2012 has been a year of poignant pain and loss. It is a year where one looked forward to the end of the earth and in some ways, it was, but in the midst of all this, there was hope… hope that there will be a new beginning in 2013…. hope that lamps lit in 2012 will continue to shine brightly in 2013, and light the path to the future….
Happy New Year….
Reaching Sarjapura, we (my elder cousin Sister and me) met up with a few of the birders and started walking the inner trails of this village that no longer was one…
One flew away almost immediately and one boldly gazed down, challenging me to photograph him…
Moving ahead, we came upon a banyan tree which was host to several birds including a sleeping spotted owlet & a paradise fly-catcher.
A beautiful Lineblue (Nacaduba sp.) butterfly was sunbathing in a corn field….
A pair of green bee-eaters kept us entertained with their antics…
A shy kingfisher decided it was camera shy and fled from the scene…
A leopard butterfly was not camera shy and gave several poses like a professional model….
The Brown Shrike, a visitor, who breeds in Central Asia comes down south when the weather gets too cold for frolicking ….
A pretty spotted dove sunbathed on the top of the tree …
A lovely lemon pansy basking in all its glory …
A Plains Cupid (Chilades pandava) relaxing on a dew filled leaf…
A male Baya Weaver (Ploceus philippinus) taking a break from the initial nest building. The male builds half a nest and then invites the female to inspect it. If she likes it, then they both complete the nest together….
Our first spotted owlet woke up and glared at us for disturbing his sleep :-)
Captured another Bay-backed Shrike (Lanius vittatus) on the return walk, and this time managed to get some really clear photos….
And finally, just before we left, we saw a piece of land teeming with these Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore) butterflies….
All in all, it was a great day of birding and butterfly watching and great fun…
An invite from the Birdwatchers' Field Club of Bangalore for a Sunday Birdwatching trip made me realise it was ages since i went on a structured birdwatching trip. Although I was unable to proceed to the trip planned to Indluwadi Cross, Bannerghatta-Anekal Road, i went on a short trip to Hebbal Lake, which was closer.
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Purple Moorhen (Porphyrio porphyrio) also called Purple Swamphen
Intermediate Egret (Mesophoyx intermedia)
Indian Pond Heron or Paddybird (Ardeola grayii)
Green Bee-eater (Merops orientalis) (sometimes Little Green Bee-eater)
Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala)
Crimson Rose (Atrophaneura hector)
Ditch Jewel (Brachythemis contaminata)
Graphium sarpedon (Common Bluebottle)
