When the Amaltas Blooms...

The morning walk in the  scorching city seemed a little bit more bearable because of the blossoming Amaltas. I was delightfully welcomed with the shrills calls of the barbet Kr – too and spotted one perched on a branch of the Banyan tree, grass green in colour with a big brown head and patch of ochre yellow circling the eyes.

Doesn’t this bird have grandfatherly looks, thanks to the bare orbital ring which seems to have hardened with age.

The barbets are generally very difficult to spot, as they are camouflaged very beautifully in the green foliage of the trees. Summer being the breeding season the calls of the barbets were loud and constant. These birds belong to cavity nesting community and make a neat, round hole that leads to a sunken chamber hollowed out in the heartwood. I am not sure whether the male bird excavated this cavity which I witnessed on the live tree trunk to impress his partner. But must say the choice of the trunk was very picturesque, just next to the blooming Amaltas.

I sat at a distance to observe the bird and then I spotted the Lineated barbet hopping from one branch to another before proceeding to the nest always with a clump in her beak. The bird was not flying directly to its nest to feed the chicks. She would land on a branch at some distance, would look to its right and left before it would decide to enter her humble abode.

And, then flew a pair of feisty Mynas troubling the barbet trying to feed her little ones. Mynas, at that point of time seemed like the feral enemies of the barbet. After the bird left the nest the Mynas poked their heads into the nesting cavity. I wanted to make them fly away and not disturb the chicks but didn’t interfere with the courseof nature. Whether the Mynas where looking for food or for a plausible nesting cavity is a question mark. 

After some time, the barbet broke into her song and hopping from one branch to another clung to the tree trunk looked around with her large popping out eyes and then very gleefully slid into the cavity.

I sat there for hours, observing the barbet come and go while the park echoed with the loud calls krotok…krotok and beautiful flowers of the Amaltas gently twirling in the wind.

                                      

                                             HAPPY  BIRDING

The Yellow Footed...

Back to the Mountains ...

The rising sun's warm glow brought the scenic view alive.
Tucked in neat little tin -roofed houses with gardens growing wild.
Enormous slow moving butterflies were dancing in aplomb.
In these quiet moments i had a chance to smell the moist earth,
and the cool breeze gently touched me.
The light changed.
The forest has a capacity to quieten you.

Every thing around me just sparkled a new.I waddle back to my room snuggle into my quilt with a hot cup of Masala Chai listening to the forest.The tail of the trail is still not complete

Will be back with some more trails soon!!

Keeping a watchful eye ...

Happy Birding 

Wordless Wednesday... (in a polite conversation)

Happy birding ..

A wordy post ...

Birding for me is like being in the lap of nature ....it is  a state of mind .

Every part of me is in tune with the wild .

Eyes trying to catch the slightest of movement 

And 

Ears listening to the slightest of sound .

Birding is like an analysis of what one senses.

It is like to engage in an wordless dialogue  with nature 

And 

realise that things exist in relation with each other.

Everything was alive around me ...

The wet grass under my feet 

Gurgling of water in the nearby stream 

Leaves gently moving with the cool morning breeze

But

I was totally still ..

Still like a rock .

Everything around me getting bathed by the first rays of sun god .

Time just stood still for me .

A Small tit came close and hopped around .

It was that moment when I felt totally connected and a part of nature ...

Happy birding ....

Is it or is it not ??

a black-tailed Godwit .

I find waders the most difficult group of birds to identify . You need to understand the wing patterns ,head and the bill shape  and the length of the leg .
The photographs here show a relatively long ,thin bill .
 Bills vary greatly in length ,thickness and  straightness among different species .
To begin with the bill is much longer in the photograph . Finally ,
I have come to the conclusion that it is Black -tailed Godwit .
 Keeping my fingers crossed 
 that I have got this  right ... 

Happy birding ..

Mid July ...

 I heard the distressed calls of the Lapwing .

Why distressed ...

Rampant air ,water and encroachments have destroyed their habitat.

  From my balcony I could spot them guarding their nests .

 And now its all concrete.

Lapwings are dainty birds with long slender yellow legs .

They seem to be very prim and proper

In the name of urbanization we are destroying the habitat of so many birds .The concrete is gradually eating away the habitat of the avian world .''Bird lovers agree that planning and development cannot be stopped but the ecological aspects and green cover should be retained .''

Quarrelsome birds ....

Generally we spot four types of mynas in our near proximity ,

the Pied mynas appears to be the best behaved ...

This doesn't hold true to what I witnessed ..

They had singled out one bird ,stalking that birdie 

and

screeching with agitation .

On this note have peaceful and fun filled weekend .

I will catch you again in the next week.

Happy Birding .

House crows  are probably the most unpopular bird .

Maybe because they look so cunning and ugly

dressed in glossy black with a ashy grey collar with glittering eyes 

Generally crows are associated with destroying the nests of birds and eating the eggs and chicks . This photograph showcases the parental instincts of these birds .

Theses photographs are not of some exotic bird , but the thought that came to my mind  is why I am sharing these clicks with you all .

Happy birding .

Aerial ballerinas(bee-eaters )

Back into the blogosphere after a long long time .

 It feels good to be back .

Though not much of birding happening ..

I have just been clicking bee-eaters ...

They are size of a sparrow dressed in a pretty green with tints of orange.
I just love to see these beauties sail and glide in the sky .
Will be back soon with some more clicks of mine ...
Happy Birding ..

''The wagtail had an adventurous flight,

Over mountains and plains at night,

Navigating by stars,And magnetic bars,

And arriving safely

all right !''

Wiggle Wiggle White Wagtail...''

Wordless Wednesday ....

Happy birding 

Expressions of birds .....

Couple of babblers hopped into the garden through the hedge .

I generally enjoy observing these birds
They are myna sized birds,
 extremely noisy ,
 start moving leaves in search of their meals (beetles, spiders etc).

Two jungli babblers fighting feathers all fluffed up with anger and murder in their eyes .

Fortunately I had my cam with me and the birds let me come  really close to them .They were so engrossed in their violent encounter . I have never witnessed so much of anger in birds .

Happy Birding

Wordless Wednesday ....

Wordless Wednesday .....

Happy Birding 

Laments of a bird photographer ....

When did you decide to take on to birding ???

Expression on the persons face clearly spelled  out...what an oddball she is !!!

 I don't even remember when my love affair with birds began .
So,how did I get interested in nature in the first place .

Daughter of a army officer and thereafter,married to one.
I have always lived in wilderness.

Chasing butterflies around our tiled cottage in Gangtok,

 spotting partriges in the desert of Suratgarh to admiring a pair of minivet

in Chakrata.

A flash of red ....

I gradually began enjoying being in the lap of nature .

 Listening to the chirping of birds and spotting them in the bushes from there my focus shifted to not just admiring these avian delights but to capturing them between frames.

After the first timer's cough and splutter I began clicking with my 100-400 mm lens with a lot of ease.

 Only chirping of birds can pull me put of my  bed at 5.30 am  in the cold  morning .What excites me the most about bird photography are the challenges involved in it Bird photography is one of the greatest photographic pursuits. You need knowledge, patience and skill, but those challenges make the rewards that much greater.
.Birds don't stand still ,nor can you get very close to them . They would tend to be in the bushes and not come out in the light.Still, I am always ready with my gear to head to the wild to click my feathered friends .
The beauty of bird photography is .......it's an humbling experience 

Wordless Wednesday .....

Happy Birding 

Wordless wednesday...

hAPPY bIRDING 

Wordless wednesday ....

Happy birding