Bangalore: Birders Paradise….!!!
A hobby started couple of years ago to explore places in and around Bangalore to photograph bird's in their natural habitat and document them for personal use…...
Couple of months back, gave a rethought and changed this into a personal project to not only photograph, but document them and share to the world…..
Bannerghatta Zoo Area | 2015 | Pictured here is a Purple-rumped Sunbird (Leptocoma zeylonica) feeding on an insect....these birds mainly feed on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young. So, I believe there was a nest close-by which I didn't notice...
Gulakmale Lake | 2015 | Pictured here is a Wire-Tailed Swallow (Hirundo smithii) with mud collected in it's beak to build it's typical Half-bowl nests...They are fast flyers, tried capturing them in flight, but in vain. Best moment I got to photograph this bird was when it sat for a moment on a ledge...
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | 2014 | Pictured here are Painted Stork's (Mycteria leucocephala) playing in water...They are large birds wading birds and their IUCN Status is NT (Near Threatened).
Muthanallur Lake | 2015 | Pictured here is a Brahminy Kite (Haliastur indus) enjoying it's morning catch....This juvenile allowed us to come as close as 10ft, before it flew away with it's catch....
Hoskote Lake | 2015 | Photographed here is a Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) taking off from it's perch...it had locked on to a fish and few seconds later we could see it grab it's meal and lift off....
Valley School Area, Kanakapura Road | 2014 | Pictured here is a Oriental White-Eye (Zosterops Palpebrosus) enjoying it's morning catch..They are small passerine birds in white-eye family. They forage in small groups, feeding on nectar and small insects
Jigani Lake | 2016 | Started 2016 in search of new hamlets, came across a small patch of water body...When we saw from a distance there was not much activity, but when we took a closer look...there was a new world awaiting us. Pictured here is a Fork-Tailed Drongo-Cuckoo (Surniculus dicruroides)...and have captioned it 'Black is Beautiful'
Kokkare Bellur | 2014 | Pictured here is a Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) in it's breeding plumage, taking a break under shade of a tree.
Kokkare Bellur | 2014 | Pictured he is a Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata) perched on a flower plan. They are small birds found mainly in West, Central, South East Asia and Indian Subcontinent.....They nest in cavities in stone walls or in holes in an embankment, lining the nest with grass and animal hair.
During my last bird photography trip to Valley School, Kanakapura Road in late September, on our way back heard a call similar to Ashy Prinia but on close observation found the bird to be a bit different with it’s Yellow/Orange beak and Grey/Black eyes (Prinia’s have black beak and red eyes). This was my first encounter with a recently fledged Ashy Prinia. It wasn't moving as swiftly as the adults and also allowed us to move closer (~5 ft),
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | 2014 | Snowy Egret with its little one!!! As soon as this Egret sensed our presence, she stood up to look around and protect its chicks. At one moment the little one looked up with a smiling face....This image shows both curiosity of the child and also protective nature of the parent which is a common behaviour displayed by all living beings.
Hoskote Lake | 2016 | Pictured here is a Little Egret (Egretta garzetta) catching fish.
Hoskote Lake | 2013 | Pictured here is a Pied Kingfisher...flying parallel after taking a dip in the lake...The distintive nature of this species is they hover over clear lakes and/or rivers before diving for fish.
Bannerghatta Zoo Area | 2015 | Pictured here is a Pied Bush Chat female perched on a twig.....These are small passerine birds, are very attentive and to photograph this female had to hide behind a bush and approach slowly...
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary | 2014 | Pictured here is a Juvenile Spot-Billed Pelican trying to scoop water.....but missed it. This is one of the common behaviour exhibited by this bird (Scoop and Gulp). They use this technique and their expandable throat pouch to scoop up fish from surface of water
Hesarghatta Lake | 2015 | Pictured here is a Jardons Bushlark (Mirafra affinis). They are resident breeders in South India and Srilanka, a fairly common bird and can be seen in open/dry areas (on the ground).
Shivanahalli | 2015 | A Juvenile Pale-Billed Flowerpecker (Dicaeum erythrorhynchos) also known as Tickells Flowerpecker is a tiny bird found commonly on berry bearing trees. They are common to Indian subcontinent and can be found feeding on nectar and berries
Gulakamale Lake | 2015 | Photographed here is a Black Kite (Milvus migrans) chasing an Egret for the fish it had caught……
Egret did all the hard work in capturing a fish, but it was a bit slow in swallowing it…..this was the chance for the Kite to get some free food, and so started chasing the Egret which lasted for almost a minute….after multiple sorties the kite gave up…..
Egret did all the hard work in capturing a fish, but it was a bit slow in swallowing it…..this was the chance for the Kite to get some free food, and so started chasing the Egret which lasted for almost a minute….after multiple sorties the kite gave up…..
Hesarghatta Lake | 2015 | Pictured here is a fight between two Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) females fighting for a nest. Male's are polygamous, build multiple partial nests, attract females and complete the nest only after finding a mate. Females lay 2 to 4 eggs and incubate them in these nests
Bannerghatta Zoo Area | 2015 | Pictured here is a Loten's Sunbird (Cinnyris lotenius) Female giving a perfect pose after filling it's stomach with nectar....
Bannerghatta Zoo Area | 2015 | Grey Wagtails (Motacilla cinerea) are colourful and are similar to Yellow Wagtails. This species is widely distributed and are seen on open marshy grounds walking solitarily and/or in pairs along the ground....
Muthanallur Lake | 2015 | Pictured here is a Pied Bush Chat (Saxicola caprata) male perched on top of a leaf in a Mulberry Farm
