Nature Frames

2008-03-09T21:58:00.005+05:30

SAVE TIGER

Beginning of 1900s, India had more than 40,000 tigers in the wild and its just hundred years and they are just 1400(?) in numbers! Its a real pity that this is the state of our national animal. NDTV and Sactuary Asia has been running a campaign in getting a petition signed by the citizens of India. The intent is to collect one-million signatures and submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding immediate action to secure the remaining population.If you haven't still signed the petition, please do it by clicking here

More about the above image here.

2008-02-23T11:18:00.003+05:30

A young stag stares though my lens..

As I relax over this weekend, my memories of jungles of Nagarahole still haunts me at this point in time. Last week I made a quick trip to Nagarahole and Irpu falls which I had never visited before. The moment we entered into the gates of the jungle, we were welcomed by a magnificent Crested serpent eagle. This place is simple enchanting and happen to spot both red headed vultures ( also known as king vultures) and Indian long billed vultures ( critically endangered ) on a tree while were on a safari. Check out some of the images on my website - Frames from wild under 'New Images' gallery.

2008-02-11T14:59:00.000+05:30

I made this image early January in TG Halli. The morning light was awesome and so does the colors of this Painted stork.

On a different note, after some hard work, I can come up with my own site to portray all my images. You can visit my page here. I hope I can make some good progress in improving the content on my site. Your feed backs and suggestions are most welcome.

2008-02-03T22:16:00.000+05:30

Zitting Cisticola

Wanted to have an image of this bird in my collection but it was becoming increasingly elusive. I managed to get only one frame of this image today. Though not the composition that I had on my mind. Hope to have a better luck next time.

Common kestrel - Female

This Kestrel never disappoints me when ever I go to TG Halli to shoot something. Though not too lucky in terms of newer species to shoot, this bird always poses for me.

2008-01-21T20:04:00.001+05:30

Nature's Pendent

It was a cold morning in Bangalore. We landed in TG Halli, about 40 KMS from Bangalore and the sun was still not out despite it was 6:15 AM and we started to walk to the fag end of the back waters. Hands were frozen and it was as if I was going to have a frost bite holding a tripod, just as when we spotted few spiders completely frozen by dew. Its tough for these creatures during winter and yet its a struggle for existence!

2008-01-21T19:54:00.001+05:30

Dew on the wings of dragon fly

More than the dew I love various geometrical shapes that form the wings. Mystical side if nature always intrigues me.

2008-01-07T11:06:00.000+05:30

Black shouldered kite ( Elanus caeruleus )

Its been a long time since I updated my blog. I was away for a while during last few days of December on a photography trip to the western ghats. I am in the process of post-processing the images and will be posting the same going forward. Meanwhile, you can check the trip report here and few images here.

2007-12-10T22:41:00.000+05:30

Purple sunbird ( Necteriana asiatica )

This was the shot of the day for me. This bird was so tolerant towards us that it allowed a very close approach. The colors of this bird really bowled me over.

2007-12-10T22:19:00.000+05:30

Indian Silver Bill ( Lonchura malabarica )

Early in the morning, sun was just out and we stopped our car to shoot the peeking sun through the distant hill. Behind us was another hill and I noticed a flurry if activities from some common birds. When I started moving closer to the hill, I saw a bird feeding on the seeds/flowers of these grasses. It was so shy that beyond a certain distance of approach, it used to flyaway. Finally at one point in time I was looking through the lens focussing the grass and it flew in and I immediately pressed the shutter.

2007-12-10T22:04:00.000+05:30

Indian Robin - Male ( Saxicoloides fulicata )

We never even thought of stopping at a point in Ramanagar outskirts. We saw a group of swallows sitting on a wire and Anil stopped the car to look at it. Just as I when I started to chase a group of Indian Silver bills but there it was a male robin perched close to our walk trail. It posed for us for good 5 minutes and we clicked.

2007-12-10T21:57:00.000+05:30

Laughing Dove ( Streptopelia senegalensis )

Never looking into the eyes of any bird if you want to watch it closely or photograph it. And never ever even think of looking into the eyes of these doves. These are very shy and on a close approach will flyaway!

2007-12-10T21:47:00.000+05:30

Juvenile Rose ringed parakeet ( Psittacula krameri )

We stopped out car for a while to watch these parakeets early in the morning. This in, looked a little lousy perched on this broken coconut tree and never seemed to fly.

2007-12-10T21:33:00.000+05:30

Yellow Billed Babbler ( Turdoides affinis )

While Birding along Ramanagar outskirts early in the morning, a yellow billed babbler couple perched on this tree branch. One of them flew away and this was curious about us. The light was awesome and I got a part of back lighting.

2007-11-29T22:26:00.001+05:30

Barn Swallow ( Hirundo rustica )

As I reached Lingambudhi lake , the first thing I saw was this bird in huge numbers. They are very agile and never sits on a single perch for a second. Luckily at one point in time, there were a few birds sitting and when I approached, all the birds except this one flew away. This was at the minimum focusing distance of my lens.

2007-11-29T22:20:00.001+05:30

Black Drongo ( Dicrurus macrocercus )

This bird was coming back to the same perch again and again when I looked at it. On closer observation, it was actually bathing in the near by water and coming over to this perch to dry its wings. It posed for us by doing some nice acrobats. It's little tricky to get the exposure right for any bird which is black in color.

2007-11-29T22:13:00.000+05:30

It was getting slightly sunny and we wanted to pack up. The light was angular from the right and this Brahminy kite started to swoop. I tracked it through the view finder and at one point I liked the color of the wings at this angle. I missed it for the first time but the bird flew over the same spot the second time giving me a second chance :)

2007-11-29T22:11:00.001+05:30

Brahminy Kite ( Haliastur indus )

While walking along the Karanji lake in Mysore, suddenly when I looked up, I saw this setting on this bark of the tree and when I looked through the lens, I saw a fish kill. This bird gave us some nice action shots whilst it filled its stomach.

2007-11-29T22:04:00.001+05:30

Blue tailed bee-eater ( Merops philippinus )

This was shot in Lingambudhi lake on my trip to Mysore. After birding we were returning back, just as when we saw these birds in quite a few numbers. We waited for about 30 minutes for it to perch on a good place and it paid off! The name says it all - "Blue tailed".

2007-11-29T21:57:00.000+05:30

Common Hoopoe ( Upupa Epops )

This was feeding on the ground and I wanted it on a nice perch. After waiting for about 10 minutes, this guy rested on this perch and gave me a nice head turn.

2007-11-29T21:52:00.000+05:30

Brown Shrike (Lanius cristatus)

This bird beautifully perched looking at the morning light. When I aimed my camera at it , it provided me with a nice head turn.

2007-11-26T00:52:00.001+05:30

Indian long billed vulture ( Gyps indicus )

While waiting for some action early in the morning, the thermals hadn't yet risen through the atmospheric air and this was resting with spread wings in this manner for drying.

2007-11-26T00:48:00.001+05:30

Cattle Egret ( Bubulcus ibis )

While we were waiting for the black ibis to land, I saw an opportunity of making an image of this egret with a dark background so that the bird pops out beautifully in the image. This is what I could manage.

2007-11-23T23:24:00.001+05:30

Pied Bushchat( Saxicola caprata )

2007-11-23T23:20:00.001+05:30

Rose ringed parakeets ( Psittacula krameri )
(Full frame)

This is one of the first few shots with my new lens. The sun was just out at the dawn and this bird flew past us and landed on this perch in a field. It allowed us a close approach. This was shot with minimum focussing distance, hand held. Was a thrilling experience.

2007-11-23T23:13:00.000+05:30

Purple rumped sunbird (Nectarinia zeylonica)

This bird almost landed at minimum focusing distance. IT rested here for couple of seconds and flew away.

2007-11-23T23:07:00.000+05:30

Brahminy Kite( Haliastur indus )

There were few parakeets resting on this perch just as when a Brahminy kite pair landed shooing away those parakeets. After almost 15 minutes the sun was out and this particular bird started preening. It was a treat to watch this through my new lens.

2007-11-20T08:30:00.000+05:30

Bheemeshwari - A Panorama

Over the weekend, we had a team event which was organised to take place in Bheemeshwari. Though the water was not at high water marks, the view was spectacular. In the morning, as I stood at the same spot, first thing that occured to my mind was to make a close to 180 degree panoramic shot. Was thinking of taking 18 vertical images but since the evening light was fading faster, had to resort to landscape shots. Merged 4 landscape shots to make this panorama.

PS: If the browser is not able to render a bigger image, check the image by clicking here

2007-11-13T23:32:00.000+05:30

In contemplation for survival

Thought process behind the struggle to survive and thrive. It gives me an impression as if its urging us humans not to use Diclofenac. Well, Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory cattle drug which is acting as a "slow poison" on these majestic species. When these feed on the dead caracass of cattle ( or any wild animal ) that was treated with diclofenac, the drug hits the blood stream of the Vultures thus pushing them to the brink of extinction. Read more about this here in an article by The Guardian. Its only when the ignorance of the people is identified and realised not to use diclofenac that these species of Vultures can survive for the next generation :(.

2007-11-13T23:24:00.000+05:30

We saw a paradise fly catcher zip past through us. We chased it for good 30 minutes to manage few decent images but it was too shy to pose for us. As we were waiting, my friend Sai spotted a Huge wood spider. I was stunned by its size. On the same plane, we saw couple of more spiders, bigger than the one we spotted at first! My first reaction was OMG! We didn't get paradise fly catcher - better luck next time for us, but we managed to get this. It was tough to get a dark background as the canopy was under developed and hence we had to do some acrobats trying to find a right green patch that gets blurred out.

2007-11-13T23:15:00.000+05:30

I liked this position and composition very much. Reason being - the details of the feathers and display it gave to us was simply fantastic.

2007-11-13T23:03:00.000+05:30

In anticipation

When I was here on the day of Diwali, I saw these LBV's collecting some nesting materials and bringing them back to their roosting sites. Just as when this was flying withe one such material, I made this image. Liked this perspective very much. One of the LBV sitting on the rocks added to the mood.

2007-11-11T23:51:00.001+05:30

Close up

If you notice the long bill in this image, you realise the reason behind the name of these vultures. Best part is, I love their hooked beaks which helps them in tearing the flesh from its prey while feeding.

2007-11-11T23:45:00.001+05:30

From high-water marks of hills of Ramanagar

Hiking up the hill to the top gave us some spectacular views of hills of Ramanagara. These patch of grasses contrasting against the distant hill captured my attention.

2007-11-11T23:38:00.000+05:30

Ray of hope

We hiked up the hill to get the better images of the flight of the vultures. Meanwhile, the sun was scorching at us. As I was resting on one of the rocks, I saw the light piercing through a shaft and fell only on these three blades of grass. Under exposed by more than couple of stops to get a darker background against these beautifully lit up grass blades. It gives me an impression that it carries a "Ray of hope" message for the critically endangered species - the long billed vultures or the Indian vultures as they are called to increase in their numbers.

Note: If monitor is well calibrated, you should be able to see the traces of light on the rocks in the background.

2007-11-09T20:46:00.001+05:30

Perfect Sunset
(Full frame image)

It was an awesome evening that will be etched onto my mind and heart for ever. There was a small burst of nimbus clouds floating just above the horizon and the sun hid behind it. As I continued to gaze at it, the clouds stayed there and the sun started it descent. At this point in time, the emotions were inexplicable!

2007-11-09T01:59:00.000+05:30

E C S T A C Y
(Full frame)

2007-11-09T01:39:00.002+05:30

An evening in Ramanagar

(Full frame)

On the day of deepavali, witness such a beautiful sunset just outside Bangalore is a real visual treat all by itself. Gift of nature is just awesome and you just have to be there to witness it. With such marvels that nature offers us, its worth living a lifetime, enjoying them!

2007-11-09T01:11:00.000+05:30

Hills of Ramanagara - Another perspective

2007-11-05T21:06:00.001+05:30

Made this image when I made a quick 1 night trip to BRT early October. Though it wasn't that productive trip in terms of photography, this lone tusker gave us a majestic appearance on both the safaris.

2007-11-02T21:59:00.001+05:30

Brahminy Kite - Juvenile ( Haliastur indus )

The first thing that we see as we enter the backwaters of TG Halli is these beauties fishing. You can recall the similar event that was recorded by me couple of months back by looking at this image . I saw the same scene again over the last weekend. However, I was successful in making this shot of the bird statically resting on this rock. I love the head turn it gave me while making this image.

2007-11-02T21:46:00.002+05:30

Freshness of dawn

2007-11-02T21:42:00.001+05:30

While making the images of egrets, I saw this dragon fly resting on this water plant. The light was interesting. Even though I was very far from this, wanted to give it a try. Managed to getaway with this shot.

2007-11-02T21:35:00.001+05:30

Black Drongo ( Dicrurus macrocercus )

Managed to get the white rictal spot in this image. The most difficult part in shooting these widespread residents are that the exposure should be spot on to get the catch light in the eyes and the white spot near the eyes. Since the subject is dark, its a little tricky to get the black eyes as well in the frame.

2007-11-02T21:18:00.000+05:30

After endlessly waiting for winter visitors and something good, we couldn't get anything other than Drongos and Brahminy kites. Finally at the fag end of backwaters, we spotted these egrets roosting on this patch of land right in the middle of the waters. Light was interesting and underexposed the shot by more than a stop to get the mood right.

2007-11-02T21:08:00.001+05:30

While walking down the hills of Ramanagara, Shiva spotted this. I spent some 15 minutes with this guy. After this image, I realized that to get a better DOF, I should not have been so much closer to this. But, then again, I like the complex eyes of this beautiful Grasshopper.

2007-10-28T21:02:00.001+05:30

Shaheen falcon ( Indian race of Falco peregrinus peregrinator )

These are mainly found in South Asia from Pakistan across India to Sri Lanka and Southeastern China. It is non-migratory. It is small and dark, with rufous underparts barred with lighter color.

It was an awesome experience to watch this raptor for such a long time. One of the best part of this trip. This is more of a document shot, as, this was very very far way beyond the limits of my lens range; though I managed a record shot to show it in its habitat!

2007-10-28T20:56:00.001+05:30

World of Flowers

I always loved macro photography, especially those of insects, smaller forms of invertebrates and of course the flora. Its always amazing to experience the 'inner' world of smaller life forms by getting into their world. One such opportunity struck over the weekend. With a macro lens in my hand I began to experience the real world of flowers. Made this image which depicts the kernel/core of a wild flower. Since I fired the inbuilt flash, the white streaks that you see is the light reflected off the morning dew.

2007-10-28T20:29:00.000+05:30

Camouflage - Beauty of nature

These are very tiny frogs that thrive in the hills of Ramanagara. The best about these is that they are wonderfully camouflaged against the predators. Until these frogs jump, we don't even realize that there exists a frog nearby. These perfect adaptability in nature is just amazing!

Best innovator is always nature.....none can beat it, but you learn from it :)

2007-10-28T20:25:00.000+05:30

Shiva lent me Sigma 105 mm macro lens during this trip. I tried hard making detailed image of this small flower but couldn't get the perspective right. Just as when I realized looking through the viewfinder that the background was awesomely blurred out . Finally settled for this composition.

2007-10-28T20:22:00.000+05:30

These wild flowers looked awesome to me glowing in the morning light.

2007-10-28T20:19:00.001+05:30

Descending down the hills, we saw this rock agama basking in the morning sun that was just out of the clouds. I thought about this composition and I got it right. This is a full frame image.

2007-10-28T20:16:00.001+05:30

Micro-ecosystem

As we hiked the hills of Ramanagara, we came to a halt where in at a trench, we found the rain water being collected. At the fringes of the trench grew these lovely flower bearing plants.

2007-10-22T22:24:00.000+05:30

This is a section of Barachukki falls. Made this image mid August. It was awesome rains here in the Southern India and these falls were a treat to watch! Aerial view of these falls here

2007-10-19T20:00:00.000+05:30

Green Bee-eater ( Merops orientalis )

Made this image early September. Somehow I missed this from posting it here. It was a cool morning and we decided to do some birding. Though this is a very common bird in India, the light was great on this day and I could clearly visualize an opportunity to make an image of slightly higher quality with a beautiful dark background!

Note: If the monitor is not well calibrated, you won't be able to appreciate the image much.

2007-10-15T10:03:00.000+05:30

Dragon Fly

Was trying to make some images of terrapins just as when this dragonfly landed on this grass blade. I was making some exposure adjustments and this one gave me some opportunity to try out some shots.

2007-10-15T09:56:00.000+05:30

Common coot ( Fulica atra)

These are a widespread residents as well as winter visitors. White bill and red eyes of these make them stand out for me. These are wide spread residents and are most commonly found in standing fresh waters.

2007-10-15T09:48:00.000+05:30

It was a wonderful evening in Mysore outskirts along the banks of the river. These Black Ibis' were returning back to their nests with the regulation V-formation. If you have ever wondered, why do birds fly with such a formation - its for efficiency and aerodynamics! Isn't science behind this beautiful. Read more about it here

2007-10-15T09:43:00.000+05:30

White-browed wagtail ( Motacilla maderaspatenis )

While we were birding around Mysore outskirts, we were inquisitive about early winter visitors. Just as when this flew past my and landed on this heap of sand. Main habitat for these birds includes banks of rivers, pools, lakes, canals.

2007-10-15T09:34:00.000+05:30

Pheasant-Tailed Jacana ( Hydrophasianus chirurgus )

This is another perspective of PTJ. We spent close to 45 minutes in this place watching these PTJs fish early in the morning.

2007-10-09T00:45:00.000+05:30

Chital/Spotted Deer ( Axis axis )

As we started into evening safari, we spotted a herd of chitals crossing the jeep tracks. Hearing the noise of fast approaching jeep, the herd galloped into the bushes. There was this curious stag looking back at us. I was waiting for this one to look straight into my eyes. As I looked through the viewfinder waiting for the shot, he gave me this look! This is a full frame image.

2007-10-09T00:37:00.000+05:30

Giant wood spider

Just started birding in JLR campus and we spotted a HUGE web of this giant wood spider. These spiders just amazes me with their sheer size the the way they 'hunt' for food.

2007-10-09T00:13:00.000+05:30

Paddy field pipit ( Anthus rufulus )

It was a tiring day and still we wanted to do some birding. Incidentally the light turned out to be sweet and warm and we were near the cauvery river just outside Mysore and I spotted this one land few meters from me. When I looked through the view finder I could see the strands of grass and those tiny flower giving me a lovely composition. I had to wait for this bird to move to this position and it did, as it got a bit curious about my lens :)

2007-10-09T00:08:00.000+05:30

Elephas Maximas

This lone tusker obstructed our safari for few minutes. Just as we entered the gate of Durgur road in the jungles of BRT, this guy was staring at our jeep from a distance. We had spotted this on the previous evening at least 5 kilometers away from this place. It was just awesome to watch this guy's single tusk.

2007-10-09T00:03:00.000+05:30

Terrapins

As we were birding in KGudi, we spotted these terrapins enjoying the late morning sun. Last time I went to BRT, I wanted to make some images of these but these are so sensitive creatures that, the moment they sense the slightest of the movements, they jump into the water and hesitates to come up.

Note: You will not be able to appreciate this image or the mood in this image if the monitor is not properly calibrated for brightness, contrast and colors.

2007-10-08T23:53:00.000+05:30

Take off of Pheasant-Tailed Jacana ( Hydr0phasianus chirurgus )

When we started off our trip to BR Hills, we had huge expectations in terms of photography and spotting exotic wildlife. We had started off from Bangalore at 5:00 AM. Cruising along Kollegal route, we spotted this lake filled with lilies and immediately it struck to our mind that there might be a possibility of PTJ's in the lake. We stopped to take a look at it. It was around 6:40 AM and sweet light of the sun was behind us. After couple of minutes I spotted this lovely PTJ fishing!! Knowledge of the bird's habitat definitely paid off!

2007-10-08T23:48:00.000+05:30

Black Ibis ( Pseudibis papillosa )

We were completely exhausted and it was the last few stretch towards Mysore that made us more tired. Sun was harsh and we reached the outskirts of Mysore. Just as when we were cruising we spotted these Black Ibis resting in the field.

2007-10-02T23:13:00.000+05:30

Bay-Backed Shrike ( Lanius vittatus )

This was more of a compositional cum record shot (due to the distance and lack of approach paths due to slush). This lovely bird had perched in the middle of a lake that had undergone severe eutrophication. Another beautiful bird with rufous-buff wash.

2007-10-02T23:09:00.000+05:30

Damsel Fly

Made this image in Manchanabele over the weekend. As we were walking along the under growth, I saw this tiny fly hovering along the bushes. More about these tiny yet awesome creatures - here.

2007-10-02T22:59:00.000+05:30

Jewel Bug (Scutelleridae - otherwise known as shield-backed bugs )

Made this image in Manchanabele. Its a real joy to watch such beautiful colors and patterns on this bug. This belongs to order Hemiptera

2007-10-02T22:56:00.000+05:30

S t o r m
A p p r o a c h i n g

2007-10-02T22:53:00.000+05:30

Yet another Damselfly image. Thanks to Shiva, who lent me his 50mm macro lens. Could manage this close-to-decent shot.

2007-10-02T22:39:00.000+05:30

European Bee-Eater ( Merops apiaster )

These are migratory birds. Was fortunate enough to make at least these record shot images of these awesome beauties. Multicolored feathers makes these birds stand out. With chestnut crown and yellow throat, these were hard to spot and once we spotted it was a treat to watch these beauties. More about these here

2007-09-29T09:36:00.000+05:30

I do not know the ID of this flower. Made this image in Lingambudhi lake on my previous visit.

2007-09-28T08:22:00.001+05:30

This was the second image of the flight shot that I made of Black Headed Ibis. These fly so fast that I had to wait for a particular moment just before the landing maneuvers they do. I observed them for couple of minutes and waited for this particular angle.

2007-09-25T23:35:00.000+05:30

Stachytarpheta indica

This was the one of the best images of this trip. This is a kind of weed that grows near marsh lands and waterbodies. But the kind of flower that blooms is just awesome.

2007-09-25T23:31:00.000+05:30

Song of Ashy - Reprise

This image is sequel to the one of my previous image. This bird is so photographer friendly that it keeps perching singing a beautiful song!

2007-09-25T23:24:00.000+05:30

Pied Bush Chat - Male ( Saxicola caprata )

Made this image from the car. We were driving along after making few images of this bird but this was never let us go. It flew past us and perched on this twig. I realised that there was an opportunity to make a better image than the previous ones

2007-09-25T23:20:00.000+05:30

Red Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer)

It was early in the morning where we found many of these birds' songs. This flew above my head and perched on this plant beautifully giving me a perfect head turn.

2007-09-25T23:16:00.000+05:30

Morning Prayers - An Abstract Art

Flower ID : Lion's Ears

Scientific Name: Leonotis nepetifolia

2007-09-25T23:12:00.000+05:30

Nature's Art

2007-09-25T23:03:00.000+05:30

As we were moving slowly in the car looking for birds, this flower caught my eyes. I had to hike a little to reach this place to make this image.

2007-09-22T16:41:00.000+05:30

Nature's Symmetry

Exif: F6.3, 1/80s at 500mm, ISO 200

2007-09-22T16:36:00.000+05:30

V I R I D I T Y

Exif: F6.3,1/400s at 363mm, ISO 200

2007-09-22T16:28:00.000+05:30

Green Bee-Eater ( Merops orientalis )

This one was extremely curious of my camera. There was another one on the other side and was making images of it and this one landed in front of my camera and gave this inquisitive look. The perch was awesome and I clicked!

Exif: F6.3, 1/320 at 500mm, ISO 200

2007-09-22T16:25:00.000+05:30

Exif: F8,1/60s at 417mm, ISO 200

2007-09-22T16:17:00.000+05:30

White-Brested Waterhen ( Amaurornis phoenicurus )

As we were waiting for the black headed Ibis to land, this one flew past us. I never bothered initially, but, after couple of minutes when I was looking at the light falling along this path, this one was retracing its path back. Mostly found along the reedy marshes

Exif: F6.3, 1/640 at 500mm, ISO 200

2007-09-22T16:12:00.000+05:30

Serene Sail

Exif: F6.3, 1/800s at 500mm, ISO200

2007-09-22T16:02:00.000+05:30

Pale-Billed Flower Pecker (Dicaeum erythrorynchos)

It was early April when I had been to Hebbal for birding is when I made this image. Sun was just out and this one came out of the nearby bush and landed right in front of me. These are wide spread residents, however, these are not recorded in the parts of NE and NW subcontinent. Extremely agile bird which is about 8 cm in length.

Exif: F6.3, 1.640s at 500mm,ISO200

2007-09-16T23:33:00.000+05:30

Was bored to death sitting at home all day. Took my camera and started clicking in my home at the flower that had bloomed. Managed this image. I can still say that this image is from the 'WILD' as this insect is not my pet :-). Thanks to Shiva and Sai for the the critics and helping me better compose this image.

2007-09-14T17:06:00.000+05:30

Great Cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo )

Made this image on third attempt. Locking on the focus on this bird flying at high speed was a little difficult. Full frame image.

2007-09-14T16:34:00.000+05:30

Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)

Prashanth lent me his 100-400L IS for this shot. I am sure this lens is capable of more. Next time I get this lens, I need to pitch in all my thoughts before I trip the shutter to better harness its potential.

2007-09-14T12:30:00.000+05:30

Bahminy Kite ( Haliastur indus )

These are wide spread residents but not found in North western and North Eastern part of India. This is an adult with white head and chestnut body.

2007-09-13T19:57:00.000+05:30

Lesser whistling duck (Dendrocygna javanicia)

Typical habitat of this includes flooded grassland and paddyfields, freshwater marshes and shallow lakes and pools

2007-09-11T00:36:00.000+05:30

Beauty of Light

This is a completely full frame image. Uncropped, no cloning, nothing. And the background is completely natural. To explain how I got this shot, as I looked through the viewfinder, I saw the tree in the background completely out of focus and the distant water was just peeking out of the edge of the frame. I thought, how would the image look like had I repositioned my camera a little to my right. When I did that, this is exactly what I saw through my viewfinder. I was lucky that this butterfly was there on this lantana bush for such a long time till I completed the composition.

2007-09-11T00:25:00.000+05:30

CHOICE

I saw this flower from a distance and was exactly at minimum focussing distance at 500mm. Just before I tripped the shutter this butterfly started hovering around these flowers. I waited, but was not sure as to which flower it might choose. Focus was on this flower and this one just landed choosing the same flower and I pressed the shutter :)

2007-09-11T00:17:00.000+05:30

Brahminy Starling (Sturnus pagodarum)

This bird looks like mynah and most of them, get confused with it, without properly noticing the bird. This an an adult starling as we notice a prominent black crown/crest with rufous-orange neck.

2007-09-11T00:11:00.000+05:30

White Throated King Fisher ( Halcyon smyrnesis )

This is a beautiful bird! With a large red bill(beak). Prominent white patch near the throat is what makes it get its name from. Not much of bird details are visible in this image as I was very far from this. This was at Kukkarahalli kere.

2007-09-10T23:57:00.000+05:30

Black Headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus)

It took me 45 minutes to get one flight shot of this bird. My friends who had accompanied me seemed to have been frustrated with me, but with the limitation of my equipment( lens being 2 stops slower), I have to give some time to these agile birds that were landing at awesome speed. Its just fantastic to hear the woooosh of the wings!

2007-09-10T23:54:00.000+05:30

FAMILY

Spot Billed Pelicans(Pelecanus philippensis) at Limgambudi kere, Mysore. We stay in Kukkarahalli kere for just 30 minutes and were not that interested with the habitat and moved over to here. This place totally rocks!!

2007-09-10T23:45:00.000+05:30

Purple Swamphen (Porphyrio porphyrio)

Early morning mood at Kukkarahalli Kere in Mysore. Despite a long day in field the previous day ( Almost 10 hours), we managed to wake up at 5:30 and reach here by 6:45. Awesome place this is!