bay, Long Point There are places on Earth where over thousand birds stage during migration and where birders and other experts flock to cherish this grand congregation, one of such places is Long Point. Situated in Lake Erie, Long Point Sand spit was created over the last 4,000 years due to the high shoreline availability of glacial till, strong winds, variations in climate, hydrological cycle and seiches. These forces continue to shape Long Point, the largest sandy peninsula (or Sand spit) on the Great Lakes. Long Point’s Inner and Outer Bays and their associated marshes are one of the most biologically important areas – not only for resident birds but for migratory waterfowls of North America as well. This is because Long Point falls under the Atlantic flyway of migrating birds, providing them stopovers for feeding. One can easily guess why thousands of birds decide to stop at Long Point Bay – it is diverse in its floral and faunal diversity – from various...