Nature Blog Network

Let me tell you a story.  A couple hundred million years ago there was this continental plate that decided to strike off from its home attached to Africa and head off across the sea.  For several millennia it crossed the ocean wondering if would ever find a home.  Then, a mere 30 million years ago, our little plate that could crashed headlong into Asia, a collision we’re still trying to determine fault for (someone has to pay for that Himalayan damage, after all), spilling it’s own African species and mixing them all up with the native Asian families into a ecological stew.

The result of that epic wreck, the Indian subcontinent consisting of the nations of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and the island of Sri Lanka, is home to an assortment of incredible natural wonders found nowhere else on earth. Fortunately for us, the Nature Blog Network has attracted a handful of excellent bloggers reporting on the region’s riches.

Get your passports in order, we’re heading overseas.

- What is India without tigers, huh?  The species most associated with the country is discussed at length at Tiger Safari.  Conservation issues, tiger hotspots, and of course, gratuitous photos, can all be found here.

- One man.  One camera. One blog.  See what cool things vrajesh finds at My Handycam.  A hint, usually it’s cool pictures of Indian wildlife and scenic landscapes, but I don’t want to spoil it.

- Delson Roche keeps his blog, Friendly Animals, undated regularly with photos of, well, friendly animals.  Original photos of Indian birds, reptiles and mammals await.  Good stuff.

- There certainly appears to be some fine photography on display among Indian bloggers, but add to that some first class nature writing and you get a blog like ashbirder’s A birdwatcher’s diary.  It’s a diary of a hardcore birder the likes of which many of us elsewhere in the world may recognize a bit too well.

- If you’re like me, you never get tired of looking at photos of wildlife from far flung locales.  The appropriately named Pictures of Birds may help you scratch that itch.

- Situated just off the southeast tip of India, a teardrop in the Indian Ocean lies Sri Lanka.  A nation that refuses to be outdone by it’s bigger neighbor’s nature blogging.  Per capita, Sri Lanka boasts a pair of excellent bird blogs, this first of which is, appropriately, Sri Lanka Birds.

- And last, but certainly not least, the blog that for my rupee, is the best nature blog on the subcontinent. Amila’s Gallicissa not only looks at the wildlife of Sri Lanka through the eyes of a professional guide and fine photographer, but he plays a mean game of Scrabble.

- A post deadline addition, Tom from Bird Snapping is originally from India, and gets back there regularly.  On his blog you can find some subcontinenetal stunners along with the regular British avifauna.

So here’s a not too overwhelming menu for you to enjoy. And should you decide to check any of these blogs out, enjoy them you shall.

Namasté and till next time!

photo from wikipedia