First shots this Vasant

Winter here usually comes with few installments of cold spells broken by few sunny days. Not this time. This year it was one single long spell of cold days. It however broke the pattern that was going for almost one and half year now of reality not matching with season. Say, last winter was more like monsoon, Summer had lacked the usual heat and Monsoon the rains. So hopefully this winter being like winter will restore the order. and now, abundant Sunshine has returned and so the colours. Best season for photography starts now and I hope to do better compared to last few months.

I was thinking about not seeing the roller for quite some time and one morning see him. I quickly got home, picked up camera and returned. He however had left by then. Its disappointing that unlike in past, when he or even the pair was seen quite regularly, is seen less and less now. Last time I spent good time watching it was actually nearly three years back. a  shot from archives for now.

I did not find the roller but still it was worth spending some time there - a black hooded Oriole was calling happily and not many things can match the experience of listening to one. While coming back saw this hoope sitting on the ground. I went and sat at some distance. then at somewhat lesser distance and then even lesser. It didnt mind my company even at some 15 feet or so.

Meanwhile, keeping up with the season, my favourite tiny weed flowers are back.

okay, I know it doesnt make a sensible post to repeat all those weed flowers every year no matter how much I like them so rest assured I wont repeat my last February post. I however found one beautiful addition this year that wasnt there before. It should be around 4mm in size.

Insects too have started appearing and first of them to appear everywhere is.. well, what might sound very uninteresting subject to most - a mosquito it is I think. I quite like it for its antennas and one of them was posing for me the other day.

Some colours to end with. Hope to be back with more colours soon..

Where have all birds gone?

Birds - that are supposed be my main subjects are ironically absent from my posts. I keep saying I photograph birds primarily and keep posting everything else out here. While my diversions to macro world may surely have played a role in why I dont see many birds, but I think even otherwise, migratory birds are not seen this season. even early flycatchers and warblers seem to have gone away.

As if sympathizing with me, some local birds tried to pose for a shot or two.

Best of them was this Indian Robin Male. Though now I have photographed him and family few times, they had maintained their shy state so long in past that now every time I am able to get a shot, I am thrilled. and on this particular occasion he sat there just 15-20 feet away and allowed me pointing camera to him.

okay, not that there wasn't ANY migratory bird. but even a single sighting is enough to say that. Saw a black winged cuckoo-shrike once (last year was the first time I saw them here) but couldn't manage a shot and other than that, there are couple of most usual ones. Such a stark contrast to last December that had brought unusual number of first ever sightings with it. I wonder if its weather. This December is unusually pleasant so far and cold weather which is usual here but makes surviving more or less the only activity while it lasts for a more tropical being like me hasn't yet set in- or probably its not as much to do with temperature itself but wind pattern which also affects temperature? I should google and try to find out.

Chiffchaff enjoying the Sun

as you might have guessed, its a perch I like to photograph with any bird on it. okay, wish those distracting bamboos were there, but still fine.

and this immature white wagtail. They are usually found in very good numbers and here too, that was the case. They were happily calling and playing along the mustard plants that have started flowering.

Camera is a great tool to capture what you want as it offers option to capture only what you want. and to the camera, flowering mustard plants currently offer good opportunities to capture beautiful patches of surroundings. here it is with a background slope covered with coral vine and other plants. If I haven't missed the coral vine at its peak flowering, this should get better when the slope turns mostly dark pink.

Grey Francolins

One of the most illusive birds for me has been one which is always around. Grey francolin. Their presence is often felt as they scurry away inside dense vegetation or occasionally take off from only few feet away where they were hiding to disappear in no time. Seeing them in open is a rare treat. On those very few occasions that I did see or even photographed them previously were all on ground. Few days before however, they (2 or 3 of them at least) were in mood to make loud calls each morning and I was surprised as once in a while a call appeared to come from a tree. one of those days I got lucky to spot an individual on tree and take a shot from some distance. Soon after that, on seeing me, two individuals decided to fly from the ground to be on a tree that they felt was safe from me and didn’t try to hide/fly away once there as I took shots from below.

Grey Francolin (Francolinus pondicerianus)

My Struggles to win attention of owlets

There was a pair in a tree I passed by and they made so much noise for so long that I had to walk back. but then, seeing me, one of them flew away and this individual was left kind of confused. All it understood was to move away from where it was (it flew from a well hidden position inside leaves and perched on here) and try to locate the reason why other flew away. Now, I am standing below focusing on him, expecting him to turn his head towards camera and he is searching in all the directions including in the sky except where I was. after thoroughly searching all other directions, at last, it looked in my direction.

Spotted Owlet (Athene brama)

Above owlet however, was still making an effort and therefore not very disappointing given my even worse track record with Owlets. for example, below individual had made it quite difficult to take a shot. He had seen me coming and had already gave a glance to find me utterly non interesting subject. Now, I was standing below him, positioning myself carefully between two dogs so as not to disturb their sleep, keeping him in the frame and he kept looking away from the camera. After some waiting, I finally whispered to him, 'pls give a look'. he didn't listen but a dog made a movement to make me feel guilty of disturbing him. so I had to wait until the Owlet looked at the camera on its own. btw, after taking the shot and moving on, I noticed he was too close and I hadn't zoomed out so he was too tight in the frame. for below shot, had to repeat the whole waiting process.

At other times, they give pose where I feel like clarifying that it wasn't due to boredom of my company but the heat why it was yawning.

Actually first two shots apart, I usually find being ignored quite flattering. It says that I am accepted and trusted as non harming part of their environment. Like in the below one. He is sitting on a small sweet-neem tree (curry tree), hardly 5 ft above the ground on this branch, and trying to find some prey on ground below. only, the ground is perfectly clean. there isn't anything at all, leave alone possible pray. After exhausting all possible directions only, he spared some attention for me.

All weather friends

It will be September tomorrow and countdown to migrants making their first appearances has started. My birding activity has been near non existent for last few months and once migrants are here, spotlight will likely shift to them. But lack of spotlight on residents doesn't mean lack of how enjoyable their company is. They generate less excitement than migrants, for they are always there. but unlike migrants, its impossible to imagine surrounding without them. Faithful and cheerful company of these friends are usually enjoyed more through their calls than through seeing them but still, there are certainly occasions when they attract your dedicated attention.