Showing posts with label Photos by Mr Ramanan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photos by Mr Ramanan. Show all posts
Sunday, September 18, 2016
Sunday, October 11, 2015
Who is the wildlife?
Demoiselle cranes in thousands.... |
....Sarus cranes in pairs |
Sambar deer shy and solitary, |
Peacocks in monsoon, gorgeous and flashy, |
Sunbathing calotes... |
...screeching terns |
Add caption |
Wild asses in Kutch We have so much. |
A tiger glared.... |
...while the wild boar stared |
....and the elephant seemed to chuckle |
Flamingoes in the east, flamingoes in the west |
Langurs everywhere, sometimes at rest. |
Peaceful Blackbucks locked in combat, yes! we saw that! |
Kingfishers feeding on baby snakes |
Rock pythons doing whatever it takes |
a baby sandgrouse in disguise |
Fluttering dragonflies |
Lions in Gir, resting in the shade |
Darters in Bharatpur, as if in the fashion trade |
Curious Nilgai, |
curious gaurs, the planet is theirs as much as ours |
Magnificent hornbills, why do we slaughter? |
Let those bustards live for our grandsons and daughters |
We are more beastly and wild it appears to me
read the newspapers and you will agree.
Sunday, July 19, 2015
Black shouldered kite at Sholinganallur
Photo by Mr Ramanan |
Elanus caeruleus
A beautiful capture by Mr Ramanan, of a black-shouldered kite, seen on a wire at Sholinganallur. It seems to be fixing Mr Ramanan with a piercing look!
This smaller bird of prey has an interesting habit of hovering, like the pied kingfisher.
On the open plains at Bharatpur, we would regularly see them almost stationery in the sky as they hovered over, looking for small prey like rodents, frogs and lizards.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
The beautiful bee eaters
The beautifully colourful bee eaters. I never tire of seeing them, as they flash through the air in search of insects or sit on wires sunning themselves. Every trip I've made into the forests is "greened" with a sighting of these birds. And even the backyards of Chennai for that matter.
I remember the one sitting on the wires at Siruthavoor, swooping, picking up insects, and munching them with glee.
At Bahminidadar in Kanha, among the tall brown grass of the plateau, there were these bee eaters perched on the grasses, a spot of green against the brown. That sight has stayed with me all these years, and everytime I relive that moent of driving in the jeep, the grass crowding us on either side, and these flashes of green that made me gasp with wonder.
So I was especially thrilled to received these pictures from Mr Ramanan, a veritable bee eater photo festival!
Little birds, with prominent sharp beaks, the bee eaters are a delightful introduction to birding, as they are active and busy and not so shy either.
Maybe this year I will see the bearded fellow?
I remember the one sitting on the wires at Siruthavoor, swooping, picking up insects, and munching them with glee.
At Bahminidadar in Kanha, among the tall brown grass of the plateau, there were these bee eaters perched on the grasses, a spot of green against the brown. That sight has stayed with me all these years, and everytime I relive that moent of driving in the jeep, the grass crowding us on either side, and these flashes of green that made me gasp with wonder.
So I was especially thrilled to received these pictures from Mr Ramanan, a veritable bee eater photo festival!
The blue-tailed bee eater, seen at Sholinganallur. A little bigger than the green bee eater. Merops philippinus |
The same chap. They love to sun themselves and also watch for insects from these perches. |
Notice the beak. Sharp and pointed to catch those flying insects. They generally bang about their insect morsel before eating it, to get rid of the venom. They love bees incidentally. |
The smaller green beeeater, seen at Corbett. Merops orientalis, the more common one that we see around our cities as well. seen at Chennai near the marshes. |
The chestnut headed bee eater seen at Thengumaragada, Kotagiri, Nilgiris. Merops leschenaulti. I have not yet seen this bird. The chestnut head glints in the sun! |
Check out the beard feathers in this profile shot! They are supposedly loners, and have a loud cackling call. |
Maybe this year I will see the bearded fellow?
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Pongal at Goa - birds, by Mr Ramanan
Crimson-backed sunbird |
the female |
Coppersmith at the Madhe bridge |
A very cold white-cheeked barbet |
A beautiful red-whiskered bulbul |
A vernal hanging parrot, seen at the resort |
Black-hooded oriole seen at Bondla |
I saw some 28 new species for the first time, on this Goa trip.
Great Crested Tern | |||
Terek Sandpiper | |||
Peregrine Falcon | |||
Slaty-breasted Rail | |||
Collared Kingfisher | |||
Fulvous Whistling-duck | |||
Brown-breasted Flycatcher | |||
White-throated Fantail | |||
White-rumped Munia | |||
Blue-eared Kingfisher | |||
White-bellied Blue Flycatcher | |||
Black-hooded Oriole | |||
Spangled Drongo | |||
Black-naped Monarch | |||
Grey-breasted Prinia | |||
Wire-tailed Swallow | |||
Black-crested Bulbul | |||
Grey-headed Bulbul | |||
White-bellied Sea Eagle | |||
Savanna Nightjar | |||
Chestnut-headed Bee-eater | |||
Malabar Trogon | |||
Malabar Pied Hornbill | |||
Rufous Woodpecker | |||
Speckled Piculet | |||
Large Cuckooshrike | |||
Streak-throated Swallow | |||
Crimson-fronted Barbet |
The Malabar trogon was my most special sighting, followed by that gorgeous ruby throated bulbul (aka black crested)
I saw some 88 species, and the entire list is here. The entire group saw "160 Birds, 9 Mammals, 5 Frogs, 9 Reptiles, 44 Butterflies, 8 Dragonflies & Damselflies and 11 other invertebrates"
Sunday, December 30, 2012
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