Flame in the sky

Flame of the sky: Earlier this year, my absolute disdain for birdwatching was pulled down several notches on a trip to Dandeli. While the musical call of the whistling thrush had a lot to do with it, THIS is the bird I fell in love with.
The Brahminy Kite. While I was soft on raptors even before, when other birds bored me to death, this one truly shines. Shades of brown, combined with rust, it appears fiery in the blue skies, against the sunlight… On this trip in Goa, while looking for otters, the unthinkable happened, as my gaze was pulled away and above again and again, following these circling birds… these sporadic flames in the skies.