One interesting thing that I found out about Bangalore was its population of Kites. I haven't seen so many kites in any big city! In fact, It's quite common to find a great big ashen-hued kite - with those telescopic eyes, the hooked beak and wind-ruffled feathers - perched proudly on some rooftop - just meters away from where you are standing!

I've always been a big admirer of large carnivorous birds - eagles, hawks, falcons, vultures, kites (I am casting crows out of this list because although they constitute a separate study in their own right, they are more common). I thought about it, and the only likely reason seemed to me to be the height above sea level, and proximity of mountains. Although that sounds lame, it was my best guess in the absence of any credible information. ... And I still don't know the true cause.

Now around two days back I saw another bird near Domlur. It was dusty-brown colored. But the upper body part - from the join of the wings to the tip of the beak - was white. The light was fading so I may be somewhat off about the color, but I did take a good look at it. It was circling a mound of garbage which a dog was jealously guarding. It was small sized, a little larger than a crow, but smaller than a full-grown balck-kite. I was in an auto so got only a window glimpse of around twenty seconds. The area was a crowded neighborhood, a newly developed busy and hustling community. I was surprised to see a bird of that type so near to such an urban area. That meant there was a richer bird-life in the nearby mountains and unpopulated areas!

I think this might be reason that so many people take to bird-watching while in Bangalore!

... :)

There is a guy, where I work, who is an ardent bird-watcher. In fact, he invited me to join his community (real one, not an online community). But I haven't been able to motivate myself to take a visit to their biweekly community rendezvous.

But now I am thinking that if I get to stay in Bangalore longer, then I'll take up on this offer. After all, I have realized, that the only thing till now, that makes Bangalore really unique, is the variety of birds that I've seen here!