Spring is in the air, it is on the ground, and it is showing up on winter deciduous trees.
This cluster shows a still leafless Himalayan Birch (Betula alnoides) full of yellow catkins, the other taller trees are Himalayan Alder (Alnus nepalensis) which have new leaves & leaf buds. The dark evergreen trees are Tree Rhododendron (Rhododendron arboreum).
#trees #nature #spring #Hinalayas #IndiasNature #HimalayaSpeaks #HimalayanBirch #Alder #Rhododendron #Phenology #catkins #biology #ecology
A Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) in the Lesser & Greater Himalayas. Not an easily seen bird but not uncommon in the right habitat or season
The latin Specific name "viscivorus" translates as Mistletoe eater (also the origins of its common english name). I am yet to see it forage on Himalayan mistletoe equivalents.
#birdsofmastodon #birds #nature #himalayaSpeaks #IndiasNature #India #Uttarakhand #birdphotography #WomenInScience #WomenBirders #Rural #GreatBackyardBirdCount
Starting tomorrow is the 4 day Annual Global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). 1000's of birders, worldwide, will go out & bird.
I & people I work with have been participating for many years, this year too some events are planned. Sharing a picture of Kalij Pheasants, & also the promo poster.
#GBBC #ebird #birding #birds #GreatBackyardBirdCount #BirdCountIndia #IndiasNature #Uttarakhand #HimalayaSpeaks #Kalij #LophuraLeucomelanos #Snow #pheasant #ethicalbirding #nature #ethics #ebirdIndia
A Brown Wood owl (Strix leptogrammica) seen in tall trees near Kosi Katarmal, Uttarakhand India.
Bird was in a dark shaded spot in the mid canopy of tall trees. I was quite some distance but it was fully aware of my presence and tracking as i tried to get closer walking through dense undergrowth. One blink and look away this #SuperbOwl vanished.
#BrownWoodOwl #Strix #StrixLeptogrammica #Owl #India #IndiasNature #HimalayaSpeaks #Himalayas #Uttarakhand #Nature #Birds #Nikon #BirdPhotography
It snowed recently in the Himalayas - late & less. A short term sense of relief is palpable, influencer videos will cover up the severe dangers as this article reminds us yet again of how bad the situation is. Across popular media we are seeing a lot of climate change writing. Will policy & political will match the urgent attention required ?
#himalayas #ClimateChange #WinterDrought #ClimateScience #HimachalPradesh #IndiasNature #HimalayaSpeaks #nature #mountains #India
How Himalayas’ snowline -- from Gori Ganga to Everest-- is retreating upslope
Sharing a news article on low snow cover in the Himalaya. The prediction is not just frightening, it is devastating. That some places will have no snow by 2040.
Himalaya literally translates to abobe of snow. From Sanskrit - hima (snow/ frost/cold) & ālaya - (abode/ dwelling/house) (ref wikipedia)
#himalaya #himalayaspeaks #climatechange #snow #research #india #himalbol
Dehradun: From Uttarakhand's river valleys to the slopes below Mount Everest, scientists are recording a steady upward retreat of snowline across larg.
Evening alpenglow on the Panchachuli Peaks. 27th Dec 26 1715 hrs
The light plays with the mountains, every day, every moment, & vice versa also. Here the slanting winter sunlight changes with every moment - the red deepening to eventually fade away. While the sun has already set on the observer, with the peaks in the East . In Hindi / Sanskrit the closest word to this colour or phenomenon is Arunima - copper or red coloured play of light.
For the past month or so, others & I had been birding & naturing (nature watching) every day, & we had been seeing Steppe Eagles (Aquila nepalensis) often (not a rarity in this part of the mountains at this time of the year).
Sharing this moment here, as my first post, reminds me of the thrill of that special moment & in a way also hopefully a thrill start to being here on Mastodon (& the fediverse)
#birds #nature #himalayas #indiasnature #himalayaspeaks #Uttarakhand #winterbirding
Ramnarayan Kalyanaraman