ABHIPRAI: Nature Photography

Showing posts with label Nature Photography. Show all posts

May 31, 2015

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.

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)

BIRDS OF GOA: APRIL'15 - PART 4

BRAHMINY KITE

One of the most beautiful birds of prey to be found in the Indian peninsular region, the Brahminy Kite is associated with the mythical creature Garuda, the king of the birds and the mount of Lord Vishnu in several cultures around the world. I shot this wonderful avian while it was perched on a coconut palm near my Bhabi's place at Goa Velha.

Click on the below click to enlarge them.

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

May 24, 2015

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.

May 02, 2015

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.

For more posts on Sparrows, click here (Link)

March 01, 2015

THE ORANGE HIBISCUS

FLOWERS FROM MOM'S GARDEN

Gardening is my mom's latest passion; in fact, she always loved it. However, after we shifted into our new house about eight months ago, she seems to be spending a lot of time in her garden consisting of about 30 potted plants kept in the balcony adjoining our living area. The pride of her garden is this plant of Orange Hibiscus which she is particularly fond of.

And the plant seems to be returning all the love that my mom showers on it in form of big and beautiful flowers, like the ones that in these pictures that I have posted below. Hope you like it!

September 20, 2014

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XVI

THE KUDLE BEACH

Located about 3 km from the Om Beach, the Kudle Beach is Gokarna's second most popular beach. In fact, this shore is more popular with the Indian tourists. Like the Om Beach, there are some small resorts and cafes here. It is also quite accessible; the road leads to a descent which is not very steep. The beach is just hardly 5 minutes walk from the road. The pathway which is lined by vegetation and a small stream flowing through the rocks, gives the place an exotic feel.

The beach is long and narrow, much like the other beaches along the Arabian. When we reached the place, it started raining heavily. I remember coming here in 2004 when we had come to the temple town for Anna's (my paternal grandfather) last rites. On that occasion, we had visited a resort on the beach which was run by a local and his Spanish wife. This time around, the sea was rough and had encroached most of the beach. The winds were blowing at very high speeds. We spent about 15 minutes here and then left for Gokarna.

The Kudle Beach as seen from the road

The green fields, the palms, the Ghats, the beach and the sea... the Arabian coast as I know it

The Sea at Kudle

The Arabian in fury

The palms had a difficult time withstanding the winds

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

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XV

THE PARADISE BEACH TRAIL

After the failed trek to Half Moon Beach, we went to the Paradise Beach. Again, one needs to go to the Belekan Beach and then walk through a trail of about 2 km before reaching the beach. Alternatively, one can reach here either by a boat ride or by a hike from Half Moon.

The drive to Belekan was beautiful; well laid roads along the hills with regular sightings of numerous birds including Kingfishers, Jungle Barblers, Mynahs, Red-wattled Lapwing and the most beautiful - Peacocks. At one point of time, we saw as many as six of them in a forest. The auto driver was kind enough to wait for us as I tried to get some quick snaps. However, the peacocks were too quick for me and disappeared into the forests.

We got down at the Belekan beach and then started on the trail which goes around a hill. We crossed a stream of fresh water which according to me was the best part of our second consecutive failed trail. We walked up the hill, going past some houses where stray dogs started barking at us. It was afternoon and walking in the heat was getting increasingly difficult. We also spotted a gang of Gray Langur sitting on a compound wall. We reached a small house on top and then took the wrong way to end exactly at the place where we had started our hike. Too tired to give a second shot, we crossed the stream and got into our auto. Next stop was the Kudle Beach - Gokarna's second most popular beach

The Belekan Beach

The entire beach was littered with organic waste

A Dragon Fly

Gray Langur or Indian Langur

More clicks at Belekan

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

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XIV

THE FARMERS & THE PADDY FIELDS

Apart from fishing, another important occupation along the coast is padding farming. The fertile soil brought down by the rivers, the hot and humid climate as well as the heavy showers make Indian coast ideal to cultivate rice which is also the staple food in southern India. As I had mentioned earlier, I was spell bound by the scenes of farmers working so hard in their fields on the banks of the Agnashini River. At the same time, I was highly disappointed that I could not click any pictures of the people, the fields and the river flowing by since we were sitting in the tempo that took us from Gokarna Road to the main town. However, I got the opportunity to fulfill my wish as we were walking towards the Paradise Beach.

There were about eight people working in this paddy field opposite the Belekan Beach. The farm was a small one, about 3000 sq feet and there was a fresh water stream flowing close by which provided water. The bright green color of the crops is so refreshing, isn't it? The last picture in this photo blog was clicked from the top of the hill. The two people, a lady and a man were working on this pretty big field covered by a green carpet of paddy crop. Though we never made it to the Paradise Beach, coming so far was nevertheless rewarding thanks to these pictures.

Two ladies working on a farm opposite the Belekan Beach

Woman power

The harvested crops and the stone walls provide a nice backdrop

A couple standing in a sea of green

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

GOKARNA DIARIES: AUG'14 - Part XIII

THE HALF MOON BEACH TRAIL

We had our breakfast at Namaste Cafe overlooking the beautiful Arabian. While I was busy going through the pictures that I had clicked earlier, Pavan Da was reading a travel guide - his favorite hobby off late. The Cafe has a small book shelf on the first floor lined with novels and travel guides, both in English and French. We also met the 'dude' who we had seen while having lunch on the previous day. The same fellow who was obsessed with the 'F word'. However, he seemed to be a changed man now. Without his friends and not under the influence of liquor, he was in fact sitting with a prayer bead in his hand. Wow!

Anyway, we checked out of our room at 10:30 am and headed off to the Half Moon Beach. This beach is located just next to the Om beach and is named so since the coast here is in the form of a semi-circle. This beach which is much secluded than the Om beach is gaining popularity amongst foreigners since very few tourists visit here. There are three ways to reach here from the Om Beach. One of the best options is trekking the hills that separate the two beaches. However, this is certainly not advisable during the monsoon when the hike becomes quite dangerous. Another option is hiring motor boats that operate throughout the year except during the rains. Travelling from one beach to another in a boat or taking the trail sandwiched between the Ghats and the Sea will be a wonderful experience. Since both of these choices were ruled out, we decided to take the rickshaw. There is no road directly connecting the two beaches; one needs to travel about 3 km by road and then trek through the forests to reach the Half Moon beach.

Though the forests are not dense, without road signs and people, finding directions was nearly impossible. The light showers only made the matters worse. We walked through the woods for about 45 minutes and reached a cliff overlooking the Arabian. We decided to call it quits and headed back. In case, you are planning to do this, watch out for red ants and other insects. Besides, you can also spot a large number of butterflies here. Though we could not see the beach, the picture on the net are breath taking and I hope we will go there the next time we are here.