OFFICE DIARIES: NOV'14 - Part II

THE SPOTTED DOVE

Another bird that I and Sunny clicked on the trip was the Spotted Dove. Initially, it was wary and tried avoiding us. However, once it realized that we meant no harm, it stood its ground and 'posed' for us like a celebrity on the red carpet. We were hardly 10 feet away from it and the bird gave us some superb frames. Native to the Sub-continent, this avain derives its name from the tiny black and white spots predominantly on its neck and feathers.

This is the first in a series of three posts that were clicked on 21^st November, 2014 at my office premises.

The complete series can be found here (Link).

OFFICE DIARIES: NOV'14 - Part I

AJAA MERI BULBUL

Since time immemorial, the Bulbul is considered to be the epitome of beauty; one look at the passerine bird and you know why it continues to be an inspiration for poets and lyricist especially while describing feminine grace and charm. In case you have not yet noticed, the title of this post is borrowed from a hit song from the movie Ishq where Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn shook their legs with model turned actress Shweta Menon. The small round eyes and the bright red spots on either side of the cheeks make them extremely pleasing to the eyes. Probably, even Mother Nature seems to agree with this; No wonder she has gifted this petite bird with a 'diadem' that the bulbul flaunts as it moves from one branch to another. And that is not all. Their 'sweet' calls are probably next only to the Asian Koels amongst the common birds found in this part of the world.

The pictures posted here are of the Red-Whiskered Bulbul that I clicked last Saturday (November 21, 2014) while on a birding trip in my office. A colleague of mine - Sunny Bhatia who has recently bought a Canon EOS 1200D accompanied me. Thanks to Sunny, I have started exploring the various options available on my camera :). The images here were clicked in the Sports Mode of the Canon SX50HS which comes with an inbuilt image stabilizer.

This is the first in a series of three posts that were clicked on 21^st November, 2014 at my office premises.

The complete series can be found here (Link).

ON THE WIRE

THE SPOTTED DOVE

It was a Saturday morning in April 2013 and I got up early to find some birds around my home in Devarachikanahalli, off Bannerghatta Road. As I was walking towards the nullah which was my favorite spot for birding in the locality, I spotted a solitary Spotted Dove perched on a wire. These avians are very common in Bengaluru. In fact, I would regularly see this particular dove at the same spot almost everyday as I walked towards my company shuttle in the mornings. I will write a more detailed post on these birds, their distribution and characteristics very soon. Meanwhile, I hope you like the pictures.

SMALL WONDER

ASHY PRINIA

On 2^nd May, earlier this year I took part in our democratic process for the first time in my life as I voted in the 2013 elections to the Karnataka state legislative assembly. After having closely followed the developments in the Indian political scenario since 2003, it felt good to exercise what I believe is the greatest right guaranteed by our Constitution. I went to cast my vote at about 1 pm at a government school in my locality and was back within half an hour. As I was killing time later that afternoon, I was distracted by sounds of zeet-zeet-zeet coming from the bushes in the neighboring plot. There was no doubt that it was Ashy Prinia - a common yet shy passerine avain that had avoid my lens for quite some time now. Having nothing else to do, I took my Cannon SX50HS and was lucky enough to get some close shots of this individual. 

Scientifically known as Prinia socialis, there are four different sub species of these birds which are endemic to the Indian sub-continent, differentiated mainly by their shades. The sub-species stewartii is found in the northern parts of the country, from the Indus to the Vindhyas; inglisi is common in Bengal and other parts of eastern India whereas P. s. socialis is found in the peninsula. The Lankan sub-species is brevicauda. In the countryside, they are spotted in open grasslands and woodlands. In the cities, they are common in gardens too. Identifying these little creatures is extremely easy. In fact, one can rely on the following features - their small size; their grayish feathers and white underside; the upright tail and more than anything else, that characteristic call of tchup-tchup-tchup or zeet-zeet-zeet that they make. They are insectivorous.

A unique feature about these birds is that they shed their feathers twice a year - a process known as Moulting which is rare even amongst warblers. Presently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, Ashy Prinia or the Ashy Wren-Warbler is considered to be doing well for the time being. However, the loss of suitable habitat in the country to satisfy the needs of our ever-growing population remains a cause of concern. Meanwhile, photographing these little ones can be a bit of a challenge. Considering their small size, their main form of defense, like most of the birds is by fleeing from the scene to a safer place. At the slightest sign of danger, they will fly away. As such, one advice - don't rush into it. Have patience and you will be come home with some beautiful pictures. Also, have a look at this excellent video of a female Ashy Prinia feeding her young ones at the nest that I came across on Youtube (Link).

PS: This is the 100^th post that I have published on my blog!!!

EK MAIN AUR EK TU

BLACK KITES

Ever since we shifted to NGV, spotting Black Kites has become extremely common, more so because we stay on the top floor. Every day, at about 11 in the morning and at 6 in the evening, I find perched either on the nearby tower or on the water tanks above the terrace. As mentioned earlier, these are some of the birds that are doing very well in the city. Although I personally like their cousins - the Brahminy Kites (Link) more because of their vivid colors and the fact that they remind me of the Western coast, the Black Kites are, without any doubt, very royal and graceful, especially in flight. 

The following photos of one such pair were clicked on 5 ^th November, 2013 while I was at home for Diwali. Amongst all the photos of these avians that I have clicked in the last six months, I like these the most. Hope you like it too.

For more posts on Black Kites, click here (Link)

MORE BIRDS AT GOA VELHA

GOA DIARIES: BIRDING AT GOA VELHA - PART 2

April is that time of the year when most species of birds in Goa breed. Since my visit coincided with the breeding season, I did get a few snaps of the avians as they were occupied in various activities relating to passing on their genes. Bhabi's mom spotted an Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) from the kitchen. I followed this beautiful bird as she went to the road, collecting small twigs and deposited them into a tree hollow right at the entrance of the home. After reading about them on Wikipedia, I concluded that it was a female and she would lay her eggs within a week. Besides, I also saw a pair of Jungle Mynahs (Acridotheres fuscus) catching insects and feeding it to their young who were holed up, quite literally in a coconut tree. In every 15 minutes, one of the two parents would fly back to the nest with some food - usually an insect in their beak for the chicks to eat. Unlike the Robins, both the male and the female Jungle Mynah chip in while raising the young ones.

Oriental Magpie Robin

Jungle Mynah

Aaar - Paar: A hole in the coconut tree

For more on the Goa trip:
(1) Life is a Beach (Link)
(2) Birds at Goa Velha (Link)

BIRDS AT GOA VELHA

GOA DIARIES: BIRDING AT BHABI'S PLACE - PART 1

I got up early in the morning on the second day and was surprised to see that Bhabi's parents were already awake. The plan for the second day was to meet my friends from Mushtifund school. After having morning tea, I headed off to the balcony on the top floor to click some birds. Though I did sight the Black-rumped Flameback (Dinopium benghalense) several times, I just couldn't get the right shot. Nonetheless, watching a group of three hoping on a tall coconut tree in a spiral manner from the top to the bottom was funny and at the same time, equally frustrating as I just couldn't get a good image. Like the woodpeckers, the Red Whiskered Bulbuls (Pycnonotus jocosus) are common here and I found this one, hunting for insects on a small Ashoka tree. I clicked a Black Kite (Milvus migrans) as it descended from a nearby tower on to a palm tree. And finally, I spotted a Jungle Owlet (Glaucidium radiatum) perched on a leafless tree at the very edge of the bhatt. It flew away as I came closer but I tracked it at a distance. Over the next few days, I was really lucky to spot this bird several times. Even Bhabi's dad was elated at seeing the pictures of this glorious bird of prey that seems to regularly visit his compound.

Black-rumped Flameback

Red Whiskered Bulbul

Black Kite

Jungle Owlet

For more on the Goa trip:
(1) An Evening in Vagator - Part 2 (Link)
(2) Life is a Beach (Link)
(3) More Birds at Goa Velha (Link)

THE FIRST BIRDING EXPERIENCE IN NGV

SIGHTINGS FROM THE TERRACE: KITES, PIGEONS ET ALL

With dad being allocated a bank quarters in National Games Village (NGV) - Kormangala after a long wait of three years, we moved out of Devarachikanahalli in the end week of June. Though the last house is the twelfth that I had stayed in, I was particularly fond of this place. The bungalow which we had rented belonged to the Shenoys whom my parents had known for quite some time. The ground floor which we had occupied had been renovated last year and looked fabulous thanks to the walls painted in contrasting colours - cream and orange, white vitrified tiles, Plaster of Paris ceilings and the masterpiece - a wooden carving of the Dhasa avatars adoring the entrance to the altar. The house was huge - 1,600 sq ft to be precise, with three spacious bedroom and the rent that we paid was much less than the market price. Amongst the things that I thought I would miss in NGV were the birds that I would spot on my weekend walks in the Bannerghatta Road area. Unlike southern Bengaluru which still has a substantial amount of green cover (thankfully), my impression of Kormangala was that of a concrete jungle full of people, traffic, pollution, chaos and cacophony.

While my assessment of Koramangala was pretty correct, the Games Village seems to be an oasis midst a desert. Built after draining off the erstwhile tank (What the Hell?), the Games Village is a well-maintained residential area with all amenities within the premises, well laid roads and 24 X 7 security. The best part, however, is the fact that the locality has lots of trees. With so much greenery around, I guess staying here will be fun. As far as the quarters is concerned, it is a 2 bedroom house which unfortunately, is not in the best of conditions. However, I am sure that in some time, we will end up liking this place too. Since it is on the top floor, we have easy access to the terrace which provides a spectacular view of the city. Luckily for us, our block is situated close to the NGV back gate and so we can also see the swimming pool and the tennis court of the NGV Builder's Club. The day after we shifted here, I happened to go to the terrace at 11:00 am in the morning with my camera so as to see if I could click some birds and I was not disappointed. Some of the photos that were clicked in my first birding experience at the Games Village are posted below.

Ek Main Aur Ek Tu: A pair of Brahminy Kites

On the Edge: Rock Pigeon

Portrait: Rock Pigeon (Columba Livia)

Power Nap

For more on Birding at National Games Village, Koramanagala:
(1) The Pleasant Pandemonium (Link) 
(2) Whrisky, Frisky, Hippity Hop (Link)