Kieran's Art

  Shrikes, often called “butcher birds,” are small predatory songbirds known for their efficient albeit brutal hunting techniques.  Here’s how they do it: Perch and Scan – Shrikes typically hunt from an elevated perch, scanning the ground for insects, small birds, lizards, rodents, and even amphibians. Ambush Attack – Once they spot prey, they swoop down swiftly, using their sharp, hooked beak to grab and subdue the victim. Biting and Shaking – They often aim for the neck or head, delivering powerful bites to immobilize their prey. Some species target the spine to paralyze their victim. Impaling Prey – Shrikes lack the strong talons of raptors, so they compensate by using a gruesome but effective method: they impale their prey on thorns, barbed wire, or sharp twigs. Storage for Later – By leaving prey impaled, shrikes create a “larder” that they return to later for feeding. This also helps them tear apart larger prey more easily. Poison Removal – Some species, like the Loggerh...

  Dragonflies (order Odonata, suborder Anisoptera) have existed for over 300 million years, even before dinosaurs Dragonflies have independent wing control, meaning they can move their front and back wings separately for precise and agile flight. this enables them to hover, fly backwards, sideways, and even upside down! Dragonflies are expert hunters that catch and eat mosquitoes, flies, and other small insects on the wing, making them natural pest controllers They are among the fastest flying insects, reaching speeds of 35 mph (56 km/h). They spend most of their life as aquatic nymphs (larvae) in water, sometimes for years.  As nymphs, they are fierce underwater predators, eating tadpoles, small fish, and insects.  They undergo incomplete metamorphosis (no pupal stage), emerging directly as flying adults. Dragonflies have nearly 360-degree vision due to their large compound eyes, which have up to 30,000 tiny lenses (ommatidia). They can detect movement faster than human...

  The blue whale ( Balaenoptera musculus ) is the largest animal to have ever lived on Earth. Their length ranges between 70–100 feet (21–30 meters), with females generally larger than males. Can reach up to 200 tons (181,000 kg)—about the weight of 33 elephants, and would never survive without the buoyancy of sea water A blue whale's heart weighs around 400 pounds (180 kg) and is the largest heart of any living creature, the heartbeat can be detected from over 2 miles (3.2 km) away. Despite its massive size, the blue whale feeds primarily on tiny krill. It has baleen plates instead of teeth, allowing it to filter up to 4 tons of krill per day. These gentle giants, that can live between 80 and 90 years, are also the loudest living creatures that produce low-frequency sounds that travel hundreds of miles underwater. Their calls can reach up to 188 decibels, louder than a jet engine (140 dB). Their skin appears blue underwater but is a mottled grayish-blue with unique patterns that h...

  Chickoos (Manilkara zapota aka sapodillas) are widely grown in Dahanu, Maharashtra, India because the region has a warm coastal climate and sandy loam soil, making it ideal for their cultivation. The flesh of the chickoo is sweet, malty, and slightly grainy in texture. It has a caramel-like flavour with hints of brown sugar, pear, and honey. When fully ripe, the fruit is soft, and juicy, and melts in the mouth, making it a delicious tropical treat!  Gholvad Chickoos, from Gholvad, a town near Dahanu, has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, meaning they are recognised for their unique sweetness and quality due to the calcium-rich soil in the area. Growing up in Poona, we had 2 old chickoo trees from Dahanu that were planted in the 1950s by my father 

  As their name suggests, morning glory flowers open with the sunrise in the early morning and close by midday or afternoon.  This happens due to changes in light and temperature, a phenomenon known as nyctinasty . Nyctinastic movements are regulated by changes in turgor pressure (water pressure within plant cells) in specialized structures called pulvini (swollen cells at the base of leaves or flower stalks). Morning glory creepers (Ipomoea species) produce stunning, trumpet-like flowers in colors such as purple, blue, pink, red, and white. Some species, like Ipomoea tricolor and Ipomoea purpurea, display a striking color gradient or star-like patterns in the center Morning glories attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, making them beneficial for pollinators - so for a lark, I painted a random blue butterfly on the stalk.

  This was my first attempt at soft feathery paint strokes and I was quite pleased with the results.

  This is very nostalgic for me ... my very first watercolor painting that set me off on a mission. Many birch species, such as the paper birch (Betula papyrifera), have pale, almost white bark. This light coloration helps reflect sunlight, reducing heat absorption in colder climates and preventing damage from rapid temperature changes. Birch bark often peels in thin, papery layers. This peeling characteristic helps the tree shed parasites, fungi, and epiphytes that might otherwise grow on its surface. Birch bark contains betulin, a compound that gives it a bright, silvery-white appearance and also makes it highly resistant to decay. This compound has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which help protect the tree from disease. I used logs of a birch tree to create a whimsical Woodhenge in my backyard.