Another morning with the Orange headed Thrush

Light I was so happy about lasted only a day after previous post and even if fog was expected, I certainly didnt expect it as much as one sees only towards end of December. World suddenly became small and whatever visible, was also mostly seen as outlines. This illustration mode of black headed gull captures how much you could see in that fog. 

Unlike last year, this year they arrived on time. were here by mid Nov I think. This year however, so far I haven't managed to walk up to Ganga and so along with other river birds, haven't taken their photos so far this season.

Fog was too early indeed and didnt manage to last long. Light returned in some two three days with bonus of cleaner air. I returned to watch the Orange headed thrush and as I sat on the ground, knew that I will have nice time. The spot actually belongs to an Indian Robin family. Its their favourite spot to feed when they are around and now they were back. So I guessed there will be some not very friendly interaction with smaller long time owners of territory and new, larger, temporary visitor. Indeed there were signs of dissatisfaction but it was not permanent vs temporary criteria but large vs small that had upper hand. The Thrush ran after Robins on couple of occasions only to push them few feet away for a while, on the other hand Robins expoited their better comfort level with me to feed nearer to me than the Thrush could. All in all it was very enjoyable session of sitting on the ground till of course leg and back muscles raised their voice louder than brain's capacity to ignore them that they were not happy with twisted position to accommodate camera at ground level to track three happy individuals.

A tailor bird too joined briefly.

At far end, there was some movement and see this Francolins checking out who was sitting at other end.

and, some shots of the Orange headed Thrush for whom I was there. they are no different from last time but who says you cant indulge in repeating similar shots on a blog once in a while.

Lots of light but not many subjects

This year, most of migrants who come here for winter are either hard to find or not there at all, but sightings of passing migrants fortunately has not been that bad. While I was shooting butterflies in previous post, had come across a group of energetic Minivets. Some 6-8 of them I think and many of them Juvs probably. There were there for some 10-15 minutes.

Highlight of this November I think was not presence of any species or any shots taken rather it was absence of them, specially insects - as it was this month that got me interested in insects in first place. This year however I noticed almost nothing. towards the last days of the month, not having taken any insect shot appeared too odd to me and I thought I must find something even if as a token. Found this nice looking moth and a grasshopper. Nothing much about grasshopper except that I find its eyes interesting - looks like watermelon design.

Back to migrating birds, I am seeing one off examples for last two three years where I see an isolated individual for a day or so (passing migrant) and next year see it spending lager part of the season here. This year I think spotted thrush was the first such example. Now, a second thrush species has joined. Had seen a single individual of Orange headed thrush stopping over for one morning some two/three years back. and now, one individual is here to spend full or part of winter. I am quite surprised to see that its not much shy.

One thing however that is both puzzling and frustrating is that it somehow evades giving sharp shot. After blaming my photo taking skills, low light, its tendency to keep moving etc etc, now I am starting to suspect something to do with nature of its feathers. I intend to catch it in those sunlit spots few times to see if its really me or its feathers that comes in way of a crisp shot. Absence of other attractions may give me enough time to spend on this individual too.

if light situation in above doesnt look too bad, here is the context why I complain of low light. in above shots. I underexposed the thrush in all shots in shade at ISO 1600, f5.6, 1/160s whereas I somewhat overexposed this Ashy prinia shot standing at same spot at ISO 400, f8, 1/640s.

So, light is at its best right now. I hope to get some birds too while the light lasts as fog may start setting in anytime now.

Butterflies in flight

I should be trying for better shots but for now, some results out of attempts so far. Almost all of below shots are sharpened quite harshly and in third shot have removed a flower just left of the butterfly.

Scaly thrush and more

Scaly thrush is one of those birds that you are always thrilled to sight. Stays on the ground, under dense bushes and loves to stay hidden. I had seen it here once two years back – had assumed it was on her way back to summer home. This season, a week ago as I was walking by around where I had seen it previously, something took off from ground and gone in a fraction of second. I was sure it was a Scaly thrush. Was it here on its way to South or was here for the winter? In few days I got the answer. Same place, I was careful this time and stopped as soon as heard the thrush walking on the ground. It watched me for a while from inside those plants that hid it nicely, and then flew off. landed on a tree not far, on a branch at eye level. (tree was at lower height then ground I was standing on). too good to be true? Well, I wasn't carrying right equipment. Here is a crop from what I got using smaller cam. (it was on Aperture priority and I clicked without noticing what shutter speed cam had selected. I was surprised that I got at least one shot steady enough at 50x zoom at shutter speed of 1/50.) 

After above shot, I thought ‘How lucky to get it on a tree in clear sight’. While indeed for a bird that spends almost all its time on ground and hiding I was lucky to see it on the tree, what stuck me as odd fact that it was my third photograph of the bird so far and in all three it was on a tree. I remembered term for this that I had learned more than 15 years ago in context of performance measurement of portfolios - its called Survivorship bias.

Some couple of hundred meters from where I saw the thrush, is a spot that was favourite get-together place for many birds last week (they seemed to have moved elsewhere this week), mostly resident and some local migrants (i.e. those who are technically resident but appear during some season and disappear in other). Essence of being there can be best captured by capturing sound, which I haven't done so far. for now, a black hooded Oriole Juv there while it was playing with other Oriole.

Another day. I saw below flycatcher at low and clear perch. Now, I was supposed to take as good picture as possible, as fast as possible. and flycatcher was supposed to notice me and fly off. but, for the reasons I did not try to understand, my camera kept refusing to focus on the bird - probably it was underexposed or bird was too small to focus on but whatever it was, I stubbornly refused to apply mind and kept pressing shutter hoping I will get a shot. (for the fear that bird will fly off by the time I correct settings / move closer.) the bird too refused to play its part well and gave me unreasonably long time to shoot. In the end, however, being anxious about getting result, doing same thing and expecting different result policies didn't work and I was left with this below shot losing excellent opportunity. - I think I am falling back in that trap of getting anxious seeing a shot I want where probability doesn't favour me getting it. for the first time last year I had managed to get out of this trick mind plays with me and stay calm and enjoy what I see no matter how rare the shot may appear. I had managed to stop wanting to grab it. It had, as expected increased success rate, but more than that, feeling of winning over mind's trick was more enjoyable. I guess, this flycatcher reminds me that less time I am spending with nature in last few months is not a development in right direction.

Lastly, an encounter with this inquisitive butterfly. It was flying with what looked like intention to reach some flowers, suddenly notices the other butterfly on ground, alters its flight path in typical 3 dimensional unpredictable zigzag pattern to move near the butterfly on the ground, with two three dips it appeared to have understood what it wanted to and was back on its way. 

I was watching the episode and to me the butterfly on the ground appeared dead - and therefore the other one more of a concerned individual rather than just a curious creature. I thought to keep dead butterfly away from this walking path so someone doesn't step on it / cause stress to other butterflies around. I took a step towards it and it flew away :-)

Managed to get a shot of above because I was already trying for some in-flight butterfly shots. no good shots so far, but flying butterflies appear most interesting subjects right now. hope will get a post with them soon.

More migrants

Of all passing migrants I get to see every year, most reliable are chestnut headed bee eaters. They show up both on their way south and back. This time it was a nice group of some 10+. Although smog has started showing up, these energetic bee eaters encouraged me for some shots.

Meanwhile, the Black Redstart I could not capture a week ago again came and Posed for me.

Back at the Human world, it was Diwali this week. I am not good at celebrating festivals, so all I did was to light up diya.

btw, Diwali is the last day of our year and New year starts next day. (Its a lunisolar calendar where months are lunar-Synodic and year is Sidereal.).

I wish Happy New Year to friends here or, as we greet traditionally, Saal Mubarak.

Start of Migration season

Long gap again. most of time of this last month or so was spent with everyday friends with center spot occupied by Babbler young of second brood this year. He appeared to have suffered some serious setback very early in life and looks more like a mini vulture with his part of head hairless. His apparent ugliness however makes him even more endearing I think.

During this time, I also found that what I considered occasional visitor might as well be always around someone. its only because he is always well hidden that I don’t see him often. On one of the days however he climbed newly grwon Papaya tree where there was no scope of hiding and then found me in front of him. somewhat confused, he stayed there for quite some time and didn't attempt to go to safely of hiding.

Anyways, things started to change finally. After completely rain deprived July, probably one of the hottest August and not far behind September, earlier this month HudHud brought both the things absent in last few months. One good day of rain and onset of cooler days. So there I was, having left with no excuse, out in the morning to see if migratory visitors have come already. Did hear an occasional flycatcher, looked like some warblers in a far off tree and also managed a Black Redstart in the frame, shot of which however reminded me of my some of the early days shots that didn't survive even then. Does not picking up camera for a few months really does that to you?

Somewhat disappointed, next day I leave 400 mm at home and walk out with HX300. See greenish warbler, hear more flycatchers and.. something much more interesting but not sure what it is. there was no use of regretting leaving behind 400mm now. by the time I zoom on it with lots of struggle to locate it in quite non-photo friendly clutter of small trees, it flies off. After few more minutes and walking few meters back and forth, there it was again. a blue capped rock thrush. Had seen it only once before on its return trip to its summer area three seasons back. Here is the shot of current sighting, whatever I managed.

Another day. More activity. Saw an ultramarine flycatcher hopping just above my head few feet above inside bamboo leaves. Now, I had seen it once for sure in previous years and at few other times suspected what I saw was it but had never managed a shot. (too bad given that goggling for it gives an impression that it loves to sit on open perches in full light in front of camera). Fortunately, it came out in clear sight after a while. I again did poorly still did get a shot. Makes it first new species this winter season.

Next day. Started off with hope of seeing yet another exotic passing migrant but wasn't too disappointed when encountered no new or old any kind of bird as my hope was not reasonable in first place. All I found was this dragonfly that almost invited me to take its shot.

and, how many hours I had spend without any result to catch it mid air finally concluding it wasn't worth trying.

Finally, yet another by-invitation shot. This unreasonably big fly was sucking something from a brick and hovering occasionally above it.

While I wait for change of season..

All these disconnected photographs followed by all the text is not a formatting issue, and I have not put them that way to create any puzzle either. Its just more or less representation of how last three.., now four weeks have been. Not much of theme or rhythm, unconnected, random sightings, but not lacking interestingness or beauty.

If not having any central theme wrt to Nature around me was a reason to not come out with a photo heavy post for good four weeks, having too many Brilliant ideas (my ideas after all!) to write about was another. I would have written at least half a dozen text heavy posts if I had not somewhere lost the threads of my all those ideas and arguments before I actually write about them. So in the end, lots of thoughts blowing through mind but no post that happened. Incidentally, I came across this Mark Twain quote a few days ago that I quite agree with. "Life does not consist mainly - or even largely - of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thoughts that are forever blowing through one's mind."
I am not trying to sell myself inaction in any way by agreeing with the quote (nor do I think quote intends to do that) and will try to capture and structure ideas I get in future to put them here when can. for now, this is how world outside had been since last post..

Start of this period was same as one reflected in last post. Hot humid and devoid of rains, only subjects were insects. Unfavourable weather meant that I didn't spend much time with camera even as those grasses, subject I never get tired of photographing started appearing everywhere. Then, with August drawing to close and Sun starting to lose some of its power save around the noon, while nothing else appeared to be changing, I found me keeping the 400mm attached to camera more than the reserve macro lens. With even first migratory trickle start more than a month away, this change in my instinctive behavior appeared somewhat strange.
Luckily, I had a visitor that (I think) I see September onward only. Some 7-8 white eyes had come to enjoy water that I keep for resident birds. Even if small group, seeing them so close, playing just outside the window definitely was highlight of the month. They spent some 10 mins and left. I waited for them next day, and though few mins late, they did come. Next day I noticed a pair of bulbuls along with them. Now, bulbuls are actually everyday birds and seeing them doesn’t mean anything but they being with white-eyes, I tried to see them as mixed-flock of small birds in making. indeed, number of bulbuls in last few days are increasing though I don’t always notice white-eyes, I have a feeling its going to be a lucky winter this time. Usually small migratory birds join similar sized mixed flocks and bulbuls provide critical mass to this flocks here where total numbers are small. so, will these small beginning result in many previously seen unseen migratory travelers stopping by my window? ok, too speculative as of now but I am excited even at the possibility.

In another sign of ‘its already Septermber’, kites are back to their aerial games. be it displaying capability to hold, shift grips etc of anything they find for the purpose or fighting mid air. Meanwhile, most neighborhood birds are doing very well – some had their second brood also successfully out. Most interesting of them is how Magpie Robin male is doing. Every year I see that female leaves at the end of breeding season and so the young one. This year however, out of two youngsters, one has stayed back. I believe it’s a male – as it mimics his father’s call perfectly. Now, Magpie Robin male, who is here year around has been most unsocial creature in and around my home – even I am better. He never socialises, never joins others to enjoy food (I know he eats roti when in mood, but never in my presence.). He spends his time as if he is indifferent to everyone else. Now, this time, he has this youngster chasing him – I suspect he is not very enthusiastic about it, but youngster doesn’t care. Youngster is not very averse to company of other birds and me either. and as if he finally managed to have some influence on his father, that day I caught the father in almost Juv like playful mood.

and then there was another Juv - that of Coucal this time. First time I saw a coucal juv here. I would have almost dismissed it as Koel behind the leaves if not for its body language not matching that of Koel. Soon he even came out and posed for me :-)

That's all for last four weeks. lets see what I find for the next post.