A memorable birding day

Everything about Hoskote lake is beautiful. Affording at least half a dozen kinds of birds on every visit makes this my most frequented birding hotspot. Here are some pics from my latest visit...

Pleasant sky in the morning...

Saw a cute little juvenile Pied Bushchat. It was quite active and was a delight to watch hopping around...

Baya Weaver female...

Plain Tiger butterfly....

Balloon Vine also known as Love in a Puff or Heartseed vine...

Upon drying, its seed pops out of the balloon...

Its seed has a heart shaped pattern. That explains its scientific name, Cardiospermum: Cardio meaning heart and spermum meaning seed...

Red Avadavat male in his breeding plumage...

It is also known as red munia or strawberry finch...

Red Avadavat female...

The beak of Red Avadavat begins to turn red in May and darkens during November and December. The beak then turns rapidly to black in April and the cycle continues...

Baya Weaver female...

Pied Bushchat female...

Pied Bushchat male...

A Bronze-winged Jacana was wading around with a very grave expression...

Gray-headed Swamphen...

Eurasian Moorhen...

Streaked Weaver Female...

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Hunters of Hoskote

My Sunday morning birding trip to Hoskote lake was highlighted by the spectacular experience of watching a couple of hunts. Here's a photo tour...

Tricolored Munia...

Long-tailed Shrike...

Lots of Pied Bushchat were active. Here's a female...

Male Pied Bushchat...

Cute little Zitting Cisticola...

Zitting Cisticola is one of the easiest birds to photograph. It will sit and pose for you...

I could get only a record shot of the Black-breasted Weaver...

Another female Pied Bushchat...

A flock of Red Avadavats and Tricolored Munias...

Baya Weaver. It could be female or nonbreeding male, both look identical...

Yellow Hibiscus...

Another Baya Weaver flew in...

It seemed to find its prey...

The first peck...

The prey was a Praying Mantis. The intelligent bird dismembers one of the spiked grasping forelegs of the Praying mantis making it harmless...

 All this while it clasps the mantis with its specially designed claws...

Final peck...

Here's the Mantis ready to be gulped...

 Saw this beautiful reflection in the lake...

As I was clicking the reflection in the water, a Checkered Keelback snake surprised me as it emerged out of water with a fish just 2 feet from where I was sitting. It crawled to the shore and swallowed the fish...

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