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

Nest builders and assorted birds

There was plenty of bird activity at Hoskote lake last Sunday. Here are the pics...

Started with what looked like a Paddy Field pipit but not sure about the Id...


White-throated Kingfisher...



Plain Prinia...


Zitting Cisticola...





Indian Silverbill...




Paddyfield Pipit...


Pied Bushchat female...


Green Bee-eater...







Ashy Prinia...


Another Green Bee-eater...


And a pair...


Another Zitting Cisticola...


Found this tree with lot of Baya weaver nests that looked incomplete. I waited for the birds to turn up to capture them in action...


After a while, a male Baya weaver turned up with a strand of grass...


It inserted the strand of grass and after a quick 2 second inspection flew away to get the next strand...


After 15 minutes another male Baya weaver arrived. It looked around for for any sign of danger before proceeding to build its nest...


Another arrived with a bunch of strands...


It started re-enforcing the nest...


He displayed the skill of a professional...



















The nests are built entirely by the males. The females come to inspect the nests and mostly reject...


Despite all the rejections, these guys continue to frantically build the nests. They sometimes add a new storey or two to a rejected nest to make it more appealing to the females...





It is hard work. A male bird is known to make up to 500 trips to complete a nest...


I spent more than an hour watching them make sorties carrying strands of grass...


As I was waiting for the Baya weaver to return, a White-browed Bulbul perched on the same tree...






The birds use their strong beaks to strip and collect the strands, and to weave and knot them while building their 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 study has found that nest location is more important than nest structure for the female when it selects the nest and mate...


Abandoned nests are sometimes used by Indian Silverbills and other munias...







A Red-vented Bulbul perched on the same tree...





Near a puddle of muddy water,  some Streak-throated Swallows were seen flying in and out. I sat there to capture them when they return...






They were actually collecting clay from the puddle to build their nest...





Mud nests are constructed by both males and females...









An immature Long-tailed shrike was flying around with its parent...





The Long-tailed shrikes are easy to photograph. They won't fly too far away when they detect your presence... 









Spotted dove...


A juvenile kite...





And the final bird for the day was a Common Kingfisher...






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


35 comments:

  1. Beautiful birds , Fantastic clicks.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your photos never fail to inspire and amaze me.
    Thanks for linking up at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2019/09/a-strange-sight.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. You saw so many birds, love the captures of the king fisher, the spotted dove, and the juvenile kite! This was a trip worth for you! These Baja weavers are real artists! Am surprised with the speed of building these nests - thought it would take them at least a few days! Thank you for investing the time to share these images with All Seasons! Enjoy your week.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful photos. Those nests are amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Birds are so photogenic! Love these photos. #SeniSal

    ReplyDelete
  6. You always have the most stunning nature photos! I just love these.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Birds are fun to watch, and your photos this week are great.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Fabulous birds and beautiful pictures....the weavers nests are beyond amazing! What a feat of engineering they are and how wonderful you got to watch some of the construction!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a wonderful variety of lovely birds! I love their colors so much. And the nests are just stunning to see, wow!

    I'm happy to see your link on 'My Corner of the World' this week! Thanks for linking up!


    My Corner of the World

    ReplyDelete
  10. You dedication and patience is rewarded over and over with your photography skills and amazing shots!

    Thank you for linking up for Life This Week. Next week the optional prompt is Taking Stock, I hope you can join in again. Denyse.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amazing shots. I'm a bird lover and am so happy to see so many birds that are not in my area. In addition, I love those nests. I've never seen anything like it before

    ReplyDelete
  12. Those nests are SO neat! I've never seen them before. I love the yellow orange mohawks as well!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks for linking week by week. All the best to you in your photographic endeavors.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Fascinating story about the nests. As usual, your photos are excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ihre Fotos sind bezaubernd.Ein Vogelparadies!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Great variety of bird photos. They are very sharp and clear and I love that your bookmark is subtle.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The bee-eater is my favorite. But they are all beautiful through your lens.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Those delicate nests are something to see. Amazing that birds can build the structures that they do. Thank you for linking up.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Your posts are always a delightful eye candy! The green Bee-eater would be a favourite bird of a garden lover :) Also the yellow bird building these funny nests is an interesting bird. Thn you so much for linking, wishing a happy weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Such glorious photos...the nest is amazing and you catch every feather!

    ReplyDelete
  21. WOW! The photos are astounding! Love, love, love them!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Wow, oh wow! Great assortment of birds photos. These are stunning captures.

    ReplyDelete
  23. This is my first time visiting your blog, and your photos are fabulous...I'll be back!

    ReplyDelete
  24. The Baya weaver nest is amazing. What an industrious bird. - Margy

    ReplyDelete
  25. Thank you for linking up with us this weekend, at I'd Rather B Birdin'.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Hello, I am always amazed at your bird photos. Awesome series. It is hard to pick a favorite, I love them all. Those weaver nest are cool. I just got back from my trip and I am catching up with comments. Thanks for linking up and sharing your post. Have a happy day and a great new week! PS, I appreciate your visits and comments.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Shiju, your pictures are fantastic. It was great to learn about all of these birds. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  28. WOW, so amazing! Great shots of so many different bird species. Happy Wedneday and thanks for joining Wild Wednesdays! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  29. Your photos are beautiful. I'm a bird watcher, so bird photos are one of my favorites. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Selina



    i am Montoya Jazhel from the philiphines ,i was in a big problem in my marital life so i read your testimony on how Dr Ikhide help you get your husband back and i said i will give it a try and i contacted the Dr Ikhide to help me and he promised to help me get my problem solved. now am so happy with my life because all my problems are over. Thanks to the great Dr Ikhide for the help and Thanks to you Selina.

    You can reach him with this email:- dr.ikhide@gmail.com and i promise he will not disappoint you.



    I AM SO HAPPY…… remember here is his email:- dr.ikhide@gmail.com



































    Kumusta Selina



    ako si Montoya Jazhel mula sa pilipinas, ako ay nasa malaking problema sa aking buhay sa pag-aasawa kaya nabasa ko ang iyong patotoo sa kung paano tulungan si Dr Ikhide na maibalik ang iyong asawa at sinabi kong susubukan ko ito at makipag-ugnay sa Dr Ikhide upang matulungan ako at nangako siyang tulungan ako na malulutas ang aking problema. ngayon masaya ako sa aking buhay dahil ang lahat ng aking mga problema ay tapos na. Salamat sa mahusay na Dr Ikhide para sa tulong at Salamat sa iyo Selina.

    Maabot mo siya sa email na ito: - dr.ikhide@gmail.com at ipinapangako ko na hindi ka niya bibiguin.



    AKO KAYA NAKAKITA …… tandaan dito ay ang kanyang email: - dr.ikhide@gmail.com

    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.