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Yeoor's bug life

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

A few days back, I had been to Yeoor hills again (my first time with MWS) and found some interesting insects. It is a whole new world when you look through a macro lens and an awesome experience. I couldn't identify most of the insects, but that doesn't really matter. Does it? Just enjoy nature's beauty.

The above bug is called the Lychee shield bug (Chrysocoris stolli) commonly mistaken for jewel beetles.

Sunset at Syke's Point

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Here is a gorgeous sunset view of the Dandeli - Anshi Tiger Reserve forest. This is from a beautiful place called Sykes Point. The river you see below is the Kali river. If you wait long enough in the morning, you will see flocks of Malabar Pied Hornbills flying across the valley.

This is my first attempt at an HDR photo. So if you are an HDR pro, excuse me if I have made any mistakes here. The sun flare could not be avoided, it is present in the original photos.

Flamingoes of Mumbai 2

Thu, 20 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Continued from last post, here are some more photos of the beautiful flamingoes, or as Michael puts it, blushing chickens of mumbai !

Flamingoes of Mumbai

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 +0000

I can call them that, I suppose. They very much belong to Mumbai now. These migratory birds fly down to India to the Rann of Kutch and nearby shores to avoid the biting winter of the upper northern hemisphere. They usually stay till the end of February or March and fly back. This year, they seem to have stayed all through the scorching Indian summer here in my backyard for the last 5 months!

A few weeks back I saw a flock of flamingoes fly above the Mulund-Airoli bridge over Thane creek. That was when me and my friends decided to investigate. What we saw was the biggest avian spectacle ever in Mumbai. This and the next post will cover some of the photos we took during the boat ride, spanning from the Mulund side of Thane creek right upto Vikhroli.

The two kinds of flamingoes migrating to India are Lesser & Greater flamingoes. Lesser flamingoes are smaller in size and typically have dark coloured beaks & a deeper pink colour. Greater flamingoes are larger in size and have pink beaks. The ones above are lesser flamingoes.

Here is a flock of greater flamingoes, right in front of the Mulund Airoli bridge.

Malabar Pied Hornbill

Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

The Malabar Pied Hornbill flying in the Dandeli-Anshi wildlife sanctuary. The area opposite to the Nagjhari Power House is big hornbill country. A local told us about the old days when these hornbills were caught and killed for their meat – they were called Shahi Murga(royal chicken). Disgusting!

This beautiful bird is now an endangered species.

Dawn at the Timber Depot

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

My latest trip has been to Dandeli wildlife santuary, in northern Karnataka. This place is a dense deciduous forest with a wide variety of bird and insect species. I have always like birds. Though, only recently have I seriously started understanding and reading about them, thanks to my photographer friends.

This photo was taken at the Timber Depot in Dandeli town. This place, among other places in the Dandeli sanctuary, is hot for spotting the Malabar Pied Hornbill, an exotic bird found generally in South East Asia.

Pied Avocets

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A pair of Pied Avocets flying on marshland at Uran, near Mumbai. These are migratory birds that come to India in winter from Europe/Central Asia. Apparently, they are called so because their black caps look like European advocates /lawyers from olden days!

Long-tailed Shrike

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Long-tailed Shrike (erythronotus race), spotted at Uran, Maharashtra. This one appears to be a young one.

Courting in the Jungle

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A peacock courting peahen in the Ranthambore jungle.

Dead Leaf Praying Mantis

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Dead Leaf Praying Mantis. I found this during a farmhouse weekend break near Murbad, Maharashtra. Seen this creature for the first time. Looks absolutely like a dead leaf. See this another shot --

Crimson Swirls

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Gaudy Grasshopper

Sat, 08 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Found a bunch of gaudy grasshoppers on a recent jaunt to Yeoor Hills in Thane. We were amused on seeing these creatures as we had not seen them ever earlier. Very beautiful and vividly coloured. As if nature has painted them with its own hands.

If you notice, the wings of this adolescent grasshopper have not grown at all.

Red Beauty

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:38:00 +0000

A Dahlia. This was taken in February, during the annual fruit and flower show at VJTI.

Brown Fish Owl

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 09:10:00 +0000

The Brown Fish Owl.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:34:00 +0000

The Asian Paradise Flycatcher (male) -- A beautiful bird, it turns white when fully adult. I was extremely lucky to get such a close shot of the bird, sitting in a packed jeep moving over the rough terrain.

The Crocodile and the Stork

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:10:00 +0000

A painted stork seen pecking around a crocodile at the Rajbagh lake. The stork seemed to be quite cool but the croc would widen its mouth when the stork came closer. A mob of spotted deer can be seen in the far background.

Rajbagh is the largest lake in the Ranthambore national park attracting a large variety of animals and birds from around the park. It is a treat to watch so many different species coming together here. This lake falls in zone 3, among the various zones that visitors are allowed access to. And probably the most beautiful zone.

Padam Lake

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 08:13:00 +0000

The Padam lake in the foreground gets its name from the multitudes of lotuses that bloom in it. The Jogi Mahal (in red) is a small hunting lodge in the park, accessible to only forest officials. In the back drop is the Ranthambore fort, in its ruins.

After spending a whole day taking photos, I realized, I had set the camera to ISO 800 the evening before and had forgotten to reset it back to 100! As a result, a whole day's photos, in a three day trip, came out grainy! Including this one.

Indian Robin

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:33:00 +0000

The Indian Robin (female), at Ranthambore, Rajasthan. Found flittering in the garden of the hotel where we were staying.

Oriental Honey Buzzard

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 02:20:00 +0000

The Oriental Honey Buzzard in flight. This is a female, evident from her yellow eyes (males have red ones). This was taken at Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan. Hold on for a day or two, there are some tiger shots to share! :)

Common Garden Lizard

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 02:06:00 +0000

A common garden lizard (Calotes Versicolor) found at Karnala Bird Sanctuary. Unfortunately no bird photos for me in this visit. My 70-300 mm lens had a mechanical failure.

I hope, as always, to be back at regular posting at this blog. And it is the reason why I have not killed this blog till now. So if you are reading this, do put in your comments. That'll cheer me up a bit to continue!