Ruddy Shelduck is migratory bird in India and also in Gujarat. It is generally found in many wetland areas and bird sanctuary like Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar , Little rann of Kutch , Pariej Wetland etc. It is known as Brahminy Duck in India. They are resident in Northwest Africa and Ethiopia. Their main breeding area are southeast Europe, China and Mongolia. Ruddy Shelduck is common winter visitor in India during October to April. Ruddy shelduck generally found near lakes, rivers , reservoirs and water bodies. Ruddy shelduck is the member of shelduck Genus Tadorna in wildfowl family Anatidae.
Description and Facts about Ruddy Shelduck :
- Length of ruddy shelduck is around 56-70cm . With wingspan length is around 110-135 cm.
- Ruddy shelduck body is orange brown, head is paler , tail is black and wings feather during flight is black also.
- It is migratory bird in India during winter . It breeds in Central Asia, southeast Europe .
- Female Ruddy Shelduck lays around 8 eggs . Female incubate them for four weeks.
- Ruddy Shelduck call loud nasal honking notes in series. They can call from ground and from air also.
- Juvenile is darker brown shade but very similar to female.
- Ruddy Shelduck is mainly nocturnal bird. It is omnivorous and feed grass, plants, grains and aquatic invertibates.
- Population of Ruddy shelduck is around 170000 to 225000 approx.
- Ruddy shelduck is in least concern bird list in IUCN list
Ruddy Shelduck found in pair and small groups. They rarely found in flocks. It had been recorded more than 4000 birds in Koshi Barrage and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve in Nepal. Also a 10000 recorded at Lake Duden in Turkey. In Gujarat i found Ruddy Shelduck at Thol Bird Sanctuary and also at Little Rann of Kutch. It is also found in many other wetlands like Nalsarovar Sanctuary, Pariej Wetland etc. Nearest bird sanctuary near Ahmedabad is Thol Bird Sanctuary where you can find more than 150 different spices of birds and also a migratory birds like Greater Flamingos, Great White Pelican, Ducks, Spoonbill , Bar Headed Goose etc.
Camera used : Canon 6D, Canon 80D, canon 100-400mm lens
Bay backed Shrike is generally found in south Asia and it is resident bird of south Asia. In Gujarat it found many places and near to agriculture areas. Also found in Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar Sanctuary and many other sanctuaries . It is member of bird family Lannidae. Binominal Name of Bay Backed Shrike is Lanius Vittatus. It is generally found in India, Pakistan, Nepal and Afghanistan and also in Shri Lanka. In Lannidae family there are total 34 spices of shrike found in different places.
Description and facts about Bay Backed Shrike
- Bay Backed Shrike is smallish shrike.
- It has long black tail and maroon brown above parts with pale rump.
- Bay backed shrike Underparts are white.
- On the eye of Bay backed shrike there is a black strike like a bandit mask.
- Legs and bill are dark grey in color.
- It built nest in bush, cultivation area or scrubby areas.
- It lays 3-5 eggs .
- They found generally in Pair.
- For hunting they fly 2 to 2.5 mt high from ground and catch food within 10 mt radius .
- Shrike has good eyesight and sharp beaks.
- Status of Bay Backed Shrike is least concern in IUCN list.
Bay backed Shrike is resident bird in Gujarat. It is found at many places like agriculture areas, farms, scrubby areas etc. I found it in Thol Bird sanctuary first time and then at agriculture areas outskirts it found easily. They find food easily near to agriculture areas and farms so they live near to them.
Camera Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 6D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreWhite Bellied Drongo is a spices of Drongo bird which is a member of Dicruridae family. The George Edwards which is English Naturalist used name The Fork Tail'd Indian Butcher Bird. It is generally found at open forest or dry scrub areas. I found it at Thol Bird Sanctuary near thol village , Kadi taluka. It is also a Dicruridae family bird which is very similar to black drongo only difference is white color in underparts. Tail is long and looks like fork .
Description and Facts about White Bellied Drongo :
- White bellied Drongo is similar to Black Drongo . It has black body , greyish throat and belly is white.
- Tail is looks like fork and less deep then black drongo.
- Male has shorter tail then female.
- White bellied drongo found in forest and dry areas. It is a resident bird in India.
- They are in group of 2 or 3 generally.
- Breeding season for Drongo is February to July.
- They lay 2 -4 eggs on 20-30 feet height on tree.
Also a Black Drongo is very similar to white bellied drongo. In Thol Bird Sanctuary both spices found. Also they found an many other places of Gujarat because they are resident birds. Drongo bird is also very aggressive during breeding season and after laying eggs to protect them.
Photo Taken at Thol Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat
Gear used : Canon 1000 D with canon 55-250 mm lens
Read moreAsian Woolly-necked Stork is the large wading bird and it is also known as Asian Woollyneck . It is a spices of Stork family and large wading bird. It is widely spread spices and it breeds in Asia , India and Indonesia. It generally found at wetlands, agriculture field, cliff, and on trees. It also build nest on trees, mobile towers. Asian woolly necked stork found in Gujarat at many places like Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Velavdar Sanctuary, and many more agriculture lands and wetlands, small ponds etc. I shoot it at agriculture land near vamaj village neat to kalol.
Facts and description about Asian Wooly-necked Stork :
- Binomial name of Woolly-necked stork is Ciconia Episcopus.
- Wooly necked stork is medium size stork in stork family
- It is around 75-92 cm in height.
- The iris of wooly necked stork is crimson or similar to wine red.
- Overall body is black in color . Neck is white and underparts are glossy purple or dark green. under tail and lower belly are white in color.
- It has long legs and heavy bill.
- Asian Woolly necked stork breeds singly. It breeds in India, Asian and Indonesia.
- They are attracted of fire in farms and agriculture because they found insects easily run away from fire .
- It has long and browed wings to travel long distance.
- They are generally in solo, pair or in 4-5 group. Flocks are generally found in summer when wetlands are very few.
- Asian woolly necked stork generally eat insects, reptiles and amphibians.
- They build nest in agriculture area on trees. They lay 2-6 eggs.
- Population of Asian woolly necked stork population is decreasing . It is now in near threaten ( NT ) in IUCN list.
Well Like Asian woolly necked stork the other stork spices found in Gujarat is Painted Stork too. Size of both are almost same but difference of color. In Gujarat there are lots of bird sanctuary where we can found woolly necked stork and painted stork. My nearest bird sanctuary is Thol bird Sanctuary. In Thol Sanctuary there are more than 150 spices found by bird watcher.
Gear Used : Canon 6 D , Canon 100-400mm lens
Location : Near vamaj village at agriculture area.
Eurasian Curlew is also known as a Common Curlew. It is a large wader bird in family Scolopacidae. During winter it found in Africa, South Asia and southern Europe areas. In Gujarat it is found in Little rann of kutch and Great Rann of Kutch areas. I found it at Little rann of kutch during morning safari. It was first recorded in 1377 in Langland. It is found near to scrubby riverbeds , groves and thorn forests. Eurasian Curlew is restricted to Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Shri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Facts about Eurasian Curlew :
- Eurasian Curlew is the largest wader in its range.
- Its length is around 50-60 cm . Wingspan is around 90-105 cm. Weight of Eurasian Curlew is around 400 - 1350 gm approx.
- Its color is mainly greyish brown, greyish blue leg, white back and a very long and curve bill .
- The bill is the longest in adult female than male.
- Eurasian curlew lay 4 eggs and generally lay in april or may. They incubate eggs about a month.
- It has been found that eurasian curlew built their nest near to Common Kestrel nest for protecting from Predators.
- Eurasian curlew feed small invertebrates and crabs, earthworms too.
- The population of Eurasian Curlew is declining in very huge rate. It is now in the Nearest Threatened list in IUCN list in 2008.
- In last 25 years eurasian curlew population decline 50% in England and Scotland and 90% in Ireland .
Eurasian Curlew is a migratory bird in Gujarat during winter season. It is found in Little Rann of Kutch during november to march . Little rann of kutch is also famous for migratory raptors and eagles. Also lots of birds like Greater Flamingo, Falcons, Eagles, Pelicans, Short Eared Owl, Desert Fox and a Wild Ass . Indian Wild ass is found only in Gujarat in Kutch area. The little rann of kutch land is dry during summer and after monsoon it is muddy.
Camera used : Canon 6D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
How to Reach LRK : Little rann of kutch is around 100 -120 km from Ahmedabad.
Read moreCommon Kingfisher is also known as Eurasian Kingfisher or River Kingfisher. It is sparrow size bird with blue color on top of the body. It is widely distributed in North Africa and Eurasia. When rivers freezes in winter they migrate from their. In India common kingfisher also a widely distributed in all over region. They generally found near to the water areas like canals, rivers, river birdges, ponds etc. I took a shot of common kingfisher or Eurasian Kingfisher at Thol bird sanctuary located in Gujarat near Sanand.
Description and facts about Common Kingfisher :
- It is about 16cm long and 25cm with wingspan.
- Its weight around 35-44 gm.
- It has short tail as all kingfisher tail is short.
- It has green blue upperparts and it has green blue neck stripe.
- Juvenile is similar to adult but dull underparts.
- Main flight feathers moult between july to november and it will takes 90-100 days to grow.
- Kingfisher flight too fast on low water.
- It is widely distributed in Europe, Asia and North Africa ( winter visitor ).
- Common kingfisher eats 60% of its body every day.
- Common Kingfisher lays 2-10 eggs which are white glossy in color.
Common Kingfisher in Gujarat :
Common Kingfisher or Small Blue Kingfisher found in Gujarat at many places like Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nalsarovar Bird sanctuary, Velavdar Sanctuary and many other outskirts of Wetlands too. They are very small and cute in look. There are lots of kingfisher bird spices found in Gujarat also.
Read moreThrush bird found at low to mid altitude of Himalayas. Generally it found in Himachal pradesh , Uttarakhand, North East Himalayas in India. It also found in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet areas. In manali trekking there are lots of thrush bird spices you can find. Some spices found at 6000 ft and some of them found at 10000 ft. So there are more Birds of Manali in my checklist too. I found spices of Thrush named :
- Whistling Thrush
- Blue Cap Rock Thrush
- Streaked Laughingthrush
- Variegated laughingthrush
About Variegated Laughingthrush :
- Variegated Laughingthrush is medium size bird and its size arround 16-24 cm lenght and 55-80 gm weight.
- Its overall olive color and black stripe down the center.
- Tail is large and grey subterminal band with white tip.
- Its feathers are yellow in primary and black primary coverts.
- Beak to eye area is black in color. It has white eye ring arround the eye.
- Variegated Laughingthrush is least concern in IUCN bird list.
- Variegated Laughingthrush is endamic in Northern region.
- It is a spices of family Leiothrichidae.
About Blue Capped Rock Thrush :
- Male Blue capped rock thrush has blue head.
- Upperparts are blue and black
- White patch on wing.
- Underparts are chestnut brown.
- Female color is brown with white and brown underparts.
About Blue Whistling Thrush :
- Male Whistling Thrush is blue and female is blue or brown.
- Blue Whistling Thrush found in hilly areas.
- Blue whistling Thrush is specialize in feeding of snails.
- They build their nest near water with pices of rock and boulder.
- They lay 3-4 eggs with grey color and maked with speckles.
About Streaked Laughingthrush :
- It generally found in Northan region of India.
- It color is brown with Streaked of white.
- It lays 2-4 eggs in a cup type nest.
Manali Trekking :
Manali is located in Himachal Pradesh in India. Lots of people go to manali for trekking and for leisure in summer. Best way to explore manali is via trek. Chandrakhani Pass trek starts from Dobhi is one of amazing trek in Himachal Pradesh. Trek also managed by YHAI and it managed very well. During trek there are more than 25 spices of different birds i found. So for bird lovers manali trek to Chandrakhani pass is amazing. Chandrakhani pass trek is easy to moderate trek so it is most favorite trek for begineers. Trek start from Dobhi.
Birds of Manali :
In Himachal pradesh manali is most visited tourist place in summer. Also for trekker its most favorite place. Different treks in manali are most attraction in summer. For bird lovers manali is heaven and found lots of different birds spices like Magpie, Jay, Flycatchers, Bulbuls, White eye, Barbet, Russet Sparrow, Himalayan Vulture, Redstart , Laughingthrush, Warblers, finches, Tits, Himalayan Monal etc. Birders can stay more days in trek then they get more birds.
Read moreIndian Grey Hornbill is now found in Gujarat many places in Arravalli Hills. I found it at Jessore Sanctuary near palanpur. There are also many more places where Indian Grey Hornbill found in Gujarat like Polo Forest, Sarita Udhyan Gandhinagar also Balaram many places and many forest area and outskirts of forest. Before 10 years there are less chances of Indian Grey Hornbill in Gujarat but now a days population increase of Indian Grey Hornbill. My friend Parikshit Acharya found many years ago at Jessore Sanctuary for the first time at Jessore and his artical was published in BNHS ( Bombey Natural History Society). After that we found it at many places in North Gujarat. There are also chances in south Gujarat but we didn't explore much in south Gujarat.
About Indian Grey Hornbill :
- Indian Grey Hornbill is a common hornbill.
- They generally found in pair.
- Color of Indian Grey hornbill is light grey as per its name and dull white belly and feathers also in grey color.
- As his name is Hornbill its horn is long and curvey. Horn color is black or dark grey.
- It is medium size 60 cm in lenght.
- In male hornbill skin around eye is dark and in female hornbill its pale raddish.
- Hornbill spices found generally at 2000ft height. It found also in cities on large trees.
- Indian Grey Hornbill call like black Kite.
- April to June is nesting and breeding season for Indian Grey Hornbill. It lays 1-5 eggs.
- Indian Grey Hornbill found all over India and also in Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Indian Grey Hornbill feed fruits, berries, insects, snakes, lizards etc.
- Indian Grey Hornbill is in Least concern in IUCN list.
- The Dayak tribe consider that if Hornbills are flying over house is sign of good fortune to come.
- The Sulu Hornbill spices is the rarest hornbill in the world. They generally found at Philippines.
- Hornbill lifespan around 30-35 years but they live less may be because of Habitats.
Hornbill Spices :
There are many spices of Hornbill bird in world. But in India there are some of them found. So i listed below the Hornbills Of India . I don't have all Hornbills Images but you can refer on Nature in Focus link www.natureinfocus.in/animals/the-hornbills-of-india for all Hornbills of India Images.
- Malabar Grey Hornbill
- Rufous Necked Hornbill
- Wreathed Hornbill
- Oriental Pied Hornbill
- Indian Grey Hornbill
- Narcondam Hornbill
- Austen's Brown Hornbill
- Malabar Pied Hornbill
Indian Grey Hornbill generally seen in pair so if you found one then another is also their. Capturing hornbill is bit tough because they are on large trees so you need good binocular and good camera lenses to have a good Image of Hornbill. I was not much lucky but i have a record shot of Indian Grey Hornbill and have a tick in my bird list of Indian Subcontinent.
Gear Used : Canon 6D, Canon 100-400mm lens
Location : Jessore Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Way to Kedarnath Temple.
Read moreBlack Headed Ibis has various names like Black Necked Ibis, Indian White Ibis and Orientle White Ibis. The Binominal Name of Black Headed Ibis is Threskiornis melanocephalus. It is large size water bird found in South Asia many regions. It is found in many low water areas and aslo breeds here too. Black Headed Ibis is also found in resident areas near me also where some low water areas. Near to me Black headed Ibis also found in Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar Bird sanctuary, Pariej Sanctuary and many more places like farms, ponds, low grasslands etc.
About Black Headed Ibis Bird :
- Black Headed Ibis is one of the large water birds spices.
- Its lenght about 65-75 cm .
- It has white plumage and black head and neck. Its beak is curvy.
- Adult male has grey feather at tail during breeding season.
- Black Headed Ibis are native to Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, Shri Lanka, Combodia, Thailand etc. They are migrant to Japan, Koreaand mongolia.
- Black Headed ibis is versatile to use man made habitats. It generally found in ponds, Canals, riverside, lakes, crop fields, garbage dumping etc.
- It build nest near wetlands. It build platform for nest and made from sticks, grass and threads.
- Black Headed Ibis are treatened so its population is decreasing but they are not in endangered spices.
- Ibis can do aerating the soil while probing beak in soil for insects.
- Ibis birds are predators for snakes, monkeys, crows and alos birds of prey.
- Ibis sleep together on trees at night. They are active during day.
- Ibis lifespan is up to 25 years.
- Favorite food of Ibis are snail, fish and aquatic animals but they can also eat bread and popcorns too.
In resident areas there are also lots of birds you can find. At the end of resident area small pond and lakes made by humans and they are really good habitat for some birds. Ibis birds are very familiar to humans so they can live near the resident areas. Its beak is looking attractive because of curve and also scared to others. In resident birds of Gujarat ibis bird found many farm areas and wetlands, grassland, canals etc. It is also found in bird sanctuary Gujarat like Thol Bird Sanctuary near sanand, Nalsarovar Sanctuary etc. Both sanctuary are nearest places to my home so i oftenly visit both sanctuary. During winter these both sanctuary are full of migratory birds.
Gear Used : Canon 6D, Caon 100-400mm lens
Read moreBlack Winged Stilt is a wader bird from stilt family. It is widlely distributed bird in Aisa, Africa, Europe. The scientific name of Black winged stilt is Himantopus . In Gujarat it is widely found in low water wetlands and some ponds and farms. Black winged stilt widely found in Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nalsarovar Sanctuary and their ourskirts. It is black and white bird with long legs and small in size. Not too small but medium size like Black Tailed Godwit bird.
About Black Winged Stilt Bird :
- Black Winged Stilt bird size 32-36 cm for adult.
- They have long and thin black bill.
- Black winged stilt legs are pink in color and also long too.
- Black winged stilt head is white in color and neak is black in varying.
- Male has black back and greenish glow and female has brown hue.
- It has 5-7 subspices and sometime it reffered as Common stilt.
- Black winged stilt breeds in small pond, lakes, marshes.
- Black winged stilt eat mainly insects.
- Black winged stilt pick their food from water or sand.
- It built nest near water and easily spotted. Also built nest in small group. Sometimes built nest with Avocets.
- Black Winged stilt is one of the spices to which the agreement on the conservation of African Eurasian migratory water birds.
Thol Bird sanctuary is located near Thol village in Sanand. It is really good place for bird watchers. In Thol Lake you can find waders, large birds, tree birds, migratory birds, resident birds etc. Also more than 150 spices as per my knowledge may be more numbers found here. Also Migratory birds are most attractions of Thol Lake during Winter. In migratory birds most found Flamingos, Pelicans, Bar Headed Goose, Sarus Crane, Demoiselle Crane, Grey legged Goose, Pied Avocets etc.
Lits of Migratory birds At Thol Lake :
- Flamingos
- Great White Pelicans
- Bar Headed Goose and Grey heded Goose
- Ducks
- Spoonbills
- Sarus Cranes and Demoiselle Cranes
- Eagles
- Mallard
Best Time to Visit Thol Sanctuary :
Well for birding winter is the best time for Thol Bird Sanctuary. If you want day out then any time is better for thol except monsoon. There are lots of birds stay througout year in Thol lake. In winter lots of Migratory birds are most attractions of Thol Sanctuary. From November to March is the best time to visit Thol Lake.
Nearest Railwaystation With Major City : Ahmedabad
Read moreRusset Sparrow is a bird of sparrow family. It is generally found at Himalayas in India. It is very common at himalayan birding sites. House sparrow bird is now moved from city areas because of croweded area and pollutions and mobile towers. Russet sparrow i found during my trek to Manali and Har ki Dun trek also. So it is resident bird of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It is small size bird and very friendly bird even you get very close to it.
About Russet Sparrow :
- Russet Sparrow is seed eating bird.
- Russet sparrow has thick bill.
- Russet Sparrow length is about 12-15 cm.
- There are three subspices of it recognised. Rutilans, intensior, cinnamomeus.
- Rutilans and intensior breeds in eastern Asia and cinnamomeus breeds in Himalayas.
- Sparrow feed seeds of grains and hurbs.
- They lay 5-6 eggs at a time.
- It is warm rufous in color.
- Among all subspices the Himalayan Russet sparrow is little larger then others.
- Russet sparrow call is Cheep or chilp...
Sparrow is very familiar bird. House sparrow is very common in city areas. But now a days because of mobile towers and architectures and highrise building made them migrate from city. Russet Sparrow i found during my trek to Manali and also Har ki Dun trek. When i was on trek of Chandrakhani pass i frequently found russet sparrow in villages . Same thing during my har ki dun trek i found russet sparrow in small villages as a resident bird.
Har ki Dun and Manali both from differant state Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh. So it shows russet sparrow widely spread in Himalayas. Actually Himalays are heaven for birding. There are huge number of spices of different birds in Himalayan range. Most popular places for birding in Himalayas are Manali, Har ki Dun, Pangot, Sattal, Nainital etc.
Location : Har ki Dun trek, Manali Trek to Chandrakhani pass
Gear : Canon 6D, Canon 1000D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreWhite browed Fantail bird is small size bird. It is Passerine bird of family Rhipiduridae. In Gujarat White browed Fantial found many places like Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar, Velavadar Sanctuary and many more farms outskirts dense bush areas. I found it at Thol Bird Sanctuary. During nesting time it may be agressive . White browed fantail looks beautiful when he open its tail feathers. It makes beautiful black and white feather abstract. Its feathers of tail looks like hand fan with design.
About White browed Fantail bird :
- White browed Fantail length about 18 cm .
- White browed Fantail found in Many regions of Asia , south Asia etc.
- It has dark brown upperparts and also white spots on wings. Underparts of White Browed fantail is white.
- White Browed Fantail Tail looks like hand fan shape.
- It build its nest like a cup shape.
- It lays eggs arround 2-5 in nest and its color like white and light browinish spotted in color.
- Fantail bird lifespan around 2-5 years.
- Incubation period during breeding season around 14 days.
- Fantail feed invertebrates like insects, moths,spiders, beetles, flies etc.
- According to Maori tribal legend if the fantail fly in your house then it signs of death of someone in your house.
- Tiwaiwaka , Piwakawaka, Tirairaka , Tiwakawaka are some common names of Fantail bird in Maori tribal.
Why It is called Fantail ? :
When its tail spread it looks like fan and foraging and when its tail folded it is rounded at the end. Thats why its called Fan-tail.
Thol Lake is one of the best place for birding in Gujarat. Thol bird sanctuary is in Sanand District near Thol Village. In Thol lake more than 150 different spices of waders and also nesting birds. Also Migratory birds are found here and stays here. Famous Flamingo Birds found here during winter and some of them found allover year and nesting here.
Read moreIndian Paradise Flycatcher is previously known as Asian Paradise Flycatcher short form ( APFC ). It is widly spread in India and in Asia. All Flycatcher birds are medium in size. Asian paradise flycatcher size also medium. The Indian Paradise flycatcher is in lease concern on IUCN red list. There are three sub spices of Paradise Flycatcher
- T. P. Paradisi
- Himalayan Paradise Flycatcher
- Ceylon Paradise Flycatcher
About Indian Paradise Flycatcher Bird :
- Adult Indian Paradise flycatcher size is around 19-22 cm.
- Flycatcher head color is black with crown and crest.
- Male paradise flycatcher is white in color and female is rufous.
- Young Male Asian paradise flycatcher is much similar like female.
- Young male paradise flycatcher color is rufous and it has short tail.
- After 2015 Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Amur Paradise Flycatcher and Blyth's Paradise flycatcher are known as Asian Paradise Flycatcher.
- Indian Paradise Flycatcher is the State bird of Madhya Pradesh.
- Indian Paradise Flycatcher is known as Dudhraj in Gujarati.
- Indian Paradise Flycatcher lay one eggs per day and it lay 4-8 eggs after nesting. Incubation period is around 13-15 days .
Paradise Flycatcher Name is from Greek terpsi mean ' Delighting in ' and phonos mean ' Voice ' . So it is Delighting In Voice Bird. The Indian Paradise flycatcher or Asian Paradise flycatcher found in Central and south India, Bangladesh , Myanmar, Shri Lanka and many more regions of Asia. Indian Paradise Flycatcher eat insects like moths, beetles, Butterflies, Ants and Spiders too. The Average lifespan of Indian Paradise Flycatcher is aroun 8-10 years. I found Indian Paradise Flycatcher during my Manali trekking and Also at Thol Lake. During my trek to manali i found both Male and female Indian paradise flycatcher but unfortunately i capture only female paradise flycatcher. At Thol Lake i found only Female Paradise flycatcher. I get Male Indian Paradise flycatcher at Corbett national Park during my saffari ride. But some poor quality result photos.
Camera Used : Canon 6 D, Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Location : Male Indian Paradise Flycatcher found at Corbett National Park , Female Indian Paradise flycatcher found at Thol Bird Sanctuary and also at Manali trekking at Rumsu village.
Read moreEgyptian Vulture is endangered spices as per IUCN list. It is also known as White scavenger Vulture too. In Gujarat i found it at Banaskantha district outskirts flying on farms with pair and one is juvenile. I cann't shoot juvenile because they are far away and far on height too. But my first record shot clicked of Egyptian Vulture in my camera and i am very happy for that. Egyptian Vulture spices is in endangered vulture spices and many conservative societies and bird lovers working on study and their habitats to increase their populations.
About Egyptian Vulture / White scavenger Vulture :
- They generally found in southeast Europe, North America and India
- They are spices of Neophorn percnopterus as per binominal name.
- Adult Egyptian Vulture plumage is white. It has black flight feathers.
- Length of Egyptian Vulture is around 45-65 cm and weight almost 2kg average.
- They can fly and go over 2000 meter during summer.
- They can migrate from Europe to South Africa.
- They build nest on rocky cliff and on large trees often.
- They generally found in pairs .
- They feed animal carcasses and also small mammals, small prey, lizards, insects, small birds, reptiles, ahmphibians, rodents and dead birds.
- They can live up to 35 to 37 years long.
- Female Egyptian Vulture lay 1 to 3 eggs with splotched Redidish brown in color. Male and female both incubate eggs until 38-45 days approx. Their breeding season is from mid march to june.
- As per IUCN report approx 20000 to 60000 individual remaining.
- They use round stones as hammer to break large eggs.
Egyptian Vulture in Gujarat :
Well there are many sites of Egyptian Vulture in India. In Gujarat i foun it at Banaskantha District. Lots of other sites but i don't know about it. While i was travelling in car to my home from Jessore Sanctuary i found pair of Egyptian vulture and one juvenile near road side farms. They are flying very high so i can not capture good images but got record shot of Egyptian Vulture. I was very lucky for it that i got atleast good shot to identify. One more tick in my birds of prey checklist. Also my first vulture capture in Gujarat.
Gear Used : Canon 6 D with Canon 100-400 mm lens.
Location : Banaskantha District farm areas.
Read moreBlack Tailed Godwit is a wader bird found in many places of Gujarat. It generally found in India, New Zealand , West Africa, West Europe and Australia during winter season. In Gujarat it found in many places like Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary, Khijadia Bird Sanctuary and many other muddy areas where they can found their food easily. I got them at Thol Bird Sanctuary during may month.
About Black Tailed Godwit :
- It has long bill around 7 to 10 cm long.
- It has orange-pink base bill with dark tip.
- Legs of Black Tailed Godwit are dark grey or black.
- Adult has brown-grey breast and upperparts and in Juvenile has orange neak and breast.
- Total lenght is around 70-80 cm and weight is almost 250-350 gm.
- Call of Black tailed Godwit is weeka...weeka...weeka
- They build nest on shallow ground.
- They lay eggs and protect them up to 30-50 m.
- They lay 3-6 eggs and color dark brown or olive green.
- They eat insects like grasshoopers, beetles , flies, caterpillers, fish eggs etc.
- Black tailed Godwit hunted in France.
- Population of black tailed godwit all around the world is around 6 to 8 lakhs.
Black tailed Godwit At Thol Lake :
Thol Lake near Ahmedabad around 25 km is one of the best place for birding. Here you can find more than 200 spices of different birds. Waders and flamingos are resident birds here. During winter the lake is full of birds like Flamingos, Pelicans, Sarus Cranes, Demoiselle Crane and many more tree birds like Asian paradise flycatcher, Fantail, bee eaters , kingfisher birds , swamphen etc. Must visit place near Ahmedabad for bird watchers.
I shoot Black tailed godwit very near in Thol Lake and take a ground level shot to make good bokeh image. I was too far but i use canon 100-400 mm lens so i got good result no too good but good enough. I shoot 2 Black tailed Godwit territory fight and also matting of black tailed godwit too. Well i was confused either they fight or matting . Their long bill looks dangerous when you are very close to them. Taking a ground level shot is little bit difficult if the crowiling area is full of mud or wet. Generally i shoot without disturbing birds and shoot from much distance.
Gear Used : Canon 6 D body , Canon 100-400 mm lens
Location : Thol Bird Sanctuary
Read moreRock Bunting is sparrow size bird and it looks beautiful small size bird. It is Passerine bird. It is in the bunting family Emberizidae. In India it found in Himalayan range. I found and shoot it at Chandrakhani Pass area during my trek to manali.
Description Of Rock Bunting :
- It is small size bird about 15-16 cm in length
- Male rock bunting has chestnut upperpart during breeding season.
- It has a pale grey head with black stripping mark.
- Female rock bunting has paler underpart and grey brown back which is simillar to male but dull from male.
- In Africa and Turkey rock bunting has white wing bars.
- It generally found in Afria, Europe , Asia many parts
- It is partially migratory bird.
- It breeds in dry and rocky mountain areas.
- It lays 3-5 eggs which are greyish in color.
- Call of Rock Bunting is tseee and it sing like churrr... chirrriii...itt
During my trek to manali we go to chandrakhani pass and i found more than 30 spices of birds during my trek. Different spices of birds found here so if you go for birding go by trek i recommand. Some birds i missed because of small size birds and difficult to capture with my lens and some birds images are not clear but can identify easily. Himalayan mountain range is best place for bird watching and bird photography. Some destinations like Sattal , Delhousie and Singalila National Park are heaven for birding and bird watching. Chandrakhani pass is high altitude pass where you can find rare spices of bird like Himalayan Monal but i am not luck so i could not found it. Amazing snow in june month when we went their at chandrakhani pass. Manali Trek open from May to July - August .
Trek start from Dobhi and return to Dobhi takes 4-5 days. I went with YHAI - youth hostels association India who manage different treks in all over India. Cheap and well managed trek they arrange. You can book in advance from direct website of https://www.yhaindia.org/
Gear used : Canon 1000 D with Canon 100-400 mm lens
Location : Near to chandrakhani pass , Manali
Read moreIt is the largest species of Flamingo bird family and also a most widespread species of flamingo family.It is found in India ,south east , middle east and Africa. It is migratory bird. They also breed in India. In Gujarat they breed in Rann Of Kutch , Little Rann of Kutch also found in Thol Bird Sanctuary. I often visit Thol sanctuary so got good shots of them. Best time for shoot them is may-Jun at Thol bird sanctuary bcz of water level is too low . It is been recorded that some flamingo birds are resident in Gujarat at many places like LRK, Khijadia sanctuary, Nalsarovar and Thol Sanctuary. They also breed here and stay for all seasons. So you can find greater flamingo birds in all seasons in Gujarat at many places.
Flamingo bird facts and description :
- Greater flamingo bird is the largest living spices of flamingo.
- Greater flamingo has no subspices.
- Flamingo color most of pinkish white in plumage. Wings are red and feathers are black in end.
- Greater Flamingo bird call is like honking.
- The average lifespan of flamingo bird is 30-40 years.
- Main Difference between Greater flamingo and lesser flamingo is height . Lesser flamingo is shorter than greater flamingo. Also Greater flamingo has pale pink bill and black tip. In other case lesser flamingo has dark crimson bill. Lesser flamingo is also more red in color than greater flamingos.
Greater Flamingo birds In Thol Lake : Thol sanctuary is often i visit. Flamingo birds are stay here all seasons. I got good numbers of Greater flamingo and lesser flamingo bird images in a group when i visit Thol. This is my best time with flamingos. Also i got some beautiful pictures of flamingo birds with group and also in duo with some masti. Flamingos looks very good in frame bcz of their color. Thol lake is good place for birders because more than 150 birds spices found here. Also some mammals like Blue bull and black buck also found here. Lots of water birds and tree birds found here. Also sanctuary is not so big so you can find all birds in around 6 sqkm area. Best time to visit thol lake is November to March. All migratory birds are visit in winter so that is best time. Early morning is best for birders.
Timing And Fees of Thol Sanctuary :
Thol Sanctuary open at 6 AM in morning and close at around 5 PM
Fees of Thol Sanctuary is 50 INR per person and camera fees are 200 INR. Car fees are 500 INR.
Weekend fees may change that actually i don't know about it.
Two flamingos with little egret in between of them with down head all. The images of flamingo bird making a good frame. Because of its color flamingo birds images are very attractive and also their grouping make a perfect frame of flamingo bird picture.
A morning pared time for flamingo birds. A beautiful Greater flamingo birds are in a raw make image nice and show their unity.
Perfact wingspan of Flamingo bird looks great. Pink Wings make image more attractive.
Solo Greater flamingo bird
Some masti time for two flamingo birds .
Above image shows the discipline of Flamingo Bird and looks like a morning pared they are doing .
https://youtu.be/9dVBrR9NSOo
A group of Flamingo Birds at Thol Lake make your frame awesome.
Location : Thol Lake, Gujarat
Thol lake is just 25 km approx. from Ahmedabad. You can visit one day for Thol lake is enough. Also you can find another migratory birds like pelicans , bar headed goose, river tern and many more resident spices.
Ahmedabad to Thol lake distance about 25km
Read moreDuring my trek to manali and Har ki Dun i got lots of birds spices and also good numbers of flycatcher birds. Himalayan mountain range is one of the best place for birds and thats why it called birds paradise. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand states in India are best place for birding. Places above 7000 ft height are really heaven and pollution less and noice less.
Flycatcher is a beautiful bird . there are lots of spices of them. Little pied flycatcher is found in asia , bhutan,nepal, malaysia,myanmar,laos etc. In india it found mostly in Himalayan Mountain range. Its color is black and white. Black on top body and white in bottom from neck to tail. Also white strip on eye and wings also.I shot it in manali and also in Har ki Dun trek.
About Little Pied Flycatcher Bird :
- It is Resident bird of Himalayas, NE India and Bangladesh.
- It is small and compact in size.
- It has Bull headed with small dark bill.
- Male is striking with mainly black upperparts and white underparts.
- It has long and broad white supercilium, white patch on wing, and white sides to base of tail.
- Female has brownish grey upperparts and whitish underparts with brownish grey wash to breast and flanks.
- Juvenile has buff spotting on upperparts and tips to coverts and whitish underparts with dark scaling on breast.
- Sound of Little Pied Flycatcher is series of thin, high pitched notes.
- It breeds in broadleaved deciduous and evergreen forest.
Manali Trekking : Manali is heaven for birders. Lots of spices of different birds found here. Just go for trek to manali and you will have lots of birds spices in your memories and also Amazing Himalays. Himalayan mountains are best place to see in India. If you go by trek to himalaya you will see beautiful scenery of Himalaya with full of snow mountains in summer also. At 11000 ft height you will definitely found snow in your trek. When you wake up in the morning you will have beautiful sounds of different birds.
Camera Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreA bird with long tail Yellow Billed Blue Magpie bird found in NE India and mostly in Himalayas. During my trek to manali chandrakhani pass our base camp dobhi is beautiful place and i found lots of birds around my base camp. Yellow Billed Blue Magpie Bird is easily identify because of its long tail. A beautiful bird with long tail looks blue in color and strips on tail. It founds mostly in himalayan range. It is resident bird of Himalayas. It belongs to crow and jay family.
Description of Yellow Billed Blue Magpie :
- It has Yello bill and small white crescent on nape.
- Duller blue Grey Mantle and wings.
- Juvenile similar to adult but has duller head and upperparts also more extensive white on nape and dull olive yellow bill.
- In western himalayas has white underparts and bluer mantle and wings than Eastern Himalayas which has greyer mantle and wings and primrose yellow wash to underparts.
- Call of Yellow billed blue magpie is A wheezy bu - zeep - peck - peck , pop - upclea , pu- pu -weer and a high clear - clear.
- Usually its in pairs or flock of up to ten.
- They build nest on fork of tree and made by roots and grass.
- The clutch consists 3 or 4 eggs.
- They eat small mammals, fruits, insects etc.
- Breeding zone in between 5000 ft to 9700 ft approx.
- Its length about 66 cm and tail length 45 cm approx.
Himalayan Mountain range is best place for birding and landscape photography. Different areas of NE himalayas and E Himalayas have different landscape views of Himalayas. Some good places to go by trek are Manali chandrakhani pass, Har ki Dun trek, Valley of Gods, Sattal, Valley of Flowers, Kaza, Spitti Valley , Singalila National Park etc...
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D , Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreDemoiselle Crane is migratory bird in Gujarat. It is spices of Crane family. It is Winter visitor bird for India. In Gujarat it found in many places and sanctuaries. Demoiselle crane found in Gujarat in Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nalsarovar bird Sanctuary, Velavadar National Park and also outskirts of these sanctuaries. When we are travelling to Nalsarovar sanctuary some local people tell us about Vadla village Wetland area and they told us about thousands of birds here. So we cancel nalsarovar and go their. And look what we found thousand of Demoiselle cranes are their. Very difficult to choose in your frame what to shoot. Also flying shots and group shots and solo shots of Demoiselle cranes we got.
Description of Demoiselle Crane :
- Demoiselle Crane birds similar to Sarus Crane only difference of color and its also a smallest crane too.
- Demoiselle crane bird is about 100 cm long and its weight approx 3 kg. It is small from Sarus crane.
- It has long black on fore-neck and white strip on neck side.
- It can live different environments.
- They migrate from Siberia to china.
- In India they spend winter for rest .
- It migrate over Himalayas from India. Demoiselle crane can fly over Himalayas in high altitude about 25000 Feet.
- They generally found in low water wetland area where they can fishing easily.
- Demoiselle crane's Gujarati name is Karkaro and also have another name in Hindi is Koonj in North India.
Flying Demoiselle Crane looks awesome in frame. Also black and white photo of bird in flight looks beautiful. A group of Demoiselle Crane migrate and stay in Nalsarovar , Thol, LRK in Gujarat. Birds in flight in black and white looks like abstract image of birds.
Crane is very shy bird and if you want to go close to them they run away faster than you. You must have patience to capture photos of Demoiselle Crane or Sarus Crane bird.
Location :: Near Vadla village
Near Nalsarovar lake,Nearest place Ahmedabad.
Read morePlumbeous water Redstart is pesserine bird and also old in Flycatcher Family. Generally it founds in Asia and China. This spices also have two subspices Phoenicurus fuliginosus fuliginosus and Phoenicurus fuliginosus affinis. In India it found in verious places in Himalayan range. Generally it found near to river in search of food. It found on stones which are in river water. I found it during my trek to manali chandrakhani pass. Also during Har ki dun trek i found it.
Description and Habitat Plumbeous Water Redstart :
- Male Plumbeous Water Redstart are slate blue in color and females are grey.
- Total length of Plumbeous water redstart is 14-15 cm approx.
- Weight of Plumbeous water redstart is around 20-23 gms
- Male Plumbeous Water Redstart color in slate blue and tail is rusty red.
- Female Plumbeous Water Redstart are grey and white rump.
- Plumbeous water redstart found in India, China, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, Taiwan etc. It covers all Asian country almost.
- Plumbeous Water Redstart feed small insects like mayflies.
- Plumbeous Water Redstart lives in between 2000 meter to 4000 meter height.
- Plumbeous Water Redstart is very protective in its habitat.
- Plumbeous Water Redstart flies above 20ft from river to catch flies.
- Plumbeous Water Redstart population remains stable within last 10 years.
Manali is very good place to visit during winter and also during summer. Both season weather is different. In winter you enjoy snowfall and in summer you can play with snow. I visited manali in good hotels during winter and also by trek in summer. Both time i enjoy lot. During manali trekking i found more than 30 spices of birds and also amazing himalayan landscapes. At that time i had not good enough camera but still i got good images of birds and landscapes.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400mm lens
Read moreI found two types of Bulbul Bird in trek of Manali. During my trek of manali i found more than 30 spices of different birds and among them i found two types of bulbul Black Bulbul And Himalayan Bulbul. Both bulbul are different from bulbul found near to my home red wented bulbul. Manali is heaven for birding and also for landscapes. Himalayas is my fevorite destination.
Himalayan Bulbul :
- Himalayan bulbul is resident in north pakistan hills and Himalays.
- It has white cheeks, brownish grey upperparts, and yellow went.
- It has brown crest, brown nape, smaller white cheek patch with black crescent at rear.
- Call of Himalayan bulbul is we - did - de - dear - up , who - lik - lik - leer .
- It feed small insects and invertebrates.
- Its size about 18 cm length and wing span around 25-30 cm. weight around 30 gm.
- It built nest in bushes and low branches.
- Female lays generally 3 eggs and they incubates in 12 days.
- Cheeks leave nest when they are 9-12 days old.
Black Bulbul :
- It is known as Himalayan Black Bulbul or Asian Black Bulbul.
- Slate grey to blackish bulbul with slight crest.
- It has bright red bill, legs and feet, pale fringes to undertail coverts and shallow fork to tail.
- Juvenile lacks crest, has whitish throat, grey breast band, brownish cast to upperparts, bill and legs.
- Call of Black bulbul is repeated series of three or four rising and falling notes.
- Length of black bulbul is 25 cm .
- They have black streak behind the eye.
- Black bulbul is also known as Malagasy Bulbul.
- It found in Himalays and Southeast Asia.
Himachal Pradesh Birds :
Himalayas is the heaven for bird watching and birding. During trek you can found lots of spices of beautiful birds. Himachal Pradesh is very good for trekking too. Manali is best for trekking in Himachal Pradesh. Chandrakhani Pass is the last destination for manali trekking. During the trek you can found lots of spices of birds very closely. It is also good to see their behaviour and understanding their life. Visit in april to july so you can find lots of birds. Best season is April to July for trekking to Himalayas.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreThe Indian White Eye bird actually name changed from Orientle White Eye. It is small passarine bird from white eye family. This bird can easily identify because of its white ring on eye. A small bird with white ring on eye looks beautiful. Its a resident breeder in India. I found it at Himachal Pradesh when i was on trek to Manali. Small bird found in small trees and woodland.
Description About Indian White Eye :
- Size of bird is very small about 8-9 cm.
- Color is yellow on upper parts and yellow throat and vent and white ring on eye.
- Belly is white grey also yellow in some subspices.
- It feed nectar and small insects.
- Total 11 subspices recorded.
- Breeding season is February to september and April is peak.
- They build nest in very short time and lay pale blue eggs.
Birding At Manali :
Manali is one of the best place for birding. Bird watchers oftenly came here and do lots of bird photography. There are lots of birds spices are found here. Better you go by trek so you can explore more birding area of manali. Chandrakhani Pass is very good place at height of 9000 ft above where you can found Himalayan Monal. Also lots of snow at this place so you can enjoy the nature beauty of the place. Amazing Landscapes you can take from here of Himalayan Mountain Range.
Indian White eye is Least concern bird in the IUCN bird list. It found in many areas.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400 mm Lens
Photo Taken at Dobhi Base camp outskirts of YHAI.
Read moreVerditer Flycatcher is summer visitor to Himalayas and North East India. I found it at Manali when i was on trek to chandrakhani pass. Flycatchers are really beautiful birds to see and to catch. The color of Verditer flycatcher is really amazing blue. Its attract to your eyes. Himalayan range is full of birds. Specially birds are migrated and also winter visitors.
About Verditer Flycatcher :
- It is blue in color and dark patch between the eyes and above the bill base.
- Male is Entirely greenish blue, brighter forehead and throat and black lores.
- It is not confusable with any other flycatcher.
- Female is similar but duller and greyer and dusky lores.
- Pale blue flycatcher is confusable with female verditer flycatcher.
- Voice song comprises series of rapid, undulating, strident notes ascending the scale.
- It found in open forest, tall trees in open areas, groves and gardens.
Himachal Pradesh Birds / Manali Birds :
Manali is very good to bird watchers. Go by trek from Dobhi to Chandrakhani Pass. Trek organized by many but i suggest go with Youth Hostel YHAI. From Dobhi you can get good birds and by moving to chandrakhani pass about 10000 ft height you can get lots of birds. I found more than 35 spices of different birds during my trek. Trekking is good experience to get in touch with nature closely. You can get amazing landscapes here of Himalayas and Himalayan Range with beautiful sunrise and sunset.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreGreat barbet or asian barbet generally found in himalayas. It is the largest barbet in barbet family. It lives in forests above 3000 m height. I found it during my Manali trekking at 8000 ft height. There are about 80 spices of barbet. More than 10 spices found in India. It generally found at tall tree branches so difficult to see and take a photos. But sometimes you are lucky that you get better pictures too.
Description About Great Barbet :
- Size of Great barbet is 12-13 inch and weight aprox 190-290 gm.
- They eat fruits and insects.
- The adult has brown back ,blue head ,large yellow bill and red went.
- Nesting season is April to July.
- The color of this barbet is really a great combinations by god.
- They also found in Nepal , Bhutan and bangladesh.
- They generally found in lower to middle altitudes of himalays.
- Great Barbet male territorial call is kay-oh very loud.
- Also Great Barbet call is repetitive piou-piou-piou .
Birds of Manali :
Manali is one of the best place for birding. While you go with leisure tour you cannot get much birds but when you go in trekking then you get most of birds in unexlpored areas. Also trekking is good for your fitness too. Himalayas are really amazing for trekking and birding.
Camera Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreGrey Headed Swamphen Or Sultana Bird: Purple swamphen bird is water bird and also a backyard bird too. There are six spices of purple swamphen. It is also known as Sultana Bird. Purple swamphen bird is chicken size bird. It has large feet and bright plumage and red bill. It is generally found near lower water areas in wetlands. It is easily identifiy and also easy to find because of its color purple catches easily to your eyes towards it.
Six spices of swamphen are :
- Western Swamphen
- African Swamphen
- Grey headed swamphen
- Black backed swamphen
- Philippine swamphen
- Australasian swamphen.
In Gujarat generally it found at wetland areas like Thol Lake, Nalsarovar, Pariej wetland etc. Also some low water area they are found.
Some Facts about Grey-Headed swamphen :
- Purple swamphen can fly long distance .
- They are good swimmer too.
- They can make loud bleating and hooting call.
- They are seasonal breeders.
- Swamphen live in pair .
- They eat small fishes and snails like invertebrates.
- Color of Purple swamphen is like a peacock and a red bill on its head looks beautiful.
Purple swamphen is very good in color so the pictures are looking bright. Some of pictures are taken from my old camera so they may be not so good but i tried my best. Above image taken from my canon with 100-400 mm lens and in background and foreground a green grass make my image really fantastic.
Birds of Gujarat : Purple swamphen generally found in water areas and wetlands. My nearest place and bird sanctuary is Thol Lake. I often visit Thol Lake for birding. During winter season lots of Migratory birds came here and stay during winter. Swamphen bird is residence here and you can get them the whole year. They also breed here.
Gear used : Canon 100 - 400 mm lens, Canon 6 D , Canon 1000 D
Location : Thol Bird Sanctuary , Near Sanand , Gujarat
Read moreFlycatchers are really beautiful birds. All species have their different specification and different from other birds. Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher bird is one of them.In India it found in north side at Himalayan Mountain range.I got shot at manali when i was on trek of chandrakhanipass. Beautiful Bokeh with Flycatcher bird is really cool.
Binominal name : Ficedula Strophiata
Family :Muscicapidae
About Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher Bird:
- Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher is resident bird of Himalayas.
- Male Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher has dark olive brown upper parts, blackish face and throat.
- Male flycatcher has prominent white forehead and eyebrow.
- Small rufous patch in center of grey breast and large white patches at sides of tail in male Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher.
- Female Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher has less distinct eyebrow, duller and less distinct rufous.
- Also female has paler grey face and throat.
- Juvenile Rufous gorgeted flycatcher has tail pattern as adult, underparts spotted with orange buff and orange buff throat and breast.
- Rufous Gorgeted Flycatcher bird call is a thin zreet-creet-creet-chirt-chirt ......
Manali is beautiful place to visit during winter and also in summer. If you go in winter you can see live snowfall and that is amazing experience. While if you are nature lover then go by trekking and enjoy untouchable nature. You can find lots of birds around you while you are on a trek to manali. It was my first long trek experience when i go. But i must say it is the only way to feel nature closely you go by trekking. And if it is Himalayan trek then no word to say, it is marvelous.
Photos taken at chandrakhani pass manali. Chandrakhani pass is the last point of our trek at about 10000 ft height. Its a heaven for bird watching and bird photographer. We really want Himalayan Monal at this point but we are not lucky enough to get it. But we are not disappointed because we found more than 30-35 spices of birds during our trek. We found good number of flycatchers at manali himachal pradesh. Rufous gorgeted flycatcher is beautiful bird and its color is grey so it mix up with tree so difficult to find.
Camera used : Canon 1000 D with 100-400 mm lens.
Read more
Short Eared Owl is generally found in grassland. It is in family Strigidae. Its ear cannot be visible in regular pose so may be it called short eared owl. You can see its ears only in defensive pose of it. It is generally found in open area and grasslands. But the color of feathers is simillar to dry grassland so to find it is very difficult in grassland. In Gujarat it found in Little Rann of Kutch mostly and easily. Little rann of kutch is very popular place for birding and specially for Wild Ass.
Description of Short Eared Owl :
- It is medium size owl.
- Length of short eared owl is 34-43 cm and weight is 475 gm aprrox.
- It has short , black and strong bill.
- It has big head, large eyes, wings are broad and a short neck.
- It is described as moth and bat like in flight.
- Its wingspan almost 33 - 43 inch.
Some Facts to know about Short Eared Owl :
- It is simillar in looks with Long Eared Owl just difference is ear tuff of long eared owl can easily visible.
- It breeds in Europe, North and south America , Asia and Caribbean etc.
- It is known to relocate to area of higher population of its food.
- Breeding season is once in a year around in March or April in Northen Hemisphere.
- It nests on ground in medow and it made by grass and vagitations.
- They hunts mostly at night and mouse or rat is favorite food of its. It also feed small mammals like squirell, mole, rat, bats etc.
- It is listed endangered in Mexico.
- 4 to 7 eggs approx. found in Short eared owl clutch and eggs incubated by female in 20-35 days approx.
- It is partially migratory.
- Call of short eared owl is waowk....waowk......waowk or toot.....toot......toot . During breeding it sounds also like eeee - yerp sound.
Birds of Little Rann of Kutch :
Little rann of kutch is very well known for Wild Ass. But its is heaven for birding too. Lots of migratory birds and Specially Raptors found during winter season . Short Eared Owl is also resident bird and breeds here too. Lrk is sanctuary that you can take 360 degree horizons view. Beautiful sunset and sunrise locations here. There are also many outskirts area near LRK is good for birding and horizons photos.
How to Reach LRK : Little rann of kutch is about 165 km from Ahmedabad. You can go by own car inside sanctuary.
Nearest Airport is Ahmedabad.
Gear Used : Canon 6 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreAccentor is a small bird of prunellidae family. In India it is generally found in East Sikkim area. It built its nest low in a bush. When i was on a trip to Singalila National Park. I found at sandakphu area. Sandakphu is high altitude place in Singalila National Park located in West Bengal. From here you can see Mt. Kanchenjunga very clear which is highest peak of West Bengal. Lots of Birds here. To visit Singalila Park November to February you can found lots of snow and good landscapes too with snow on Mt Kanchenjunga. Also if you are going for birding you can visit March to May/June Month is the best . It is very cold weather during winter November to February at Singalila National park.
About Alpine Accentor Bird :
- Alpine Accentor bird is robin size bird. Length of bird is around 15 -17 cm.
- Bird just like similar to house sparrow in color with brown back streaked.
- Adult Alpine Accentor have red brown spotting on underparts
- Also adult have grey head too.
- In Asia Accentor found at 2000 m above height. Specially at Himalayas.
- It build nest in bush.
- It laying 3-4 plain (not spotted) eggs of sky blue color.
Singalila National Park :
Singalila national park is located in West Bengal. There are lots of birds in this sanctuary. Also its good for trekking at Sandakphu. From here you can see Mt. Kanchenjunga easily and very closely. Also a beautiful Himalayan Mountain range with snow. Amazing weather very cold in winter and moderate in summer. Summer season is the best for birding at sandakphu.
Alpine Accentor bird Binominal Name is Prunella Collaris . Total 9 subspices are recognised of Alpine Accentor bird.
Gear used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 55-250 mm Lens.
Read moreHoopoe is a colorful bird.It found in Asia, Europe, Africa etc. The genus name is Upupa Epops. Upupa epops are Latin names. The hoopoe requires light vegetated ground such as trees,cliffs, walls and nest boxes. These types of environment found easily everywhere. Its a medium size bird. For habitat and distribution Hoopoe bird is distributed all around in Asia, Europe and North Africa and easily found. For breeding hoopoe bird found wormer areas. It is also called as Eurasian Hoopoe bird too . In Gujarat it found at many farm outskirts and also at Thol Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar , Velavdar and many more areas.
Physical features of Eurasian Hoopoe Bird :
- Hoopoe bird is a small size bird. Its weight is around 45-90gms .
- Size of common hoopoe is around 25-32 cm. and 44-48 cm with wingspwan.
- Its wings are round and broad so hoopoe bird can flight strong.
- The beak of hoopoe bird is as long as woodpecker.
- Body color is light and black strips.
- A most beautiful thing about hoopoe is Crown of Feather on its head. That makes hoopoe special.
- Hoopoe bird call is Hoo-Hoo-Hoo .
Some interesting facts about Common Hoopoe Bird:
- Hoopoe bird is selected as a National Bird of Israel in 2008.
- Hoopoe eats insects and pests which damage to agriculture and forest land. So Hoopoe is very helpful to save forest and agriculture land as it protect from such insects and pests.
- Interesting thing about hoopoe is it like to take a bath in sun and dust.
- Hoopoe bird average lifespan is 10 years.
- Hoopoe bird can easily approached while they are eating and they didn't notice anyone around it. So that is the best time to get closer to hoopoe bird and get good Hoopoe bird images.
- Hoopoe bird also noted at Mt. Everest.
About Thol Lake :
Thol bird sanctuary is located near Thol Village so its called Thol Bird Sanctuary. The village Thol located in Kadi Taluka and Mehsana District of Gujarat. Area of Thol Lake is around approx 7 km square. Thol is generally known for migratory birds found here. During November to March there are lots of migratory birds came here. More than 150-200 spices of different types of birds including migratory and residence are found here. May be my figure is not actual but its seems to near it. Most attractions of Thol Lake is Flamingo bird, Pelican Bird, Bar headed Goose, Cranes and also huge number of Duck spices. Best time to visit Thol lake is winter From November to March. Best time to reach is early morning before sunrise is good. You can see the beautiful sunrise with lovely sky colors and Birds with it.
I got good and very close sharp Common Hoopoe bird or Eurasian Hoopoe bird images
Nearest city to Thol Lake is Ahmadabad about 25 km approx.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 55-250 mm lens, Canon 6 D , Canon 100-400 mm lens
Read moreIndian Peacock or Indian Peafowl is National Bird of India. It is swan size bird and very colorful bird with long tail of feathers. There are two types of spices fo Peafowl found. In India and Shri Lanka Indian peafowl found and Green Peafoul found in IndoChina and Burma. The male is known as Peacock and female is known as Peahen. It is large flying bird.
About Peafowl Bird :
- It has large and colorful feather with blue and green color.
- Its body about to 35 to 50 inch long and the tail is about 5 ft long.
- It is the largest flying bird.
- It average life is 20 years.
- In plumage Indian peacock blue and green plumage but green peacock has green and bronze body.
- Females are smaller then male.
- The peacock is the mount of Lord Kartikeya.
- Peafowl are eat mostly plant parts,seeds,flowers and insects etc.
- They put their nest on ground but roost in trees.
- Baby of Peacock called Peachick.
Peacock is the symbol of Pride and Vanity. India declared Peacock as National Bird of India in 1963. Indian Peacock is one of the National Symbol Of India.
Two of photos are Peahen. Peahen photos taken at Thol Bird Sanctuary and Peacock photos taken at Jim Corbett National Park. Generally Peacock or Peafowl found at my village also near to me. It is very comman that you can found it in agriculture areas. The feather of Peacock is very colorful and it alwasy on Lord Krishna's Crown. Dancing peacock pictures are taken from far so low quality images but it is wonderful time that to see dancing peacock.
Camera Used : Canon 6 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens.
Read moreKalij Pheasant is a bird of Phasianinae family.It generally found in forest area. It is a heavy body ground feeding bird which known as Galliformes in Order. It is also a game bird in Asia many years ago but now this bird is not use a s a game bird. Many years ago it spell also Kaleeje Pheasant. The Binomial Name of Kalij Pheasant is Lophura Leucomelanos. A beautiful bird found in India at Corbett National Park also found many other areas but i don't know all places. I shoot at Jim Corbett National Park during safari ride in the morning.
Subspices of Kalij Pheasant :
Total nine subspices of Kalij Pheasant
- White Crested Kalij Pheasant
- Leucomelanos - nominate at Nepal
- Black Kalij Pheasant
- Oates' Kalij Pheasant
- Lineated Pheasant
- Black Backed Kalij Pheasant
- Horsfield's Pheasant
- Williams' Kalij Pheasant
- Crawfurd's Pheasant
About Kalij Pheasant :
- Size of Male kalij pheasant is 24-30 inch and female about 20-24 inch.
- In plumage Kalij Pheasant is glossy blue back and underpart have white rump.
- Crest is white in all spices.
- In some subspices underpart and tail are white with feathers bunch.
- Female Kalij Pheasant is brownish.
- Underpart of female is black and whitish.
- Kalij Pheasant is Least Concern spices of IUCN bird list.
Jim Corbett National park is one of the best place where you can found birds, mammals, reptors and reptiles too. While i am at safari i was looking for Tigers but on the road Kalij Pheasant Pair are wondering and i don't miss the chance though they are far from me. The result of images is very low but it easily helps to identify it. A record shot for me of Kalij Pheasant at Corbett national park.
Camera Gear Used : Canon 6 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens.
Read moreEastern imperial eagle is member of Aquilinae family. It is also called booted eagle. It is winter visitor in LRK Gujarat, India. It migrate form southeast Europe. It also breeds in Southeast Europe. My first siting of Eastern Imperial Eagle at LRK ( Little Rann Of Kutch ) Gujarat. There are also other migratory raptors are found here. Little rann of Kutch sanctuary is known for Raptors during winter season.
Description of Eastern Imperial Eagle :
It is large in size and dark in color. White spots on its wings and wings color is dark grey. It has long and thick neck, square tipped tail and well feathered strong legs. Generally Male are little smaller than female. In talk of Eastern Imperial Eagle size length is around 70-90 cm . Average wing spawn is about 5 to 9 ft. Eastern Imperial Eagle is a predator and also called Birds Of Prey. It generally hunts small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Some facts about Eastern Imperial Eagle :
- There may be confusion between Eastern Imperial Eagle and Golden Eagle.
- Difference is Eastern Imperial Eagle is smaller then Golden Eagle. Also Its head is larger than golden eagle.
- Eastern Imperial Eagle migrate from southeast Europe to middle east .
- Some Eastern Imperial Eagle is breed at Lake Baikal will migrate to south Asia.
- In winter Eastern Imperial Eagle found in Gujarat, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
- Eastern Imperial Eagle weight around 2.5 kg
- Eastern Imperial Eagle bird call is owk owk..... gok gok or kraw kraw
- Best time to catch Eastern Imperial Eagle in Gujarat is November to February.
About Little Rann Of Kutch :
Little Rann Of Kutch is very well known for Raptors and migratory birds. During winter season there are lots of migratory birds like Flamingo birds, Pelican, Goose birds etc and also Raptors, falcons, harriers etc. So that LRK is beautiful place to visit for wildlife lovers in Gujarat. Also small birds are good attractions for bird watchers of Gujarat. And the best think is the Horizons Of LRK. A beautiful sunset and sunrise views from LRK you can see a flat surface looks beautiful. Amazing wetland areas also in LRK and also outskirts of LRK.
Little rann Of kutch is about 120 km from Ahmadabad. You can go Bajana Forest Entry gate for enter in LRK. Also some outskirts village area where you can find good wetlands for birds and sunset or sunrise shooting.
Location : Little Rann of Kutch
Best time to Visit LRK : November to March
Nearest Airport is Ahmedabad.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D with Canon 100-400 mm lens.
Read moreBackyard Birds : Dove bird is symbol of peace. It is loveable bird. It is very friendly to humans. Dove bird is now backyard bird because you can find it in your backyard. There are lots of spices of dove bird. Generally i found blue pegion at my home but these time i found Eurasian Collared Dove at my home. And look what close image i got it amazing.
The spices Eurasian collared dove is native Asia and Europe. There are two subspices recognised of Eurasian collared Dove
- Western Collared Dove
- Burmese Collared Dove
Western Collared dove ranges Europe to India, China and Korea. Burmese Collared Dove ranges Central Myanmar to southern China-Eastern China. eurasian collared dove is not migratory. Eurasian collared Dove has been great colonisers of the bird world. They travelling from its native range to colder countries and many of them permanently stay their.
Facts and Description of Eurasian Collared Dove :
- Its a medium size dove but smaller then wood pegion and similar to rock pegion.
- From Beak to Tail length is 13 inch.
- With wingspan length is 19-22 inches.
- Weight of Eurasian collared dove is 120-240 g.
- Color of eurasian collared dove is grey buff to pinkish grey and blue grey underwing patch.
- The tail feathers are grey buff and dark grey and tipped white below.
- Legs are short and bill is black
- Eyes appear black from distance but iris is red and narrow rim of reddish brown iris can be seen.
- Juveniles differs from collar and iris.
- Eurasian collared dove make large sound call goo-goo-goo
Breeding and feeding :
- It breed near to human habitats where food and trees are available.
- Females lays two eggs in nest which color is white.
- Eggs incubates by both male and female. Male incubates in day time and female incubates at night.
- Incubation period is about 14-18 days.
- They feed grains, seeds and insects.
- They feed in farms and grain stores in a flock.
- Flock of Eurasian collared dove is from 10-40 most probably but it has been recorded up to 10000.
Pegion or Dove is a bird living in a human habitations. So they are very familier to humans. I also put some grains to feed them at my home. Generally Pigeon or Dove is very comman so you can shoot them photo anywhere with close up. I never take a shot of pigeon in jungle trail but this time at home The dove sitting on my gate light and i see beautiful background of my backyard trees with green background of Dove. I cann't stop my fingers to catch a photo. And see the result is great enough that i think The dove with green background. I also happy that i shoot too close to its eyes that i can see red eyes of Dove. Thats the beautiful part of the photo.
Gear Used : Canon 6 D with Canon 100-400 mm lens.
Read moreIt is very small falcon and in shape is like shrike.It is a species of "Birds of Prey " in a falconidae family.It is found in southeast Asia across Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, India,Vietnam. I shot it at Corbett National Park Dhikala forest Rest house backside. It is a smallest falcon in falcon family. In India it generally found in Himalayan Range like northeast Uttarpradesh, Sikkim, Bengal and Assam. Collared falconet is Shy Bird.
Description and Facts About Collared Falconet :
- Its wings are pointed.
- It is 18 cm Long only.
- Tail is rounded and medium length .
- The adult male has a black crown and white forehead.
- It is the member of genus Microhierax which are the smallest falcon.
- It is found in forest country aprox 5500 ft height.
- It roosts and breed in old woodpecker or barbet holes in dead trees
- It feed mainly insects and small species of birds.
- It also shy and nervous.
- It has shortish wings and tail is medium length.
- It has also strong half feathered legs and very powerful feet.
- A bold white collar and supercillia
- It is a smallest falcon in falcon family.
Collared Falconet is a raptor so its feets are very strong to catch and it is also a good hunter bird. During my trip to Corbett national Park we done a morning safari and taking a rest at Dhikala forest lodge. On the back side of lodge on a old dead tree we found it. I seen Collared Flaconet for the first time and i ask to my mentor what is it ? and he said its a collared Flaconet and i ask is it Falcon ? Well i am surprised that its a small bird that called Falcon but its true. It looks very cute to see but its a good hunter. Bird watching and bird photography is my favorite at that time and now also. Bird photography is very challenging because you have to follow the bird and its behaviour for taking a good picture of bird.
Birds Of Gujarat ( Dendrocitta vagabunda ) : Rufous Treepie bird is a member of Crow family. It found in open scrub, forests, urban area and agriculture areas. The bird with long tail and beautiful color combination of Tail is bullish grey and stipped black. I shoot it at Jessore sloth bear sanctuary during Kedarnath temple trek. It generally found in India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Thailand and Bangladesh.
Description About Rufous Treepie :
- Body color is cinnamon and black head of Rufous Treepie bird.
- It has long Tail with bullish grey and black tipped.
- White patch in wings.
- The lower back and underparts are tawny brown to orange brown in color.
- Feet and legs are black.
Things to Know about Rufous Treepie Bird :
- In India Rufous Treepie breeding season is April to June.
- It generally lays 3 to 5 eggs.
- It built nest in bushes and trees.
- Rufous Treepie Bird call is bob - o - link or ko - tree .
- Kotri is the local name of the Rufous Treepie bird.
- Gujarati Name of Rufous Treepie is Kherkhato
- Treepie also known for feed on fruits of which are toxic to mammals.
The bird Rufous Treepie is familier to get photographed. It has large sound so you can easily find him in a jungle by sound directions. Also a color is attractive so found easily.
Photos Taken At Jessore Sanctuary, Gujarat.
Gear Used : Canon 1000 D , Canon 55-250 mm Lens
Read morePallas's Fish Eagle is large brownish sea eagle. It is also known as Band Tailed Sea Eagle.It is Partially Migratory bird in central Asia. My first siting of Pallas's Fish Eagle Or Pallas's Sea Eagle at Corbett National Park in 2014 while I am participating Canon Wild Click organised by naturewanderers. Color of Pallas's Fish Eagle is light sandy brown. It face is white in color. Its Wings are darker than body color. Juvenile is dark brown in color.
About Pallas's Fish Eagle :
- It is known as Pallas's Sea Eagle Or Band Tailed Sea Eagle
- The length of Pallas's Fish Eagle is 70 to 85 cm .
- With Wingspan length is 180-210 cm.
- Male Eagle weight around 2 -3.3 kg and Female weight around 2.1 - 3.7 kg.
- Main Diet of Pallas's Fish Eagle is Fresh fishes.
- It also hunts water birds, small mammals, frogs and reptiles too.
- It breeds in Russia, Mongolia, India, Kazakhstan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan etc.
- Pallas's Fish Eagle is Endangered spices and listed in Endangered on IUCN Red List.
- Golbal population of Pallas's Fish Eagle is around 2500 approx.
- Pollution and overfishing lakes by humans is main reason for putting in endangered to Pallas's Fish eagle .
- A reason for low count in India is spread of water hyacinth so difficult to find fishes in lake water.
Killing experience of Pallas's Fish Eagle :
To see kill of pallas's fish eagle is awesome experience. It standing on a tree and below 100-140 ft down a river goes and i saw that eagle stand for while then just down in fastest speed n catch a fish OMG what a scene that was . I just sow his speed n accuracy is fantastic.
I m not lucky too much that i shoot that action but a kill n feast i can capture.
Here below picture u can see his neck can turn 360 degree. That specialty makes him perfect for kill , watch, and be accurate .
Location : Corbett National Park, Near Dhikhala , During safari ride.
Canon gears : Canon6D , Canon 100-400mm
Read moreFlock of Birds Photos : Birds in flight .... this moment is always dream of every nature photographer to shoot. For the photos of Birds in flight is always challenging bcz birds are very sensitive and when u go to them close they will fly. they are very scary by humans. So you need too much patience to shoot birds. A early morning and evening time is best for birding. While you need good camera setting for shoot them in a flight movement. When i was in LRK during Wild Click powered by canon and Nature Wanderers i got some good shots of Birds in Flight with amazing golden light too. Above image taken at morning at LRK . Flamingo birds going in a row. A morning Golden light make image perfect. Its make my image Birds In Flight Silhouette.
HOW TO SHOOT BIRDS :: If you have DSLR camera and good quality telezoom lens then you can easily capture it. You need your shutter speed at at least 1/1000 sec or 1/1500 sec is better. Aperture level going to be F/5 or F/7 max. If your camera supports good ISO then your image don't get grains. Your image will be perfect. Use AI focus for birds in flight so camera automatically follow birds with auto focus. Use continuous shooting for flight birds. Your camera setting depends on sunlight too either you are in front of sun or behind sun so make changes accordingly.
Amazing crowd of birds with blue sky . The sky is flat so i do this image black and white bcz no other disturbance in image and it looks perfect.
Another crowd of birds at farm. I want to capture them in slow shutter for motion image of them but unfortunately i cant. Sometimes you can not get more time to think about your shot.
A raptor or harrier may be Montagu's harrier wants some food at evening at LRK. Lovely evening sunset make beautiful silhouette image with golden light.
For birds in flight images you take your shot acording to birds or single bird. If you got group of birds then go for wide angle shot and make all birds in frame. Or if you go for single bird in flight image then go for tele zoom lens and take close up shot. Generally i love wide shots and also vertical shots as my frame so i take it like these. Plz feel free to comment and also suggessions accepted.
Photos Taken At Little Rann Of Kutch Gujarat
Gear Used : Canon 6 D, Canon 80 D, Canon 100-400mm lens
Read moreIt is the largest species of Flamingo bird family and also a most widespread species of flamingo family.It is found in India ,south east , middle east and Africa. It is migratory bird. They also breed in India. In Gujarat they breed in Rann Of Kutch , Little Rann of Kutch also found in Thol Bird Sanctuary. I often visit Thol sanctuary so got good shots of them. Best time for shoot them is may-Jun at Thol bird sanctuary bcz of water level is too low . It is been recorded that some flamingo birds are resident in Gujarat at many places like LRK, Khijadia sanctuary, Nalsarovar and Thol Sanctuary. They also breed here and stay for all seasons. So you can find greater flamingo birds in all seasons in Gujarat at many places.
Flamingo bird facts and description :
- Greater flamingo bird is the largest living spices of flamingo.
- Greater flamingo has no subspices.
- Flamingo color most of pinkish white in plumage. Wings are red and feathers are black in end.
- Greater Flamingo bird call is like honking.
- The average lifespan of flamingo bird is 30-40 years.
- Main Difference between Greater flamingo and lesser flamingo is height . Lesser flamingo is shorter than greater flamingo. Also Greater flamingo has pale pink bill and black tip. In other case lesser flamingo has dark crimson bill. Lesser flamingo is also more red in color than greater flamingos.
Greater Flamingo birds In Thol Lake : Thol sanctuary is often i visit. Flamingo birds are stay here all seasons. I got good numbers of Greater flamingo and lesser flamingo bird images in a group when i visit Thol. This is my best time with flamingos. Also i got some beautiful pictures of flamingo birds with group and also in duo with some masti. Flamingos looks very good in frame bcz of their color. Thol lake is good place for birders because more than 150 birds spices found here. Also some mammals like Blue bull and black buck also found here. Lots of water birds and tree birds found here. Also sanctuary is not so big so you can find all birds in around 6 sqkm area. Best time to visit thol lake is November to March. All migratory birds are visit in winter so that is best time. Early morning is best for birders.
Timing And Fees of Thol Sanctuary :
Thol Sanctuary open at 6 AM in morning and close at around 5 PM
Fees of Thol Sanctuary is 50 INR per person and camera fees are 200 INR. Car fees are 500 INR.
Weekend fees may change that actually i don't know about it.
Two flamingos with little egret in between of them with down head all. The images of flamingo bird making a good frame. Because of its color flamingo birds images are very attractive and also their grouping make a perfect frame of flamingo bird picture.
A morning pared time for flamingo birds. A beautiful Greater flamingo birds are in a raw make image nice and show their unity.
Perfact wingspan of Flamingo bird looks great. Pink Wings make image more attractive.
Solo Greater flamingo bird
Some masti time for two flamingo birds .
Above image shows the discipline of Flamingo Bird and looks like a morning pared they are doing .
https://youtu.be/9dVBrR9NSOo
A group of Flamingo Birds at Thol Lake make your frame awesome.
Location : Thol Lake, Gujarat
Thol lake is just 25 km approx. from Ahmedabad. You can visit one day for Thol lake is enough. Also you can find another migratory birds like pelicans , bar headed goose, river tern and many more resident spices.
Ahmedabad to Thol lake distance about 25km
What is HORIZONS ? :: The horizon is the apparent line that separates Earth from sky. The true horizons can observed when it lines on the sea surface. Also many locations this line is made by Lands, Trees, Buildings, Mountains etc.The Horizon line divides all visible directions into two categories : those that intersect the Earth surface and those that don't. The horizon line is horizontal like to feel like end of earth no end of Earth surface . The Images of Horizons or skyline taken at Little Rann of Kutch . I tried to shoot many locations but sometimes not gonna happen that. Little Rann of Kutch is good place for Horizon photography bcz flat surface and 360 degree view. Above photo we passed thorough rann and i saw car trek on ground and line goes end of surface looks beautiful.
Horizon Height and distance calculation :
Well if you want to see horizon then you have to observe from 5-7 feet above sea level. Also you need clear land about 3-5 km distance then you can see clear Horizon line. In cities there are lots of disturbance like buildings, trees, towers etc so you can not see the clear horizons. For horizon line to see you need clear land area or water area. Best area for Horizon line is in between sea. In ocean there is clear Horizon line you can see easily. Also sunrise and sunset time horizons are amazing to see because of Twilight sky colors. Well all of these photos are not taken from 7 feet height and distance may not 3-5 km but its still you can see Horizons clearly. Photos taken from ground level but the rann area is clear so you can see horizons line from ground level.
For calculation of Horizon distance equation is :: Square root ( Height / 0.5736 ) and the result you get distance of Horizons.
Best Place To See Horizon lines :
The best place to see horizons are beaches. Because you can see clear line between Sky and Earth. Well where i live in Gujarat i have also one place name Little Rann of Kutch where i can see clear Horizon line as you can see in photos of Horizons. Little rann of Kutch is best place for me because its very near to me like about 2 hours car drive. Here there are huge number of raptors you can see in winter seasons. Lots of Migratory birds came here and the most important about Little Rann ot Kutch is Indian Wild Ass. Indian wild ass found only in Gujarat in this region only.
All Images taken at Little Rann of Kutch, Guajrat. Little rann of kutch known as LRK also famous for raptors and Indian Wild Ass. Lots of migratory birds coming here in winter. So never miss a change to visit LRK in Gujarat. LRK also very nice place for Star Gazing and Star Trail Photography, Time laps Photography.
Camera used : Canon 6 D, Canon 100-400 mm lens, Canon 50mm lens, canon 18-55 mm lens
Spiti Valley located in Himachal Pradesh. It is a cold desert mountain valley of Himalayas. Spiti distributed in 2 parts Lahaul and Spiti. As per my last post of Spiti Valley Tour Itinerary there are lots of places to visit during spiti valley tour. It depends how many days you want to spend in spiti valley tour so you can much more places to cover in spiti valley. But i think 7 days are enough for Spiti valley tour to cover all major attractions. Most of time you spend in car during spiti valley tour. But definately the route is memorable for all. The view of Himalayas and the scenery is beautiful. Most people take 7 days tour from Chandigarh or from Delhi.
Best Places to Visit in Spiti Valley :
- Chitkul
- Nako
- Tabo
- Dhankar lake
- Kaza
- Chandratal Lake
Well in Spiti Valley Trip there are lots of places to visit but i will suggest you some of them to make shorter your trip. Also most attractions and must visit places i share here. If you want to spend more time then you can visit local village and enjoy village life too. If you want to know about Spiti Valley Tour Cost and Spiti Valley Tour Itinerary then i had written a post of it.
Honey Bee Farming :
From Chandigarh to Spiti you will have to pass Kinnaur District. It is very beautiful route with amazing greenery and scenery. During the route of Kinnaur valley there are lots of people do Honey Bee Farming on road. you can see the boxes of honeybee on roadside. They have different types of Honeybee and have different honey if you want to purchase pure Honey for home. They also saw you how they farming and do all procedure of making Honey.
Chitkul :
Actually we skip Chitkul because its out of our route and spend one more day. But Chitkul is must visit place. It is really beautiful place in the valley of Himalayas. Also Chitkul is known as India's Last village at Indo - Tibet Border. Border is about 90 km from Chitkul. Also civillian movement beyond Chitkul is prohibited. Best time to visit Chitkul is March to June. Also have a cup of tea at Hindustan Ka Akhri Dhaba at Chitkul. They also serve food with Rajma Chaval and roti.
Kalpa Or Rekong Peo :
If you visit chitkul and stay their then kalpa or Rekong Peo you can skip. Or if you do not visit chitkul then stay at Rekong Peo. Good to stay here very neat and clean hotels and also food is good here. Next morning you can see amazing sunrise in between of Himalayan mountains coverd with snow. Stay here for a night and leave next morning or you can visit local village and bazar.
Nako : Places to visit Nako
Nako village located near Indo-China Border. In Nako you can visit Nako Lake and Nako Monastery. Also you can visit some Buddhist chortens. Nako Monastery is must visit place with beautiful atmosphear at height. The Monastery founded in 11 th sanctuary .Monastery location is amazing where you can see 360 degree view of Himalayan Mountains. Spend some time at Monastery and go for Gue Mummy Stupa in the way to Tabo.
Gue is a village where 500 years old mummy preserved of Sangha Tenzing. Sangha Tenzing was Buddhist monk from Tibet. At stupa the mummy found in sitting position with his skin and hair intact. The road to Gue Mummy is out of Tabo route so you can take extra 1-2 hours time while leave from nako. At evening you reach at Tabo village.
Tabo : Places to visit Tabo
Tabo is a small village on bank of Spiti river in spiti District. Tabo is famous for operated continuously oldest buddhist enclave in Himalaya and India. Most famous attraction of Tabo is Old Tabo Monastery which is 1000 years old and also considered as one of the holiest by Dalai Lama himself. Also another monastery in Tabo in the center of village you can visit. Tabo caves you can visit while visit monastery and if you stay for day more then you can go at river bank to feel nature. That was amazing view of spiti river near to the village and other side the big mountain.
Dhankar Lake and Dhankar Village : Places to visit Dhankar
From tabo to kaza route you can visit Dhankar Village. In the village there is a capital of spiti valley in Himachal Pradesh. It is at 3894 mt height. Here you can visit local village , Monastery and if you want to go for trek about 3 km then go to the Dhankar Lake. Dhankar village total houses are around 65-70 and population around 250-300 .
Dhankar Lake :
Dhankar lake is high altitude lake in himachal pradesh. It is located around 4140 mt height. From monastery you can go to Dhankar lake by trek about 3 km and it will take around 1-2 hours depends on your mountain skills. Trek route is very easy but its at more than 13500 ft height so high wind blows and low oxygen level make your trek difficult. Also here UV index is high so do not go in open skin or use sunscreen lotion. High UV index may damage your skin. At the end of trek you can see a beautiful green color based lake surrounded by mountains and open land. The view of lake is awesome and you can spend more time to make a peace to you mind. Crystel clear water in the lake. We take some photos and get back to village and drink lemon soda from local villager to get energy. Local peoples are so supportive and good nature.
Kaza :
In Kaza there are several places to visit so you visit all in a full day. Also kaza atmosphear is very cold in summer also so enjoy it.
Places to Visit In Kaza
- Sakya Tangyud Monastery : It is one of the highest altitude Monastery in India. It is at 4550 mt height. It is at komik village.
- Kaza Kye Monastery : Kye or Kyi monastery is a tibetian buddhist monastery. It is set on top of the hill and its height aroun 4166 mt. It is the largest monastery of Spiti Valley.
- Langza : Langza village is also known as Fossils village. It is believed that spiti was submerged under the tethys sea so that huge quantities of fossils found here. In Langza there is a 1000 years old Buddha Statue is major attraction. The Buddha statue at Langza located at 14500 ft height. It is serene golden large Buddha Statue. From the Buddha statue at Langza you can see 360 degree view of Himalayas.
- Hikkim : Hikkim is located at 14400 ft height in lahaul spiti district. Hikkim village remains cut off during winter due to heavy snow fall over mountain passes. The Hikkim village has a post office at 14400 ft height. So it is also on of the highest post office in the world.
- Kibber Village : Kibber is famous for Monastery, kibber wildlife sanctuary, the highest post office and the highest motorable road. Kibber is located 19 km from kaza. Kibber is also famous for Snow Leopard. There are almost 25-30 snow leopards In Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Komic : Komic is also one of the highest village in the world located at 15050 ft. It is also connected with World's Highest Motorable Road. So it is known as Highest Motorable village in the world. There is a restaurant their named World highest restaurant Komic. You can take rest have a cup of coffe or tea and have some snake, meggy etc.
- Chicham Bridge : Chicham bridge is highest bridge of Asia. Bridge is located at 13596 ft height. The Chicham Bridge connect 2 village one is Chicham village and Kibber. The bridge is suspension bridge and is situated across a deep gorge around 1000 ft. Chicham Bridge is one of the spectecular bridge in the world.
- Kumzum Pass : While return from Kaza to Manali you will pass through Kumzum Pass. It is one of the best route for enjoying nature very closely. The car speed is very slow due to bad road condition but at Kumzum pass we face fresh snow fall and fell zero degree temperature. Amazing view at Kumzum pass. Also Kumzum Mata Temple located at 4590 mt height. There is a myth about Kumzum mata temple you need to do a circle and after go through your journey to Chandratal Lake or Manali.
- Chandra taal Lake : As per Hindu Mythology Chandra taal is the place where Lord Indra came down with Chariot to transport Yudhisthira in his mortal from to Swarga or Heaven. Also local believed that fairies visit lake at night. Chandratal Lake is open in summer after may end or June start. So if you want to visit Chandra taal lake then plan in June. Also there are limited option for staying at Chandra taal Lake.
Things to know about Spiti Valley Tour :
While you planning for spiti valley tour you did not need to book hotels or homestays. There are lots of homestays and hotels every where. You can also book your homestays and hotels via Spiti Tourism or Himachal Pradesh Tourism. They will help you a lot for entire trip. Local peoples are so supportive and kind nature. They will aslo help and guide you to your destination.
Which Mobile network works in Spiti Valley ?
Most people have a question about network connectivity at Spiti Valley. I will take 2 simcards for my Spiti Valley Tour one is Reliance Jio and one is BSNL prepaid. After kinnaur vally pass all major networks are down but BSNL and Reliance Jio is connected to everywhere in spiti. Reliance Jio has better network connectivity even in internet also. So i suggest take Reliance Jio sim card for your trip. Only it fall down during Kumzum pass route. Otherwise in Kaza, Tabo, Nako all places covered by Reliance Jio network.
Best time to Visit Spiti Valley :
Well the Chandigarh to Kaza route open all year but sometimes landsliding may occer and also some heavy snowfall then it will take 4-6 hours to clear road. Road managed by BRO ( Border Road Organisation ) . Plan during mid of may in spiti valley because there is low crowd in May. But in May there may be return route block via Kumzum Pass and Chandratal Lake. June is more better for Spiti Valley tour to visit all the places. Some bikers may visit spiti valley in December for adventure too.
Road Condition In Spiti Valley :
From Chandigarh to Kaza there is a clear road. At some places road condition is not good but main road is very impressive and no hazitation during the entire trip. Some village route is not good but it will manageable. The Kaza to Manali Via Kumzum pass road condition is not good so you need to travel whole day for Kaza to Manali.
Star Gazing At Spiti Valley : Spiti Valley Night Sky
Well spiti valley is dark area where you can do stargazing verywell. Here you can see milkyway clear during no moon days. For milky way Langza is the best place in Spiti Valley.
Spiti Valley Food Option :
I will recommand The Himalayan Cafe in Spiti Valley for food. Well managed cafe and food options are amazing. Must visit place in Spiti valley.
You can visit my blog http://bit.ly/3zYFdVv about spiti valley tour itinerary and total cost with details. Also provide hotels and homestay options. You can write me if you need any help about spiti valley tour at nirajhack@gmail.com
As per my previous post for Basic composition rules for Photography here i give you some advance rules for photography. Before know the rules first you should know your gear. Whichever camera you use first understand your camera. As there are lots of camera brands in the market like Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony, Olympus, etc... all cameras have different body types and keys in different area. But whichever brand of camera you use there are same rules applied for composition in photography. The techniques and settings and rules are same for DSLR cameras or Digital Cameras. Also for different types of photography like Abstract, Portrait, Landscapes, Wildlife, Product, Wedding , Fine art, Sports etc the Rules for photography are same. If you want to capture good pictures follow some rules i mention here and it will help you for being a professional photographer.
How to become professional in photography ?
The answer is too hard work. To become professional you should work very hard in any types of photography. Understanding your camera and using basic rules and after that advance techniques helps you lot. Without follow some rules your photos cannot noticed by others. You should try to capture something new and something creative with good composition which attract users to see your images.
Rule Of Third : There is a cross line in every camera in display. If you are new then on that cross lines while shooting. After you can understand off that feature. While shooting photos the position of your subject is on cross lines for better pictures and better look for your photos.
In above image i use a water drop as a subject. if you use grid lines in your camera then you can see the cross lines on your screen is total 4 and you can put your subject on those 4 cross line and leave other space thats the rule of third. Same in below image using bird as a subject in the lower crossline. Thats make your image attractive and perfact if you use foreground apropriate to your subject.
Repetition : Look for repeat subject in a raw . Your object may be pole light, street light, pile of fruits, chain of poles etc. The repetition of subject or object makes image unique.
Repetition is also a good subject like electric pole, walls, roads, trees in line and also a birds of mammals. My image is not perfact in repetition but its gives you an idea for it. repeat your subject at regular interval and space in your frame.
Negative space : Always leave some space with your object in your frame. Some people make closeup shots with crop image but its not looks good . The subject need some negative space to move into. For ex. If you shoot solo bird on tree then you should leave some space in the direction of birds eye. That will make your frame perfact.
Balancing Elements : Balancing elements means balance your background interest with your foreground subject.
Symmetry : Symmetry means Half of your image is a mirror of other half image. Shoot your image like a mirror image or reflection of the subject .
Follow these advance rules for capturing images and i am sure you will definitely get better results. I will give you one more Bonus tips except this 5 rules is
Depth ( Layers ) : The position of your subject in front of and behind of objects to create 3D depth.
Housefly is a small insect which is found anywhere around us. It is most common fly spices. Binomial Name of Housefly is Musca domestica. Housefly is very well known for carry pathogens which can cause serious diseases in Animals and Humans. There are also different flies like fruit fly , Drain fly , Lesser Housefly, Blow fly, Common Green bottle fly etc. It is an insect and it has an important role for ecology for breaking down organic matter. They can carry lots of organisms on hair, mouth and feces. Also they carry parasites with them and cause diseases like Typhoid, Cholera ,Diarrhea etc.
About Housefly : It is the most common fly spices found in the houses. They have red eyes and black in color. They have small hairs on their body and single pair of wings. Females are little larger than Male. Adult housefly length about 6 to 7 mm and 12-15mm with wingspan. They have 3 simple eyes and pair of antennae.
Some Facts about Housefly or Flies :
- Flies multiply quickly
- Flies can spread diseases.
- Flies test with their feet.
- Housefly don't chew
- Flies pollinate plants.
Things to know about Housefly :
- Female housefly mates only once and it store sperms to use it later on.
- It lays eggs on waste food or carrion and lays eggs in 100 of batches.
- After eggs they soon hatch into larvae which is known as maggot.
- After 3 larvael stage they turn into pupae about 8 mm. and then become housefly.
- Housefly generally lives 2 to 4 weeks.
- They feed different liquid, semi liquid substence. They can feed some solid meterials which can soften by housefly saliva.
- Houseflies process visual information 7 times faster than humans.
Life cycle of Housefly :
Female lays Eggs ----- after 1 day 1st instar larva ----- after 1 day 2nd instar larva ----- after 1 day 3rd instar larva ----- after 2 or 3 days Pupae/ pupa ----- after 3.5 to 4.5 days it turn into adult housefly
Housefly is very difficult to catch in your frame. Its flying speed is amazing so you can not catch them easily. You need to stable where housefly repeatatly came and sit. Wait for your shot on tripod or on handheld. Its all about timing. I generally use handheld shots. Also i use flash rarely when light is too low.
How to get rid of Housefly ?
The best spray for get rid of housefly is natural oil sprays like citronella oil, neem oil, peppermint oil, lemongrass oil etc. Get mixing these oils with alcohol or water and spray it in your house .
Gear Used : Canon 80 D , Canon 6 D , Canon 100 mm macro lens.