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This is the fourth post and will cover some of the photographs that have given me a lot of satisfaction. Photographing birds has many challenges - not the least being the subjects not very inclined to pose for you. Also, the distance and lighting conditions are never ever perfect. So the hit rate, at least for me, for getting good photographs is very low.

This is a Black Shouldered Kite which was captured while on the way back from our farm in Medchal. It was perched on top of a concrete pole and busy with it's kill - probably a rat or lizard. Once it saw me approaching, it flew the next pole carrying it's kill. I followed and got some more shots. The local name is interesting - Adavi Ramadasu.

This is a Black Kite that I shot near a small lake/swamp near the RKPuram Flyover. The stink of the place was worth it to get a shot at this beautiful regal looking bird.

These are two Grey Herons that almost appear to be greeting each other. I captured this shot at a small pond (made by a rock quarrying) and happened to see one Grey Heron. While getting closer, it took off and then decided to land next to his friend and it was a very lucky shot to have captured it just as it was landing and the other Heron was looking up.

At the same pond where I captured the Grey Herons, we (my daughter and I) shot this Pied Kingfisher. We were quite enthralled by the way it was "fishing". It would hover over the water for a few seconds and then dive straight in to come out with a fish. We did capture one shot with a fish in it's beak, but it was too far. It is called Neela Buchigaadu in Telugu.

This is an Indian Pond Heron about to take off from it's stone perch. Though I was not planning for this, the  graceful liftoff position almost looks like a 100mt sprint athlete about to start.Despite it's apparent speed in this photograph, this Heron  can stay very still in the water waiting for fishes and then strike.It is called Narayana Konga in telugu.

This is the Asian Pied Startling that is  usually found near water bodies and which are usually very dirty and smelly within the city. It is related to the Myna and is called Venda Gorinka in Telugu.

The look that I got from this Spotted Owl was a bit unnerving as it stared unblinkingly all the while. Once it realized that I was not going away and not getting intimidated, it flew away. It is called Pagati Kante in local telugu.

The Indian Roller is a very colorful bird and is also the state bird of Andhra Pradesh. It's local telugu name is Pala Pitta and people feel it is auspicious to see it on Dussehara, one of the most important festival in India.



For the rest of my bird photographs, please visit Birds Around Hyderabad.

The telugu names of some of these birds are from the excellent Universities Press/WWF published "The common Birds and Mammals of Andhra Pradesh".

A great site for many other photographs of Indian Birds is Indian Birds

Birds around us - Medchal and other lakes

Birds around us - Medchal and other lakes

My interest in bird photography undoubtedly increased during my visits to our 3 acre farm in Medchal (an outskirt of Hyderabad). One of the first birds I started to shoot were the Cattle Egret and Indian Pond Heron. Of course it was much later that I learned about their names.

Cattle Egrets are usually snowy white birds which develop a reddish shade around their necks  during their breeding season. They love to walk behind cattle, especially in farms, to pick off insects that get disturbed. They are quite used to humans and are not too shy.

This is the Indian Pond Heron also found in farm areas for the same reason as the egret. It is stockier than the egret and has brownish streaks around its back.The above two are common perching points for these birds.

A bunch of Cattle Egrets waiting patently for the next pass of the tractor which will throw up a feast of insects. Sometimes in their eagerness, they come very close to the wheels of tractors and it almost seems like they would get run over when they neatly move aside.

This is another in the egret family called Little Egret. Notice the color of the beak which is black compared to the yellowish bill of the Cattle Egret. It is called the Chinna Tella Konga in telugu.

These are Black-headed Ibis and I was lucky enough to take this shot as they are not very common. In fact, I don't remember seeing them again. Their distinct bald and black heads make them appear a bit sinister and I wish I could have got closer to get more details. The local name for this bird id Nalla Kankanami.

This is called the Bronze Winged Jacana and are known to walk on water! Well not exactly as their large feet help them spread their weight which allows them to walk on floating weeds and large leafs which also gives them another name Lilly Trotters. an interesting identification mark is the patch of white around their eyes. Interestingly, it has the same name in telugu with the broze wing translated - Kanchurekkala Jacana

This purple colored bird is found in small lakes or swamps and is called predictably the Purple Swamphen. I was luckly with the second image as I could capture it's chicks as well. The local name is Udi Chenchu Kodi.

Unfortunately this is the only shot I have of the White-breasted Waterhen. Since it is quite common, I hope to have a better picture of this bird.It is called Tella Borra Netikodi in telugu - another literal translation.

This is another bird that I dont have too many photographs as they are not very commonly visible in Medchal - or at least when I am visiting :-). It is called the Black Ibis and there is a distinctive red patch on it's head due to which it is also called the Red-naped Ibis. 

In the next posting, I will add birds that I am very proud to have shot, though not necessarily the best from a photographic quality perspective.

For really great photographs of closeups of birds you can visit backyard birding at http://kenn3d.wordpress.com/.

For the rest of my bird photographs, please visit Birds Around Hyderabad.

The telugu names of some of these birds are from the excellent Universities Press/WWF published "The common Birds and Mammals of Andhra Pradesh".

A great site for many other photographs of Indian Birds is Indian Birds

If you have any suggestion or wish to share anything, please post your comment.

Birds around us - 2nd set

The interesting thing about bird watching is that once you start taking an interest, all of a sudden, you see and hear them everywhere. So I make it a point to carry my camera, Sony DSC H2 (point and shoot with 12x zoom and 8 MPix resolution) everywhere and it has paid off on many occasions.

Some more birds that I could "shoot" in the last few years.

These are a pair of Indian Silverbills and the shot was just lucky, as are most of my photographs of birds. Birds are probably the most difficult of subjects as they never stay still spare a thought for the poor photographer. They are called Jinuvayi in telugu.

This is a Green Bee-eater and is quite common around the outskirts of cities near farms. It is a very brightly colored bird and has a cousin which has a orangish shade on the head. It is called Chinna Pasirika in telugu.

 A Myna which can be found all around as you can see from the electric cable that it is perched on. It is also a pretty popular bird for poets and there are a few songs in telugu on this Gorinka.

This bird is called the Greater Coucal and this is the best shot I could get despite many attempts. It is called Pedda Jamudu Kaki, probably as it looks similar to the common Crow. I could finally shoot it right in front of my house.

This colorful bird is the Indian Robin. They come in different shades from blue to grey, but they all have a distinctive patch of red under their tail. Another easily identifiable sign is the tail which they keep flicking up and down. They are quite common around our cities and it is easy to spot them. Their local name is Nallanchi

Rashmila (my younger daughter) and I used to call this bird "bobbed hair" due to the crest of hair on it's head. It is actually the Red Vented Bulbul. It has a cousin which has a patch of red around it's ears and is called the Red Whiskered Bulbul. The Bulbul is a commonly referred in our literature, especially Hindi. In telugu it is called the Pigili Pitta.

Another example of my ignorance when I thought this was a woodpecker. It is actually a Hoopoe which I am still not sure how to pronounce. It is called as Kukudu Pitta locally.

This is the Asian Koel which is famous for it's beautiful song. It is probably the most mentioned bird in India literature, especially poems and songs. The sound it make early in the morning and evening is very distinctive Kuoo and carries for long distances. This is the male and looks like a larger version of the common crow, but has a red eyes and is also not as active. It prefers to sit peacefully near the top branches of tress and sing it's melancholy songs. In telugu it is called Kovila and a similar Koel in Hindi.

This bird is the White Throated Kingfisher and is one of the most colorful in my collection. The large red beak is very distinctive and also very shy. It is called the Tellaguntu Buchigadu locally.

A Scaly Breasted Muniya is quite common in the city if you observe carefully. There a few other muniyas with different colors and patterns and they can be recognized by their short strong looking beak. It is called Chukkala Jinuvayi in telugu.


This blog is just to share my experience and fun that I have had over the past 5 years on this hobby. I would certainly welcome any comments.


For the rest of my bird photographs, please visit Birds Around Hyderabad.
The telugu names of some of these birds are from the excellent Universities Press/WWF published "The common Birds and Mammals of Andhra Pradesh".
A great site for many other photographs of Indian Birds is Indian Birds