Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Love is in the air !

In Mumbai, the winter chill is on its way out but the summer heat has yet to show up. Perfect!
Every hue is brighter now, every scent more fragrant. Just what is it about this season that makes every creature fall that little bit more in love with life?

Everywhere I look I see twosomes busy building nests or just hanging out, like these two. I found these dragonflies hanging from a Dendrobium orchid flower spike . Or were they holding it up?

Others like this Common Crow butterfly seem to have have got in the mood too. What else would explain this perfect heart, the universal symbol of love?

These Pariah Kites that I had posted about a few months ago, have gone through one full cycle together. They built their nest on a coconut tree in my garden, hatched their egg, and now Junior has flown from the nest. They are still together, though. I see them gliding across the sky in a silky-smooth waltz and hear their skeee r-r-r-r calls piercing the distance as they loop the sky in tandem.

Do bees fall in love? If they do, then I think I know what this photo would be showing. A cocktail before a dance, maybe ? And then taking the long way home .

Obviously a full moon sets the mood for romance and a couple of crows can cosy up under its silver glow.

If Love is truly a many splendoured thing, I wonder whether this Handmaiden Moth could be a poster girl for it? She definitely has mastered the many-splendoured part of it !

24 comments:

  1. That's bloging real late...Sunita... love the snaps ... yes, there definitely is something mysterious and magical... love is surely heavier in the air.......... hmmmmmmmmm....

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  2. What a perfect heart Sunita. I think you are right-love is in the air.

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  3. The last photo of the Handmaiden moth is lovely! That would be a lovely moth to see in the garden! Your photos are delightful and indeed love is in the air! gail

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  4. Sunita .. these pictures are so colourful and amazing .. I can't get over that heart shaped moth !
    And the bees having a drink of water .. you have a wonderful touch with the camera : )
    That is the way I feel about Autumn here .. the heat of the summer has lifted and all of the colours from our trees shine : )
    Wonderful post !!

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  5. Such nice photos, love the Kites!
    I use to do pen & ink of birds of
    prey, they are so cool...

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  6. While it might be bright and sunny and a bit warmer here today, spring is definitely going to be a while longer coming.
    Lucky you Sunita, to have signs of spring! Your photos of the birds and the bees are living proof :) Nature is a wonderful gift.
    Enjoy the gentle weather!

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  7. Hi Sunita, This post keeps me riveted. The pictures are splendid, may I ask how you do this? Fantastic love story, illustrated with the best bits and pieces. Just great, Sunita!

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  8. LOL! Rajee, thats the story of my life ... always a bit late ;D
    Sorry to get all serious but this post came up after I saw the farce that many so-called social activists are playing out. Attacking young girls and courting couples on the grounds that dating is a western notion and love has no place in Indian culture. Really?! .... in the land of Krishna, Khajuraho, Kamasutra and the Taj Mahal ?!
    So I just wanted a post that pointed out that there's no India vs. the West about love or togetherness. Its universal and natural.
    Okay, enough ranting for the day but I'm still boiling about this issue.

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  9. Tina, I have posted that photo earlier in my November Lullaby post but I just had to re-post it here. Its so perfect here.

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  10. Gail, the Handmaiden moth (I wonder how that name came about?) is such an explosion of colour, isnt it? You're right, it really draws the eye when its flying about the garden.

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  11. Oh yes, Joy... I can imagine how those gorgeous colours of autumn can lift your spirits!
    I found that butterfly perched at the tip of a heliconia leaf and fanning its wings just that little bit which made it look like a heart. Great sight! :)

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  12. Cathy, I love those sketches that are up on your blog. Very powerful!

    Kerri, there isnt a true winter here in Mumbai. Just a slightly chillier version of the normal. I suppose our winter must be like your spring? And no, I'm not saying that to make you jealous ;)I hope Springs hurries up and comes faster to your garden this year.

    Thank you so much, Trudi. I can always count on you to encourage me :)
    How is it done? By carrying a camera with me whenever I go out into the garden and the rest just throws itself together :D

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  13. It's the sign of the coming spring! Great photos of the romantic couples, Sunita!

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  14. Sunita, that was a very engaging post. You sure know how to photograph couples, and you sure have a way with words!

    I enjoyed this post thoroughly!

    Sharon

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  15. There is indeed something magic during sping time each year. I guess the spring in Mumbai is rather different from the "spring" here, though... Nice photos! :-)

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  16. Perfect series of photos for this romantic season, Sunita!

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  17. Chandramouli, like all romantic couples they were totally oblivious of my intrusion so photographing them was easy. Hope there were no celebrities among them ... now I've become one of the papparazzi!

    Thanks, Sharon!Hey, I went over to your blog and loved it! Really! I'm not just saying that because you said you liked mine ;D

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  18. You bet they're different, Andre! I'm sure Spring is much more dramatic where you live.
    Here in India we have a whole lot of festivals celebrating the onset of spring but frankly , in Mumbai apart from being just that bit warmer, its not so different from our winter.

    Thanks, Kim. How'd you like the dragonflies? I put them in just for you ;D

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  19. My prize goes to the ordinary couple under the full moon. How did you manage to make those birds look so glamorously in love! Wonderful

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  20. The credit should go to the season, Raji. I didnt do anything except play paparazzi.

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  21. The dragonflies are darling! They look like they came out of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'!

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  22. perfect really fabulous mind blowing todays love era just like love in the air, keep going

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  23. Gardenia, I'm so sorry didnt respond to your comment for so long. I think I must've been in one of my read-and-run phases. Sorry!
    The dragonflies look so whimsical, dont they? You've got the perfect idea ... Midsummer Night's Dream to their wingtips! I can easily picture Puck peeping out at them from behind the foliage :D

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  24. Thanks, Aleem. Glad you liked this post.

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