Sunday 26 October 2008

Blogoversary

Odontocista - the toothed Lathrecista
Today marks my first blogoversary. I am quite happy that I lasted a year in the blogsphere! I’d like to take this opportunity to say a Big Thank You to all my dear readers and commenters who have been a big force behind this blog through its short journey.

Since I started this blog, I have been asked by several people as to what my blog-name: Gallicissa means. And I think this a good occasion to answer this burning question.

Gallicissa is the name of a "mythical' bird" that I created as part of the logo of this blog. (edit: it has been replaced with what you see now.) It was fusing a images of several endemic birds found in the endemic hotspot that is Sri Lanka. The two central birds that I used for this fusion were Sri Lanka Junglefowl Gallus lafayetti and Sri Lanka Blue Magpie Urocissa ornata, the latter which was formerly known as Cissa ornata—the name that existed in the days that I started birding in 1989. So, I used their generic names, gallus—the plural of which is galli; and cissa to coin the generic name: Gallicissa for my photoshopped bird.

Gosh! I just can't understand why so many people cannot figure this out!

Anyway, apart from the aforementioned two parent birds, I used plumage features of three more endemics to add to the gaudiness of my creation. They were the throat streaks of the Red-faced Malkoha, facial pattern below the eye, pattern in the belly, the ‘spot-wing’ of the Spot-winged Thrush (I used two photographs for this purpose), and the ‘yellow ear’ of the montane endemic Yellow-eared Bulbul.

There you have it.

As far as it is known, Gallicissa Salgado, 2007 is a monotypic genus that is endemic to Sri Lanka.

35 comments:

Patrick B. said...

I always wondered about the name. That ode picture is a bit creepy.

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work.

合田學 (上坂眞信)  said...

It is splendid blog.
I show respect for your world.

spookydragonfly said...

Are there no ends to your talents, Amila?!...Very creative! I think I'd run in the other direction if I saw your dragon in my woods...great touch!! Congrats on your first year! I have enjoyed each visit to your blog...hopefully, you'll be around for another year!

Navinda said...

Congrats Amila and thanks for the explanation about the name :-) You almost got me to believe that dragonflies have teeth!

Keep up the good work!

Sachini said...

I'm with patrick about the pic. I was slightly freaked out when I saw it (or could be the fact that it's 4am). But congrats. I don't comment much but read it often.

Redzlan said...

Happy first anniversary!.

One year is a long time in cyberworld and you have done extremely well and been known n birding and nature blogsphere.

Congratulation and Happy Deepavali to you and your family!

Anonymous said...

Dear GI, Congrats and thank you for introducing a new world to me. I never look at the birds or insects the same way and I added a few macro lenses to my collection.(I was more of a landscape photographer want to be)
Again, keep up teaching us a thing or two.

Amila Salgado said...

Hi Patrick,
Thanks a lot!
I am sure I do not have to remind you that ‘Odonata’ means the ‘toothy-ones’, after all!

I shall keep up my good work.

Hi PZ,
Good to hear from Japan!
Thanks a lot for dropping by. I bet you don’t have toothy dragons like this in your part of the world!

Hi spookydragonfly,
Now that’s a spookydragonfly for you!

I can just about create a mental picture of you running around your pond in a frenzy and disappearing into the woods screaming like a Forest Eagle Owl.... *muhahahahahahaha*

Thanks a lot!

Hi Navinda,
Thanks a lot!
Hey - I didn’t know you had a blog! Anyway, great to know that you are in the blogsphere. I just added a link to you.

Hi Sach,
Thanks a lot!
Great to hear from you on this very special day. I bet you were studying at 4.00 a.m.

Hi Tabib,
Thanks a lot!
Time seems to fly very fast.
I will convey your Deepawali wishes to my Tamil friends who are celebrating it.

Hi Kalu,
It gives me great pleasure to read your comments. Thanks a lot!
Macro is such a cool branch of photography. I bet the insect activity is on the decline there as it is getting colder now. Luckily, we are in an aseasonal part of the world where we have critters year round.

spookydragonfly said...

O.K...now I'm starting to wonder if you are part Dr. Evil!!

Is that pond done yet?!

Rhythmic Diaspora said...

Amila - Many congratulations, I hope there will be many more years of your fantastic blog.

Amila Salgado said...

I guess a bit of Dr. Evil exists in me, Spookydragonfly! He is awesome.

Its been quite rainy lately so the work on the pond is progressing slowly. The following stages are now complete.

1. selecting a plot in my yard.
2. chopping down big trees(*painful*)
3. clearing the land of other vegetation and rubble to make it completely bare.

I am now studying the effect of sunlight on the cleared patch now.
Digging will commence later this week.

There's a lot of improvements to go...

Thank you RD,
Good to hear from you.
Thanks again for the 'best new comer award in your 2007 Blogging Awards.

It was special!

I can just about guess who will clinch that prestigious title for 2008! I will give a clue: what is 4+2?

GG said...

Hey, Congrats!
It's been a pleasure reading your blog.
Hope you would be able to keep up the great work!

Anonymous said...

Great stuff Amila - keep it up. Now what I'd like to see you do is a photoshop number of Gallicissa. Should be interesting!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Congratulations on reaching the first anniversary of your blog, Amila.

Your smiling dragonfly is somewhat startling, but well done; almost as good as the monkey with the child's face you posted earlier this year. That was amazing!

Although I don't possess enough knowledge of birding or entomological terminology to fully appreciate everything you write about, I still very much enjoy reading your blog, and look forward to each new post. Your enjoyment of what you do is clearly evident in your writing and beautiful photographs.

I wish you many more years of successful blogging.

Thanks, also, for the explanation of your blog name. I had been wondering. :)

Amila Salgado said...

Hi Sasani,
Good to hear from you!
Thank you very much for this and for all your comments over the past.

Hi Java,
Thanks you sir! - it is always great to hear from you.

Now Java, I tried to find the original PSD file of Gallicissa yesterday and couldn't found it in my new computer that I am working now! It should be in my old pc, which is dismantled. I plan to change it a bit one of these days...

Amila Salgado said...

Hi Pat,
Thank you very much - your visits always bring joy to me!

Good to hear your comments on my smiley dragon and the monkey.

I used the same smile for this with slight modifications to fit to this dragon's face! I like that child's smile a lot!

Thanks again, for your words of encouragement, Pat.

Anonymous said...

Hey Amila, my friend, Happy Blogoversary!! I love your blog and hope you have many more years of writing your super posts for all of us to enjoy. BTW, that dragonfly is pretty creepy man, reminds me of the old Vincent Price movie "The Fly".

Amila Salgado said...

Hi Larry,
Thanks a lot!
I am very pleased to read your comments as always.

Glad my dragon reminded you of the old movie; 'The Fly'. I youtubed it and must admit that fly is a bit creepier!

Owlman said...

Hats off to your sir - well done! Your blog always entertains and informs, keep up the great work.

Modesto Viegas said...

Congratulations for the anniversary of your blog!!!
We hope another year with big photos like this one and your excellent explanations!
Thanks for sharing!

Nate said...

Congratulations! One year in the blogosphere is no small accomplishment!

Christopher said...

Hard to add something without repeating what everyone else has already said. The blog is fantastic - well written, incredibly informative and very entertaining. And if it isn't instantly obvious to anyone who opens the page, the photos are simply jawdropping! Congratulations on your first year - if it is any indication of what is to follow, we are very lucky to have you in the blogosphere!

Amila Salgado said...

Hi Owlman,
Thanks a lot!
Great to hear those compliments!
I sincerely hope the Santa would listen to your birding wish list!

Thanks a lot, Modesto!
How nice to hear from Portugal!
I am very pleased you are in my blogroll.

Hi N8,
Thank you very much! Yep, I am very glad I lasted a year in the blogsphere. BTW, I really enjoyed your presentation of the current IATB #86 – great job!

I wish you all the best to your Big Year undertakings.

Hi Christopher,
Thanks a lot! Fantastic to hear your compliments.
I am very glad that I am linked to your superb bird blog.
It is such a joy to see what birders are upto in the other side of the planet.

T said...

omg. that picture freaked. me. out.

Chrissy said...

Congrats on your one year anniversary. A wonderful blog with great posts and pics.

Amila Salgado said...

Hi T,
Good to hear from you.
I like the way you have punctuated your comment. Great emphasis - I know you really meant it!

Hi Chrisss,
Thank you very much! As always, I am pleased to hear your comments, And compliments!

Doug Taron said...

Happy blogoversary. It's been fun stopping by these last couple of months and seeing great odonate photos from Asia. Many happy returns of the day.

Amila Salgado said...

Thanks a lot, Doug!
I assure you that this site will not go dry with Odonate shots!

Another garden post coming up will have a few of those...

Kathie Brown said...

Happy Blogoversary my birding friend! Hope you are around for many more! Love the grinning dragonfly photo!

Susan Gets Native said...

Now that I have gotten over the full-body shivers at that dragonfly grinning, let me congratulate you on a banner first blogging year!

Amila Salgado said...

Thanks a lot, Kathie! Good to hear from the American Southwest. I am pleased you liked my smiley dragon!

Hi Susan,
Thanks a lot!
Oops...sorry it did that to you - but I am sure your girls would enjoy it!

Vickie said...

Happy blog birthday and many more to come! I love your dragonfly grin.

Amila Salgado said...

Thanks a lot, Vickie!
Nice to know you enjoyed my dragon grin...Wait a minute - isn't that a good tongue-twister? Let try that

dragon grin...
dragon grin...
dragon grin...
dragon tring...
trrrragon grin...
gragon tring...

The Zen Birdfeeder said...

Congrats on one year and hopes for many more.
You had me double-taking on that dragonfly!

Amila Salgado said...

Hi Nancy,
Thanks a lot! Good to hear from you. I think dragonfly design would have been perfect if they had smiling capabilities like that!

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