BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 6

INDIAN KOEL

I clicked this male Indian Koel as I was coming out of the Hanuman Temple at Housing Board, Porvorim. The fiery red eyes and the balck coat against the backdrop of the clear blue sky is pleasing. The females of this species who are notorious for laying their eggs in a crow's nest are polka dotted and are more elusive to find.

Click on the below snaps to see them in better quality.

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More from the series: THE BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15

(1) Sparrow (Link)

(2) Jungle Babbler (Link)

(3) Purple Sunbird (Link)

(4) Brahminy Kite (Link)

(5) Black Headed Oriole (Link)

(6) Indian Koel (Link)

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BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 5

BLACK HEADED ORIOLE

The brightly colored Black Headed Oriole is one of the most beautiful avians to be found in Goa. Though it is common in the region, spotting them amidst the foliage is difficult. I had a tough time clicking this individual in Goa Velha; unfortunately, though it made me run around the bush for sometime, none of the clicks have come out well. A couple of years ago, I had a similar experience with another Oriole while climbing down the Church of Our Lady of the Mount at Old Goa.

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More from the series: THE BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15

(1) Sparrow (Link)

(2) Jungle Babbler (Link)

(3) Purple Sunbird (Link)

(4) Brahminy Kite (Link)

(5) Black Headed Oriole (Link)

(6) Indian Koel (Link)

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BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 3

PURPLE SUNBIRD

Another lovely bird that came across while I was getting down the Chapora Fort was this Purple Sunbird. Considering that these birds seem to be always in a hurry, the time for any photographer to get their snaps is extremely limited. Luckily, I did manage to get a few good snaps.

Click on the below snaps to see them in better quality.

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More from the series: THE BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15

(1) Sparrow (Link)

(2) Jungle Babbler (Link)

(3) Purple Sunbird (Link)

(4) Brahminy Kite (Link)

(5) Black Headed Oriole (Link)

(6) Indian Koel (Link)

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BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 1

COMMON SPARROW

Bordering the Rua de Ourem, the wards of Fontainhas and Sao Tome are amongst the oldest residential areas of Panjim. The best part of these localities is that they have still retained the old world charm; a walk through the narrow by-lanes lined by bungalows painted in vivid colors here is such a pleasure.

Apart from the beautiful Indo-Portuguese villas, one of the highlights of such a walk are the numerous Sparrows that inhabit these wards; watching these passerine birds flying by, chasing each other or feeding on grains is a treat to the eyes, especially for those of who live in urban centres devoid of these beautiful birds. In fact, here, it is very easy to see these wonderful creatures engaged in their daily activities at a very close range.

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More from the series: THE BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15

(1) Sparrow (Link)

(2) Jungle Babbler (Link)

(3) Purple Sunbird (Link)

(4) Brahminy Kite (Link)

(5) Black Headed Oriole (Link)

(6) Indian Koel (Link)

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For more posts on Sparrows, click here (Link)

OFFICE DIARIES: NOV'14 - Part III

WHITE-CHEEKED BARBET

After clicking the Spotted Dove to our heart's content, a flash of green moving swiftly from one tree to another caught our attention. On a closer look, I was thrilled to see that the bird was a White-Cheeked Barbet. Due to its light green plumage, it is pretty difficult to spot these avians especially when they are on trees. Being patient certainly helps ;-).

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 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).

VARTHUR DIARIES: SEPT'14 - Part III

THE GEN-NEXT WEAVERS

After clicking the Munias, as I was walking towards the bus stand, noises coming from the bushes nearby caught my attention. As I went to have a closer look, what I saw was probably the best part of the entire birding trip. Wikipedia mentions that juvenile Baya Weavers are known to leave their nests and disperse to newer locations in the vicinity. What I had come across was in opinion, one such 'Baya Weaver Play School'. I found about six little Weavers there; in fact, the Gen Next was much more approachable than the adults. I was able to get some very good captures; yeah, I love some of the clicks that I have posted here. At the same time, I was careful enough not to attract the attention of predators like Crows and Eagles. After all, the young Weaver can be easy picking for these predators.

For more posts in the series VARTHUR DIARIES: SEPT'14, click here (Link)

VARTHUR DIARIES: SEPT'14 - Part II

THE SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA

After spending about 30 minutes with the weavers, I spotted this pair of Scaly-Breasted Munia as I was heading back to the bus stand. This small yet beautiful bird is native to the Sub-Continent, South-Eastern Asia and Eastern parts of Australia. It seems that Mother Nature has been extremely kind to this little bird; the color combinations and the patterns are brilliant. The head is darker brown while the feathers are much lighter. The underside has a unique pattern in the form of scales that have a black border. The pair that I saw on that day were quite comfortable sharing space with the weavers.

For more posts in the series VARTHUR DIARIES: SEPT'14, click here (Link)

VARTHUR DIARIES: SEPT'14 - Part I

MEETING THE WEAVERS

It was a Sunday morning and I decided to go to the Varthur Lake for birding. The second largest lake in the city is hardly 4 km from our new house and I was expecting to spot several avians here. I was hopeful that like Agara, BTM and Lalbaugh, there would be a jogging track across the circumference of the lake from where I could capture some nice clicks. However, I was in for a shock. After getting down at the bus stand, I kept on walking on the road that goes from Whitefield towards the Varthur Police Station, looking for the entry gate. Though much of this side of the lake was covered with water hyacinth, there was still a lot of water. Sadly though, I could not see any birds. I walked for about 20 minutes with vehicles passing by at break neck speeds and was cursing myself for having come here; I turned back and started walking towards the bus stop.

Not the one to give up so easily, especially on birding trips, I decided to try the other route. After crossing a small temple, I came across several flower and vegetable gardens. Not so surprisingly, there were several birds here. Then came the big moment; I spotted this colony of about ten Baya Weaver nests hanging from some coconut trees along the edge of the lake. It was always my dream to click these amazing creatures against the backdrop of their unique nests. While they may be said to be 'common', finding them, especially in our cities can be very difficult. I had spotted one such colony in November last year on our trip to Hampi but could not spend anytime there since we were to board our bus back to Bangalore in a few hours. Meanwhile, most of the nests in the colony were complete; many of the birds were in fact giving some finishing touches to their marvelous creations. At regular intervals, the birds would go the lake, pick up some straws and then go about weaving their homes using their tiny beaks. I took my time clicking the pictures and admiring the birds. At a short distance, there was another colony of 15 nests. In fact, the location of the trees here was such that, I could get better pictures here.

Baya Weavers are passerine birds common in the Sub-continent and South-Eastern Asia. The females are very similar to House Sparrows and distinguishing the two can be difficult. However, breeding males have a distinct yellow crown that makes them easy to identify. It is the male of the species that takes the onus of building those beautiful nests. After the nest is in, what is referred to as 'helmet stage', the males start courting the ladies. Once a female is impressed, the pair will go on completing their 'home'.

For more posts in the series VARTHUR DIARIES: SEPT'14, click here (Link)

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XIX

WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW

As we were walking through the Car Street, I found this Wire-tailed Swallow (Wiki Link) perched on a wire. Though not very clear from the picture, this lovely bird has a patch of brown on its head apart form a white underside and black feathers. Found in abundance across the country, they can be easily identified by those two wire-like threads.

Wire-Tailed Swallow

Prunning...

Hirundo smithii filifera

For more posts in the series: GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14, click here (Link)

MURDESHWAR DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part IV

BLACK RUMPED FLAMEBACK WOODPECKER

Remember Paulo Coelho's famous lines from the book The Alchemist - "And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it". These lines sum up the story behind the two pictures posted below.

Black Rumped Flameback Woodpeckers (Wiki Link) are perhaps, one of the most colorful amongst the common birds of the Western Ghats. The ochre back with dark black borders, white underparts and that adorable and distinct red crown makes them such a pleasure to watch. I would spot them commonly while we lived in Goa, especially in the hinterland. One such spotting was at Goa Velha in May 2013 while I was staying at Bhabi's place (Link). The best way to see them is to wait for that peculiar 'rattling-whinnying' call that they make.

That precisely is how I spotted this individual, which I presume is a male from its colors. I was busy clicking the Little Cormorant when woodpecker calls caught my attention. While I could see the bird on a coconut tree, it was too far to get a good shot; far, even for the 50X optical zoom of my Cannon SX50HS. As I stood there watching it, I was praying that it would somehow come closer so that I could get a decent click. Surprisingly, the bird flew off and after its characteristic undulating flight, landed on the coconut tree just few meters away from where I was standing. As the woodpecker hopped on the trunk of the tree, I got a couple of shots. Though I could not get a head shot, I still like the angle in the pictures. Within a matter of seconds though, it hid inside the leaves and I could not track it any further.

This is the last post in the series about my birding in Murdeshwar this August. For previous posts, please click on the link below. Besides, do share your comments and feedback!

Other posts in this series: 
Murdeshwar Diaries: Aug'14 - Part I - Part IV (Link)

MURDESHWAR DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part III

INDIAN POND HERON & LITTLE CORMORANT

At my native place, we have a small piece of vacant land which was formerly under cultivation. My mother tells me that in the past, different kinds of vegetables used to be grown here. Though it may seem to be a waste land for most parts of the year, come monsoon and it becomes a heaven for several varieties of fauna including a host of insects, fishes, frogs, snakes and birds. For five months, from early June to late October as the South-west monsoon hits the Arabian coast, it is transformed into a pond that supports a thriving eco-system, pretty evident from the sheer number of birds seen here. With most of the farmland making way for hotels, lodges and other commercial enterprises that have come up to cash in on the tourism boom, this 'wasteland' is automatically a magnet for the birds.

Below are pictures of two avian species that are extremely common here - the Indian Pond Heron (Wiki Link) and the Little Cormorant (Wiki Link).

Indian Pond Heron

Little Cormorant

Other posts in this series: 
Murdeshwar Diaries: Aug'14 - Part I - Part IV (Link)

MURDESHWAR DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part I

THE HOUSE SPARROW

August began on a good note as all of us, except Pappa headed to our native town of Murdeshwar. We were there primarily to attend Vaini's (my maternal grand-mom's) third death anniversary, which happened to fall on the first day of the month - a Friday. The plan was to leave for Gokarna (Link) the next morning and spend the weekend on the Om Beach, even as Mom and my cousin Poonam headed back to Bengaluru. Not so surprisingly, I was thrilled to be back on the coast in spite of the fact that it was raining cats and dogs. Another reason for all the excitement was that I was dying to use my Canon SX50HS after a very long time. It had been months since I had not gone out on any birding sessions with our new house, election coverage on the blog and official work occupying much of my time. Monsoon is a good time to spot birds in this part of the world; actually you will find several different kinds of Aves on the Arabian coast throughout the year, however the probability of finding rare ones during rains is high.

I will begin this series with one of my favorite birds - the House Sparrow (Wiki Link). Though they have become extremely difficult to find in our cities, these 'small packets of joys' can still be found in sizable numbers in our towns and villages. In Murdeshwar, they are generally seen in groups of up to 5 individuals on wires, compound walls and most commonly near shutter boxes of shops where they breed their young. While they may not be attractive to the eyes, watching them go about their daily routine is such a pleasure. And yes, there is no better way to start your day than listening to the chirping sounds of these little creatures. Isn't it sad, that sparrow - a bird that has been so closely associated with human culture across the world has declined so dramatically over the years... While ornithologists and experts may still be analyzing the root cause of the problem, I hope that the sparrows make a grand come back in our cities too.

Other posts in this series:
Murdeshwar Diaries: Aug'14 - Part I - Part IV (Link)