Tag: #birds

Birds of Sunderbans

Posted in Birding, Travel, West BengalTagged , , , 1 Comment
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves

Sunderbans literally means beautiful forest and oh boy! what a beauty it was! Sunderbans is a declared UNESCO world heritage site, it being the largest coastal mangrove forest in the world, 40% of which falls in India and the rest in adjoining  Bangladesh. The marshy delta is formed because the world’s largest rivers, Ganga & Brahmaputra along with Hooghly, Padma & Meghna rivers drain into the Bay of Bengal. The tidal saline ecosystem is home to hundreds of species of  plants, birds & animals all of whom have adapted to the harsh natural conditions here. Mangrove plants grow aerial & support roots to enable them to breathe & grow in the daily tidal grind. The narrow water channels through the mangrove forests makes it a serene and picturesque natural beauty.

Home to more than 85 species animals and 270 species of birds, we were able to spot 35 birds and few animals on a recent trip to Sunderbans. For me, the discovery of the trip was that all animals, including tigers, monkeys, deers etc. know how to swim across water canals and channels as it is the only way they find food distributed across large swathes of the mangrove islands. The most common birds were the Drongos, Minivets and Kingfishers and we are able to spot 6 types of kingfishers – Collared, Common, Black Capped, Brown headed, Pied & White Throated. The area was also dotted with some majestic birds of Prey like Osprey, Crested Serpent Eagle, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Shikra, Brahminy Kite and the rare Peregrine Falcons. There were many water birds like Egrets, Cormorant, Eurasian Curlew, Common Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Whimbrels, Black headed gulls, lesser Adjutant, Striated Heron, etc. that feed on the small crabs, insects and fishes by the banks. We were also able to see many spotted deers, River Otters etc. We saw many Estuarian crocodiles lazing on the banks and very shy of human presence for the moment we used to go anywhere near 30 ft of them, they would slink into the water! The sighting of the trip for me was the Red-tailed Bamboo Pit Viper; it looks quite small harmless, but is one of the most venomous snakes in India.

The tiger, sadly, remained elusive!

#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
The brown headed Kingfisher
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
BlackCapped Kingfisher
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Common Redshank
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Lesser Adjutant
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Striated heron
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Crested Serpent Eagle
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Fulvous breasted Kingfisher Female
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Spotted Dove
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Gull
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Peligrine Falcon
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Shikra
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Intermediate Egret
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Common Kingfisher
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Collared Kingfisher
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White Breasted Waterhen
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Bronze Drongo
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White Throated Kingfisher
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Small Minivet
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Estuarian Crocodile
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River otter
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Mud Slipper
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Green Pit Viper
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Fiddler Crabs
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Monitor Lizard
#birds #birdsphotography, #sunderbans #india #travel #nature #wildlife #forests #mangroves
Monkey

————————————————————————————————————————————–

How to reach there: Nearest airport is in Kolkatta, 2.5 hrs drive to Gadkali which is the ferry point to Sunderbans

Where to stay: Many decent options to stay the night exists in Sunderbans Villages. Sunderbans residency is a good option

What to do : Boat safari with a good government guide.

Birding in Pangot

Posted in Birding, India, Photologues, Travel, UttaranchalTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation

Birding in Pangot, Uttaranchal

Pangot is one of the best places to do birding and is a birdwatcher’s paradise. The place has almost 250 species of birds, both resident and the migratory birds that come here. The best season for bird watching is from Nov-Mar.

How to get there: Pangot is about 15-20kms from Nainital.

Who to bird with: Hari Lama is one of the renowned birders in the area. http://www.harilama.in.

 

#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Himalayan Bluetail male
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Grey backed shrike
DSC_9832 black faced warbler
Black faced Warbler
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Yellow browed Tit
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Yellow breasted Greenfinch (male and female)
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Grey Bushchat male
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Grey Bushchat female
DSC_1029 Blue capped Redstart
Blue capped Redstart
DSC_1036 Scaly breasted Munia
Scaly breasted Munia
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Whiskered Yuhinia
DSC_1085 Green Shrike Babbler
Green Shrike Babbler
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
White tailed Nuthatch
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Olive backed pipit
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Common Chifchaff
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Plumbeous Water Redstart
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Slaty Blue Flycatcher
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Grey hooded Warbler
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Whitethroated Laughingthrushes
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Eurasian jay
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Blackheaded Jay
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Golden Bush Robin
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Longtailed Shrike
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Whitebrowed shrike babbler female
#bird, #beautiful, #instagram, #visastampcollector, #travelgram, #birds, #india, #birdphotography, #pangot, #uttaranchal, #nature, #wildlife, # travel, #travelphotography, #naturephotography, #conservation
Coal Tit

Birding in Kaza, Spiti Valley

Posted in Birding, Himachal Pradesh, India, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley

On a recent road trip to Spiti Valley, had the opportunity to spot a few more Himalayan birds, different from the ones I had spotted a few months ago in Rumbak valley in Ladakh. (See the birds here: Birds of Rumbak )

There were beautiful birds like rock buntings, european goldfinches, common rose finches, red fronted serins, long tailed shrikes etc.

Which one is your favorite?

 

#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Rock Bunting
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Red Fronted Serin
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
European Goldfinch
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Common Rosefinch
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Carrion Crow
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Black Redstart
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
LongTailed Shrike
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Oriental Turtledove
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Yellow Billed Chough
#birds, #bird, #kaza, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #himalayas, #himachal, #roadtrip, #spitivalley
Tibetan Snowfinch

 

How to get to Kaza:

Kaza in Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh, can be accessed via road from Manali. It is approximately 200kms away.

Birding in Rumbak Valley, Ladakh

Posted in Birding, India, Ladakh, TravelTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Birding in Rumbak Valley, Hemis National Park, Jammu & Kashmir, India

On a recent Snow Leopard trek to Rumbak Village in Hemis national park, Ladakh region, I got an opportunity to spot some beautiful birds including some Tibetan species uncommon in other parts of the country. The area is home to many birds of prey like Golden eagle, Lammergeier and Himalayan Griffon vulture which rule the Rumbak valley. Many other local species like Chukar, Tibetan Partridge, Tibetan Snowcock, Tibetan Snowfinch, Streaked Rosefinch, Robin Accentor dot the valley.

Water Birds: Mallard Ducks, Storks, Common Coots etc.

Mallard Duck Male
Mallard Duck Male
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Mallard Duck Female

#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,

DSC_7184

#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
A pair of male & female Gadwall ducks
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Female Gadwall duck
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Great Egret
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Common Coot

 

Birds of Prey: Griffon Vulture, Lammergeier, Golden Eagle

#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Golden Eagle
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Lammergeier
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Griffon Vulture

Native Birds: Tibetan Snowcock, Chukar, Tibetan Snowfinch, Rose Snowfinch, Tibetan Partridge etc.

#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Chukar
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Tibetan Partridge
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Tibetan Snowfinch

Common Birds: Black Billed Magpie, Robin Accentor, Brown Accentor, Grey Tit, Grey Wagtail, Red Billed Chough etc.

#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Black Billed magpie
#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Grey Tit

DSC_7904

#birds,#bird, #ladakh, #photography, #birding, #travel, #travelphotography, #birdphotography, #rumbak, #snowleopard, #trek, #himalayas,
Grey Wagtail
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Robin Accentor

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How to get there & where to stay:

Leh is connected by flights and can also be accessed by road from Srinagar or Manali. Rumbak Valley is in the Ladakh region. The motorable road ends at Zingchan from where one needs to trek to Husing Camp. Further up after a couple of hours trek is Rumbak village.  Rumbak Valley is famous for snow leopard sightings. Either stay at Husing campsite or at the Rumbak village homestays.

On why Birding is like watching a Bollywood multi-starrer and other notes

Posted in Birding, PhotologuesTagged , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,

Observations from a bird watching experience to Sattal, Uttaranchal, India Continue reading “On why Birding is like watching a Bollywood multi-starrer and other notes” →

Birding in Sattal

Posted in Birding, India, Travel, UttaranchalTagged , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,

A bird-watching trek to the town of Sattal, located in Uttaranchal, India

The lower Himalayas is home to a hundreds of indigenous birds of India. Adding to the local avian fauna are the migratory birds who make the lower himalayas their home every winter. An opportunity to see such a vast range of birds took me to Sattal. Sattal, the land of seven lakes, is in the lower Himalayan region in the state of Uttaranchal and is home to a vast variety of indigenous & migratory birds, approximately over 230 in number. Over one weekend, I got to see and click over 50 beautiful birds that one can never ever see over the metro skyline.

#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Khaleej Pheasant (male)
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Rufous-bellied Niltava
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Himalayan Bulbul
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Mountain Bulbul
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Red-Billed Blue Magpie
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Greater Yellownape ( Male & Female)
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Oriental Turtle Dove
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Red-Billed Leiothrix
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Grey-headed Woodpecker
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Brown-fronted Woodpecker (male)
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Himalayan Bluetail
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Rufous-gorgeted Flycatcher
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Great Barbet
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Dusky Eagle Owl
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Blue Whistling Thrush
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Rufous Sibia
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Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch (Male)
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Oriental White Eye
#birdphotography, #birds, #himalayas, #hills, #sattal, #nature, #travel, #india,
Blue-fronted Redstart

Where to go: Sattal & Pangot are popular locations for bird watching. Both are at app 300 kms from Delhi and can be accessed by road or rail that goes till Haldwani & Kathgodam.

When to Go: Nov-Feb is best time; the  weather is good and the avian population comes to life in the North Indian winter.

Snacktime!

Posted in PhotologuesTagged , , , , , , , , 3 Comments
Got these mid-air shots of seabirds aboard a ferry to Elephanta caves, near Mumbai, India. These seabirds fly with the ferry & tourists sometimes throw food at them, which these birds catch mid-air. Sometimes,

Continue reading “Snacktime!” →