Missed my earlier posts? Don't worry, you can catch up by clicking the button below.

Blackbucks and birds of Maidenahalli

The much-anticipated maiden trip to Maidenahalli happened last Sunday. Located around 140 kms from my home in Bangalore, Maidenahalli is home to Jayamangali Blackbuck Reserve, a grassland conservation area for Blackbuck antelopes. Starting at 5:30am, we reached the reserve by 8:45am, stopping at times to see some birds. Here's a photo tour...

Some scenic distractions on the way...


On the way, we stopped near a banyan tree to try spotting birds...


We saw a Green bee-eater...





At another stop, we spotted a pair of Rose-ringed parakeets...


Another sight as we passed a small village...


Soon we were on the mud roads of the reserve and admiring the beautiful clouds and hills around...


First sighting of a male blackbuck leading a small herd far away...


They seemed to have sensed our presence and reached the horizon in no time...





We moved ahead to find a male blackbuck sporting its beautiful corkscrew horns...





Within no time it ran away...


We parked the car and tip-toed on the grassland, hiding behind shrubs and small trees to try our luck in spotting the blackbucks. After a while we found a small group of does with one male... 


The ladies were all ears and alert to any approaching danger...


A pair of does...


They sensed the danger and ran like crazy...









After the blackbucks were out of sight, we looked around for birds. We met a beautiful Eurasian collared dove...



Nature has tried its best to make it really appealing for critters with breathtaking landscape...


Even the poop pellets of blackbucks looked photogenic...


Male and female Rock bush quail foraging...



Female Rock bush quail...


Wild fruit pecked by birds...









A spooked Oriental garden lizard...


A male Pied bush chat...


Female Pied bush chat...


Frog...


Red-vented Bulbul...








A grasshopper camouflaged...


Male Indian Robin...








By now the sun had got strong, forcing the blackbucks and birds to vanish into shady places...


We utilized the lull to have lunch and an hour of sleep in the car...


After the refreshing siesta, we returned to the place where we had spotted the first herd of blackbucks...


We found two male blackbucks indulging in lekking. Male blackbucks engage in competitive displays to entice visiting females...


An alert pair...








Birds were out in the open as the sun was less harsh. A Yellow-billed babbler...










Green bee-eater...


Shady tree...


We found a lot of Baya Weaver bird nests...

The nests are partially built before the males begin to display to passing females by flapping their wings and calling while hanging from their nests. The females inspect the nest and signal their acceptance of a male. Once a male and a female are paired, the male goes on to complete the nest by adding the entrance tunnel...


A female Baya Weaver has just arrived to inspect the nest. The air was suddenly filled with possibilities...


Little Green bee-eater...


Final sighting of the day was a female Laughing Dove...



The laughing dove gets its name from its particularly characteristic call, which sounds like human laughter, a low rolling croo-doo-doo-doo-doo with a rising and falling amplitude...


 I hope you liked the post. Do let me know your feedback in the comments section below...

30 comments:

  1. Always show stopping images-I loved the distractions along the way. That is one heck of a lens you have for your camera to get all those shots. The deer are beautiful and their horns are amazing (wondering if anyone makes art with them after they pass?). Thank you for the wonderful photo tour!

    ReplyDelete
  2. You MUST publish your photos in a book!!

    With everything said, I say 'thank you' for taking time to share this post with us all at I'd Rather B Birdin' this week!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Loved your posts. Amazing pics.
    Thanks for all photos.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thak you so much for sheering! So Lovely to follow with you thru all the photos.
    ///Laila
    http://tillklippt.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow what a stunning landscape, and the animals that live there. Thanks for sharing those blackbucks, gorgeous animal!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Gorgeous images - such diverse wildlife!
    Thank you for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2018/09/our-newest-family-member.html

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the movement in the pictures and of course love the stillness of the animals too. Thanks for sharing! http://nanahood.com/reflections-kitchen-sink-cinnamon-roll

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fantastic pictures - love how you've managed to capture some of the animals in motion and they've still come out perfectly. Very skilled! Megan x #pointshoot

    ReplyDelete
  9. I really like how you have more landscape shots in this post. Another set of amazing pictures. Thank you for linking up to #PointShoot 📸

    ReplyDelete
  10. What a grand adventure! those blackbucks are very aware of their surroundings aren't they - its like they were tuned into you!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Stunning photos! Such a gorgeous place with such fascinating birds and wildlife! Loved the running, leaping shots!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great captures! The antelopes are so cute!
    Amazing Nature...

    ReplyDelete
  13. What beautiful scenery - and photos! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Always amazing photos! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lovely photos and what a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  16. breathtaking beauty!! Amazing photos!

    ReplyDelete
  17. What a wonderful world! :-) Amazing photos! Thank you for sharing!
    Happy WW! ☺

    ReplyDelete
  18. A lot different animals and never heard of a bunyan tree.
    Happy WW and coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
  19. Wow, lots of fun facts! And the blackbucks are gorgeous - the boys and the girls!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Your nature shots ore just amazing! I especially loved the pictures of the bee eaters!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thanks for your contribution to Ruby Tuesday Too. All the best to you!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Stunning :O!!
    The corkscrew horns are fabulous.
    I am, as always, speachless looking at all these pictures :). Thank you!!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Amazing photo shoot! I loved seeing all the animals in their natural habitat. Thanks for sharing, visiting, and linking up! Have a blessed day. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. HOw on earth to you get these gorgeous shots? #pointshoot xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow, what an awesome place to see the critters and birds. The scenery is beautiful. The Blackbucks are beautiful animals. Your photos and post are stunning. Thank you so much for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend. PS, thanks also for the visit and comment on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Fantastic photography! beautiful photo blog

    ReplyDelete
  27. I loved the photos and mini stories that went with them!

    ReplyDelete

I appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog and I truly value any feedback you have to offer. If you have a moment, please share your thoughts with me.
**If you opt to post a comment anonymously, kindly disclose your name to put my curiosity to rest.