The smallest bird, the Bee Hummingbird!

Earlier I had wondered and boasted about the presence of a tiniest bird in my garden. But it was not a bird and it turned out to be a moth. Now we see here the real smallest living bird found in this world. It is the Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae). Its size is only 5cm. It is just like an insect. It can hover on a spot as a helicopter does in midair.

Sweetish sour wonder in Tamarind tree!

Nowadays, whenever I look at a particular tree species my mouth waters - the past experience with tasting of its fruits influences me like this! But in my childhood days I used to look at these trees with fear - as the elders had told stories about ghosts that hang upside down on them! This tree is nothing but our Tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica, 'Pulia maram' in Tamil). Though it is native to Africa it is found in many countries from Asia to America. Here in Tamil Nadu, India, it is found as avenue trees and all along the state roadways.

Day and night cycles on Earth

We live on Earth depending mostly on daylight. After sunset we stop our main activities, take rest and go to sleep at night. This refreshes, repairs or rejuvenates us for the next day activities. These daily activities prolong our life on Earth. How these day and night are formed in a day's time?

Being alert about Honey Bee!

At my younger age, as a honey bee came near me with its buzzing sound, I withdrew back my head and shoulders fearing its stinging. But I haven't been stung by any of its species - when I remained calm without extending arm to push it away. Bees are always busy with their allotted work and ignore us unless irritated. Then my peer group alerted that when a bee stings, it leaves its stinger on the victim's skin and it dies next; to abate the harm done by this stinging one should apply slaked lime on the spot. Are these true? Yes, I find it to be true for the Honey Bee ('Theanee' in Tamil, Apis mellifera); but not for other species!

Breeding-tie in dogs

Frequently we see dogs move in groups, as they too are social as we are. But sometimes, especially during the monsoon season, when dogs are seen standing as a pair they are shouted at and driven away. We do not like their such pairing on the streets and dislike it. But anxious people have a quick look at them and turn their heads away. These dogs after their pairing or mating cannot separate themselves from each other. Most of the people move away pitying on them, but also with a puzzling question in their mind's corner, 'Poor things, why they cannot separate themselves now?'

Liquid metal - the element Mercury!

When I was a school student, I applied a drop of (metal) mercury on the (metal) lead found on the joint of a divider instrument of my geometry box. A greyish white material resembling holy ash kept on coming out from it like in a magic show; even when I wiped it off it continued its coming out! This is the Amalgam that is formed by such dissolving of Lead element (Pb) in Mercury element (Hg).

The tiniest muscle, Stapedius, protects hearing!

In one of my earlier blog posts I had intimated about the smallest bone in our body. Now we shall see here which one is the smallest skeletal muscle. There are two of it, one in each of our two middle ears. It is the Stapedius muscle. Its length is 1.27 mm only!

Living on the tree; a bird? No, Indian Tree Frog!

Every year I receive a leaping visitor. It alerts us about its visit by scaring us with its repeated landing-on-sounds! This brownish yellow animal is found often in moist bathroom buckets or clinging on to one of ceiling corners. On seeing me approach, it jumps, climbs on slippery walls and falls down; hastens to hide itself by cuddling in a corner. This visitor is our Tree Frog (Common Indian Tree Frog, Chunam Tree Frog, Polypedates maculatus).

Peeping into the fame of Great Hornbill!

In my childhood, I saw only sparrow, crow or mynah. Then whenever I visited a zoo, I wondered much on seeing much larger birds, naturally. One among those larger birds is our Great Hornbill (Great Indian Hornbill, 'Periya iruvayen' in Tamil, Buceros bicornis). It has a massive curved beak like elephants have their trunks.