भेट

This time some watercolor effect. Its subtle, see photo in full screen mode. Matching theme poem was written 

by me some 5 years back. :-)

Read my more poems here.


By Paresh Kale

Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore)

A very easy for ID butterfly. As name suggests, wings are 'tawny' colored with black spots on it. Another characteristics is lazy flight, bit of like sailing - fluttering combination. Lot many specimens can be seen around its host plant passiflora sp. Host plant is a climber, flowers throughout the year. Tawny coster lays eggs in large batches, typically between 20 to 100. Caterpillar is tawny-reddish color, and has spines allover the body. Appearance is similar to pansy caterpillars. I brought one batch for observation consisted of 50+ eggs. Here are some observations:

Photographing Odissi Performances

Photographing Odissi Performances

Just few days before I had brought new lens Nikkor 105 IF-ED macro lens. Luckily for me a mail came about Leena Mohanty going to perform Odissi as a part of a conference FIRE-2011 organised at IIT Bombay. I thought the dance program is good opportunity to test the lens, specially at aperture full open (f 2.8).

Butterfly Life Activities : in a nutshell (part 2)

Butterfly Life Activities : in a nutshell (part 2)

White Orange tip Male on Kalanchoe

Food collection: Most of the time, a butterfly is imagined nectoring a flower. This is obvious as most of butterflies do the same. Flower is widespread food source for them. More importantly it is available in the same season when butterfly breeds : pre and post monsoon season. Common flowers like Lantena, siam weeds, amaranth, snakeweed, turnsole are favorites for them. 

Butterfly Life Activities : in a nutshell (part 1)

Butterfly Life Activities : in a nutshell (part 1)

This Sanskrit quote says "As a man determines, so he becomes". But for a caterpillar I think there is no choice but to become a butterfly of a certain specie. Their life cycle has remained unchanged for thousands of generations. Serving and adding beauty to the nature silently - for generations. Here I am consolidating some important stages/activities of a butterfly life. 

Mating: Primary natural task of any living species is reproduction to sustain. Butterflies are not different and one adult finds other suitable adult to mate. My observation says, the mating period is afternoon and late afternoon in a day. Sure shot chance of mating can be caught where the population of a particular species is higher. This place could be near to food plant. There are incidences reported when individuals from two different species seen mating.

Mating pair of Gram Blue