Graphic Reflections

One raisin, that I could have dropped out of a box of dry fruits without noticing, turned out to be a mountain of food when it was presented to a typically hardworking group of red ants who decided to explore my kitchen. An incision was made on top of the raisin and morsels were eaten and taken away with great care and at ant’s pace

These photographs were taken a couple of years ago in the city of Jaipur (Rajasthan) India. The one on left shows a wall from the historic walled city (also known as the Pink City). The one on the right shows a conglomerate rock located inside a city park. One major difference between these two is that the wall is less than 300 years old whereas the rock is estimated to be about 1600 million years old (yes!). Many (man-made) walls and structures in the Jaipur walled city are in a state of decay, some have crumbled, yet the rocks in the nearby Aravalli hills look as good as new! Isn’t nature’s ability to ‘maintain’ itself amazing?

This graphic shows the area in which a kitten born in our house lived for a couple of months, before consuming a dead rat and dying. In her brief life, this was her ‘world’, the only world she saw or knew.

Come October and a great many indistinct trees in the plains of India seem to come alive with sounds. Warblers arrive from the hills and countries up north to set trees abuzz with their constant, muffled calls. One of the most common warbler to visit the plains of India in winters is the Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca, the call of which has been portrayed in this animated graphic. Lesser Whitethroat continuously moves and hops around the tree it visits, it also utters its call almost non-stop. (Sorry, this animation is a bit heavy, 524 kb)

This graphic attempts to reveal ‘highways’ used by two animals: Squirrel (yellow), Cat (Orange) and one bird: Pigeon (Blue), as observed from a terrace in Jaipur. So busy and lively these animals and birds keep our surroundings, isn’t that wonderful?

Come April and this Bougainvillea covered tree in our house in Jaipur becomes a host to some very special visitors. Rosy Starlings (Sturnus roseus)—birds that winter in India and go back to Eastern Europe in summers to breed—pass through north and north west India on their way back. A few birds stop by at this tree every year, entertain us with their constant ‘chatter’ and charm us with their beauty. So for a few days in a year, this tree takes on the role of a Transit Lounge! Photographs of Rosy Starlings can be seen at the Oriental Bird Club Image Database