Of tigers, crows and handmaidens

Tigers are frolicking all over my garden these days. Tiger butterflies, that is.
The hotter days and blooming trees in Mumbai have something to do with that I think. Everywhere I look there are trees in bloom and an attendant cloud of butterflies and other nectar-loving insects dancing around them. They act almost besotted with the heady summer fragrance. Can't blame them!

This gorgeous Blue Tiger butterfly refused to leave the lantana bush alone. I usually have to chase and stalk them all over the garden to get a half-way decent photo, but here they were, cosying up to the lantana blooms mindless of who else was around.

Could this be the reason why?

The Common Crows are making their presence felt too. But then, they are rarely shy and don't mind intrusive bloggerazzi following them around.

This tiny little butterfly hides one of the most brilliant blues I've ever seen within its wings. At rest, no one would give them a second glance but like the other butterflies of the Lycaenid or Blues family, their flight is punctuated by brilliant flashes of the most vibrant blue from the upper part of their wing which is usually folded and hidden away.
Almost like butterfly Morse code!

Another Tiger, the Striped Tiger butterfly, loves the banana grove. I love its tiger-y colours and I can see where it got its name, can't you? What a contrast in their personalities though!
Isn't it amazing how much it resembles the Monarch butterfly?

I found this Striped Tiger hanging around the cashew tree which is in full bloom now. I've always considered the cashew flowers no great shakes in the looks department but the butterflies are mad about them. True butterfly magnets!

The cashew blooms also attracted this stunning Handmaiden Moth which has to be the most impossibly colourful creature I've ever seen.

Don't believe me? Take a look at her close up. And keep in mind that the camera couldn't capture the deep jewel reds and blues which look a bit faded here. This is one creature that makes you gasp in awe. And makes me thank my lucky stars that I have them around in my garden.

So were these butterflies the prototype for some of the most beautiful flowers? Or is it the other way around?

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 !