Rose-coloured Starling: Pastor roseus (formerly Sturnus roseus)

Rose-coloured Starling
Pastor roseus (formerly Sturnus roseus)

 

Rose-coloured Starling.  Rose-coloured pastor. Rosy Starling. Pastor roseus. And, formerly classified as Sturnus roseus.

 

Thought to be more closer to Mynas than to Common Starling or Spotless Starling, Sturnus roseus was reclassified as Pastor roseus.

 

It's the size of a Myna, about 20 centimetres in length. A Passeriform belonging to the Family Sturnidae.

 

Rosy Starling is a winter migrant on the Indian subcontinent and as summer approaches, they emigrate northwards to Central Asia and sometimes as far as Europe.

 

Congregations of Rose-coloured Starlings tend to move northwards along with blossoming of coral trees in those areas whose nectar they favour, and the breeding of grasshoppers whom they also relish.

 

The crest of males is less prominent and  and rose coloured feathers duller in winters when they are not breeding. During the breeding season the crest and rose colour is exaggerated. Females have shorter crests and duller feathers overall.

These birds favour open spaces, agricultural or rocky, and move in congregations.

This here was a member of one such noisy group in Kumbhargaon, hopping from tree to tree.

 

Photographed at Kumbhargaon, Maharashtra, India on 19th January, 2014.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Grey Heron: Ardea cinerea

Grey Heron (Nari)
Ardea cinera

 

 

Grey Heron (Ardea cinera ) - Known as Nari, Anjan or Sain in Hindi.

 

One of the pitfalls of being an amateur birdwatcher and photographer is failing to record frequently seen birds. That has happened with me: particularly with Herons and Egrets. This large family called Ardeidae contains species variously named as herons, egrets or bitterns. They are present near every marsh, pond or lake - in fact, they are seen near all landlocked largish water-bodies that attract birds. And I, in my rambling through the countryside, have almost always come across these cultured birds sitting in regal aloofness, almost as if avoiding attention, while the feathered proletariat flocking the center stage of  these water bodies usually attract the amateur eye. However, they are always there and provide one with photo opportunities, while the snazzy set of birds fly away. In fact, so stately is their flight and comfort with cameras, Grey Herons offer study of flight and activity. Yet, I have largely ignored them on the blog even though I have many photographs of this family. Chasing the uncommon and unusual is my bane.

 

This year's birding was kicked off by flocking to Kumbhargaon, a small lake-side hamlet set off the Pune-Solapur highway just beyond Bhigwan and Diksal, about two-hours drive from Pune city in Maharashtra, India. At Kumbhargaon this year, Nature reminded me to observe - observe without reservation or bias - all its feathered creations. So the Grey Herons.

 

Grey Herons are usually about a metre long (about 100 centimetres maximum approximately), large, possess long flexible necks that retract in flight; are long-legged and have large wing-spans. They either sit erect with their necks spiraling high above their bodies or are, more commonly, in a more restful hunched posture with their necks retracted into a "z" shaped formation.

 

The Grey Heron sports mostly grey feathers as its name suggests, with white feathers on the ventral side and black feathers forming the crest and two lines on either side of  white feathers of chin, neck and extending to the body.

 

The tail is grey and the dorsal surface is covered with grey and black feathers.

 

The thighs are covered with white feathers and there are white-feather areas on the wings that are called "landing lights" since they look like light on the wings of aircraft. These "landing lights" and thigh feather colouration are a quick guide to differentiate from Purple Heron.

 

Grey Herons prefer open shallow-water habitats - fresh, brackish or salt-water. Its staple diet is fish.

 

It stalks fish employing the "wait and watch" and "slow high-stepping deliberate walk" approach to snap unwary in its beak. Therefore, it is also called Bagula like cranes and storks. Grey Herons are not averse to snacking on platters of frogs, reptiles, smaller birds and worms either. characteristic of swamp-marsh dwelling birds.

 

In this instant case, this Grey Heron was attracted by the noisy Gulls and demonstrated a different predatory technique: 1) Intent by hovering over a shoal of fish as in photos below, 2) the Dive, 3) the Pounce through a mass of Gulls 4) the Catch and 5) Flying away defending its catch all the while manipulating it in flight to swallow it whole.

 

 

 

 

Grey Heron
Fending off a chivvying pair of Common Black-headed Gulls

 

Besides the study, made for good photography too.

 

Photographed at Kumbhargaon, Maharashtra, India on 19th January, 2014.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Glossy Ibis: Plegadis falcinellus (Kowar)

Glossy Ibis (Kowar)
Plegadis falcinellus

 

 

When the unremarkable black ball of feathers foraging for delicacies in a marsh shifts its posture, the sunrays bounce off the feathers, splitting into component beams and smite the observer's eye with a breathtaking rainbow of colours. One then calls that black ball of feathers a Glossy Ibis.

 

Ibises are thought to have originated from Africa, but have now a widespread presence. Also, they possess an inherently migratory streak to their nature and travel considerable distances across the globe when not nesting.

 

A wader which relishes the offerings of marshes and shallow lakes, the long bill curving down is typical. The legs are black and the feathers are actually a very dark shade of green, though they look black from a distance. It's about twice as large as a healthy rooster, say 3 feet high at it's tallest and about 2 to 2-1/2 feet from bow to stern. 

 

The Glossy Ibis, locally known as Kowar, is a connoisseur of fish, frogs, aquatic dwellers and insects.

 

This one was foraging about 50 meters from me.

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Common Kingfisher: Alcedo atthis (Chotta Kilkila, Neeka Kilkila)



Common Indian Kingfisher
Alcedo atthis

 

Common Kingfisher - what a misleading prefix for the most beautiful Kingfisher! This sparrow sized glittering jewel of a Kingfisher has proved an elusive bird for me unlike its larger White-throated cousin. Until 29th December that is.

 

This was an accidental spotting - my first - as I was far out on an abrasive rotting limb of a fallen tree overhanging a lake in a marshy part of Keoladeo chasing reclusive Night Herons hidden in the brambles on the banks. Gabru Parmanand, my mentor at Keoladeo, was rather worried at my antics for he felt there was a certain amount of danger involved. His veteran eye too had missed this beauty. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this lovely distraction as I lined up the herons in my viewfinder.

 

It has a blue back and rump with rusty brownish underfeathers and a white patch at the throat. It's ear coverts are rusty red.

 

It darts down wooded streams and lakes and when sun rays catch the feathers, it looks like a sparkling gem skimming the waters. This one caught a fish in one such swoop, but I couldn't move a centimeter to change my position for fear of falling into the lake or breaking the rotting tree branch I was perched upon.

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Indian Grey Hornbill: Ocyceros birostris (Female)

Indian Grey Hornbill (Dhanesh)
Ocyceros birostrosis - Female

 

 

The female of the species has a smaller casque, yellowish beak with streaks of black and the bare area around the eye is reddish. This female was about 2 feet long as well.

 

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Indian Grey Hornbill: Ocyceros birostris (Male)

Indian Grey Hornbill (Dhanesh)
Ocyceros birostrosis - Male

 

Dhanesh is the local name for Indian Grey Hornbill. If you are a bird-watcher with a 55-300 mm lens on your camera, the chances are you have to get close to the birds and wildlife for decent snaps. That's risky business - you can disturb the wildlife and birds and that's not quite right. This male Dhanesh bird flew in with his mate, out of nowhere, and alit on a nearby tree. Fidgety chap, kept hopping around and peeking down at me before he soared over to another tree yonder in the woods, and then another tree. The female of the species was more allowing of my clumsy attempts to photograph the two. It's in their nature to chase each other from tree to tree anyway and that's what this couple was doing in the Keoladeo woods.

 

Grey in colour, their distinctive feature is their big broad bill with a protuberance above called a "casque". This one was a little over two feet from bill to tail tip.

 

The male has a larger casque, a darker bill with a yellow colouring of the lower jaw of the bill. Yes, yes, I know there is a term for that but can't recall offhand. The bare area around the eye is dark colored in a male.

 

It's call is quite similar to a kite's.

 

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Indian Roller: Coracias benghalensis (Neelkanth)

Indian Roller (Neelkanth)
Coracias benghalensis

 

Neelkanth. The Dussehra bird. The Indian Roller has many names. This beautiful bird is the state bird of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha and just till a year ago was also the state bird of Bihar before the Chief Minister adopted the Sparrow instead.

 

On a blustery cold morning atop a tall tree, this bird was bound to look as cold as it does with its fluffed feathers. It's a beautiful bird, about a foot long. This one was perched about 30 feet straight up.

 

The crown and vent are blue. The tail is also blue. The neck has brownish lilac feathers with whites stripes. Here they are not clear because of the fluffed up feathers.

 

Indians tend to believe it is an incarnation of Lord Shiva who drank poison and auspicious if this bird is seen on Vijaya Dashami.

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Shikra: Accipiter badius (Keoladeo Ghana National Park)

Shikra
Accipiter badius

 

Shikra - I had blogged earlier on this character where I spotted one of its kind at Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary, Delhi. Unfortunately, that photograph was taken through many branches of Acacia upon which it was roosting. However, at Keoladeo, while wandering into the scrubland, I spotted this predator, foot-and-a-half in size perhaps, quietly looking for prey on a dead tree branch. Almost 20-25 feet above my head.

 

Resembling the falcons, they have blue-grey upper parts and brownish, barred breast and tail. Those talons seize any prey. This one spotted one and flew off to grab it. Too much vegetation intervened between my camera and that action to capture it's swoop.

 

However, I counted it a lucky day.

 

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon with Ber

Yellow-footed Green Pigeon plucking Ber (Jujube)
Treron phoenicoptera on Ziziphus mauritiana

This a favorite of mine. This pigeon from a family perched on the shrub was most actively plucking at the berries. They have grey heads, green body with a broad green collar, lilac shoulder patch and a chestnut barred vent. The feet are as yellow as the bathtub duck is.

Of course this incongruous, multicolored beauty is masked here by the overpowering presence of the slanting rays of a setting sun. Everything is coloured therefore.

Ziziphus mauritiana or Ber, spiny, with bunches of berries loved by birds and others.

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm VR Lens

Gum Arabic Tree: Acacia senegal



Gum Arabic Tree
Acacia senegal

 



 

At dawn the crisp crescent above promised clarity - an unfogged day of watching birds, animals and trees.

 

This deciduous tree with spines has shed its leaves.

 

That day spotted four or five species of birds I hadn't before or with clarity.

 

 

Photographed at Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India on 29th December, 2013.

 

Camera used: Nikon D5100 DSLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55 mm VR Lens