GKVK

The Gandhi Krishi Vignana Kendra campus of the University of Agricultural Sciences is a real heaven for bird-watching. I got all of the following in less than an hour. It was overcast when I reached there and the sun was setting. As a result, these snaps aren't so great. But I promised myself to go there again, preferably in the morning, very soon.

32. Shikra (Accipter badius)
This one just refused to come out of the dark foliage. She perched on this distant branch just long enough for me to click this snap.



33. Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis)
This is a common resident and rather bold too. I am confident I'll replace this with a better snap.
Update on 4-May-2012: Replaced with a pic taken in Galibore.

34. Rufous Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda)
This raucus pair was silhouetted against the evening light. I wasn't quick enough to change the settings of the camera to get a better shot.

(Replaced by a pic taken in Bharatpur)

The next two are very common birds and really deserve better photographs, but I'm feeling desperate to move my numbers a little.
35. Male Asian Koel (Eudynamys scolopacea)


36. Male Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Anejhari

Anejhari is a forest lodge near Kollur in Shimoga district and fast becoming one of my favorite places in the world. More about the trip on my other blog. Here are the birds I spotted and photographed.

First the ones I'm proud of.
21. Malabar/Southern Trogon (Harpactes fasciatus)
This beauty teased and tormented. It kept changing its perch before I could train my lens on it. The dark foliage made it really difficult to take a good shot without blurring the picture. Before I got this shot I was out of breath and had 2 long thorns embedded in my calf muscle.


22.Crested Serpent Eagle (Spilornis cheela)
Spotted this one while driving near Sagar. Had to run hundreds of meters through paddy fields to get close to this guy. The picture is blurred but the beast is magnificient.
(Replaced by a picture from Bandhavgarh)

The next bunch of low-resolution pictures of waders and friends came from two gorgeous lotus ponds on the way back from Anejhari.

23. Red-wattled Lapwing (Vanellus indicus)
I'm not exactly proud of this pic. I'm determined to replace it with a better one.


24. Purple Swamphen (Poryphyrio poryphyrio)
(Replaced by a picture taken in Bharatpur in 2015)

25. Little Egret (Egretta garzetta)


26. Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)
Replaced on 12-Jan by a pic I shot in Sri Lanka

Check out the hatchlings barely visible in the grass.


27. Cotton Pygmy Goose (Nettapus coromandelianus)


28. Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)


29. Common Coot (Fulica atra)
(Replaced by a picture taken in Bharatpur in 2015)

30. Bronze Winged Jacana (Metopedius indicus)
This long-clawed male was boucing around from one lotus leaf to the other. I had to click nearly 50 times to get this half-decent snap.


...and finally
31. Spotted Dove (Streptopilia chinensis)
I'm using up yet another "joker card" here, but the temptation to keep the counter ticking is too strong.

MakaLidurga

MakaLidurga, which is a 1350m high hill near Doddaballapur, is a great place for bird watching. Here's my harvest.

17. Baya Weaver (Plocius phillipinus): We found a little lake that was surrounded by Baya Weaver nests. This male was in the process of building his nest.

Picture of female clicked at KokkarebeLLur on 6-Feb-2010

Another picture of a male shot in Gulakmale


18. Laughing Dove (Streptopilia senegalensis)
Updated by picture taken in KokkarebeLLur on 6-Feb-2010

Original picture here.

19. Drongo Cuckoo (Surniculus lugubris)
This juvenile was engaged in a dogged fight with a group of crows (a murder I believe it is called).


20. Female Red Munia/Red Avadavat/Strawberry Finch (Amandava amandava)