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)

LALBAGH DIARIES: JAN 2014 - II

THE BIRDS AT THE LOTUS PONDS

Indian Pond Heron

A native of the Indian Subcontinent, South and South-East Asia, the Indian Pond Heron is one of the most common birds of the country. From the beaches of Goa to the lakes of Bengaluru to nearby nullahs, you can find them in places with proximity to water. In fact they are generally found in association with egrets. They are generally camera shy. However, this one was pretty brave. It looked like it was enjoying ll the attention it was getting from the several birding enthusiasts who were there.

White Breasted Waterhen

While the Pond Heron was posing for the shutterbugs, the White Breasted Waterhen was in some sort of hurry. It made me dance all around and yet I could not get a decent shot. Like the herons, they are residents of Southern and South-eastern Asia. It can be identified from the white marks on the face, neck and breast. As compared to other members of the Rallidae family, they are dull in color and are relatively less abundant in the city.

Purple Moorhen

Unlike their cousins, the Purple Moorhen have been gifted with brilliant colors - bluish purple coat and red beak making them irresistible to the eyes. In fact, the best places to spot them in the city are the lakes of Agara and Madivala (BTM). This is because here vast stretches of water is covered with vegetation which is ideal habitat for them. On the contrary, the waters in the Lalbagh lake are free from all kinds of vegetation. Its range stretches over most of the Old World extending up to Australia. This individual in Lalbagh had several hatchlings; the young ones are black in color.

Common Moorhen

A resident breeder of vast regions of Asia, Africa and Europe, the Common Moorhen is not as common as its purple cousin, at least in the city. It is easily recognizable from its frontal red shield. Out of the five sub species, the one found in the mainland is known as the Eurasian Common Moorhen.

Links to all posts in the series:
(1) Lalbagh Diaries: Jan 2014 - I (Link)
(1) Lalbagh Diaries: Jan 2014 - II (Link)
(1) Lalbagh Diaries: Jan 2014 - III(Link)
(1) Lalbagh Diaries: Jan 2014 - IV (Link)
(1) Lalbagh Diaries: Jan 2014 - V (Link)
(1) Lalbagh Diaries: Jan 2014 - VI (Link)