My quest for the hard-to-find Strawberry Finch (Red Avadavat) took me to Muthanallur lake, 18 miles from home. In the bargain, I saw some other beautiful birds too. Here are the pics...
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I set off early and reached the lake at daybreak...
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The sun rose and was caressed by the crowd of clouds...
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I walked up the narrow path towards the lake...
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I walked further...
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A team of Indian Spot-billed ducks did a fly-past...
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Soon a group containing a variety of munias was seen. I looked for the Red Munia but could find only its cousins - the White-rumped Munia, Indian Silverbill and Tricolored Munia...
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I focused on a White-rumped Munia...
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No sight of the Strawberry Finch yet, but several Indian Silverbills were seen...
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And then saw a Strawberry Finch couple in their reed habitat...
...The shy female flew to a branch...
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The equally shy male also flew to a wire and both of them disappeared in the reeds...
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I waited near the thick reeds, hoping to see another glimpse of the Red Avadavat...
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Instead, I saw a White-throated Kingfisher hiding in the reeds...
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In the middle of the reeds, there's a tree. That tree was raided by a flock of Rose-ringed Parakeets...
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The flock contained so many animated parakeets. I forgot about the Strawberry finch for the next 15 minutes...
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The Red Munias refused to show up, but the warmer sun brought the butterflies out in the open. I chased a Common Tiger butterfly...
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A Common Picture Wing dragonfly was seen next...
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The recent rains have made everything green and lush...
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A White-browed Bulbul showed up...
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A Tricolored Munia was seen next...
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The hope for another glimpse of the Strawberry Finch had held me riveted to the reed area for so long. I walked back to the car. The lake was looking pretty, although most of the surface is covered with water hyacinth...
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A Greater Coucal flew around...
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And then, I got another sighting of the most beautiful Strawberry Finch. A male in its blood red breeding plumage and two females with the duller appearance...
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The red avadavat (Amandava amandava), red munia or strawberry finch is truly an incredible sight. I took as many shots as I could in the brief time they were seen...
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So, mission accomplished! I got a bonus shot of a female Baya Weaver as a culmination of a very satisfying birding trip...
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Hope you liked the post. Do tell me your thoughts in the comments section below...
I saw a group of duck flies over my house a long time ago.... wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYour photos are excellent as always
All your photos are amazing, but the Strawberry Finch male is so striking in color. I can see why the obsession to find one was so important to you. I trust you will have a good weekend. Take care.
ReplyDeleteHello :=)
ReplyDeleteIsn't it wonderful when you set out to find a bird you really want to see, and then actually find it! Your photos of the Strawberry
finch are beautiful. It's a very distinctive looking bird, and I also enjoyed looking at the butterfly, dragonfly, and the Green Parakeets images.
Great job, those finches are gorgeous!! You are an intrepid bird adventurer.
ReplyDeleteThe Strawberry Finch is a beautiful bird. Glad you were able to spot (and photograph) them. The have some interesting spots on their wings!
ReplyDeleteThese are AMAZING! I so enjoy the colours of your birds, and the quality of your work.
ReplyDeleteMany beautiful shots.
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos. We have purple finches here and of course house finches, but your strawberry finch is brighter.
ReplyDeleteAnother load very beautiful animals. That you may continue this for a long time. Very very nice.
ReplyDeleteNow I feel quite smug, having seen Red Avadavat in several locations in SE Asia! Beautiful bird too!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of the different birds.
ReplyDeleteThe sunrise is also great.
Greetings Irma
Awesome that you located the Strawberry Finches and took such nice photographs of them.
ReplyDeleteI do my virtual bird watching through your posts every week. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWorth a Thousand Words
Hello,
ReplyDeleteThe Strawberry finches are beautiful, I loved all your photos. Great series on the Rose-ringed Parakeets. I also love the variety of Munias, the Kingfisher and the Ducks in flight. The Butterfly and the Dragonfly are lovely. Another great post. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend. PS, Thank you for leaving me a comment.
Your posts are always wonderful, and I see many birds that are totally unfamiliar. Today, however, a couple of your birds are at least a little familiar to me. The strawberry finch has been introduced to Hawaii, and I saw a pair of them in Kauai. And I saw a rose-ringed parakeet on the campus of Tel Aviv University. Great photos!
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Parakeets, the Finch couple in the reeds, the gem-like ducks glinting in the air … some of these photos are absolutely stunning. It was as if I could hear the beating heart of the birds.
ReplyDelete...and you saw some beautiful skies too!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful birds and nature. The male Strawberry Finch really is something!
ReplyDeleteAs always..
ReplyDeleteYou took us on an extraordinary birding adventure!! And, you sighted in on the beautiful finch...your lucky day...and our lucky day too...thanks for sharing it all with us.
Dear Shiju, these are fantastic nature shots again. I find it particularly funny that most of the photos didn't give me the impression that I was virtually in India - some of the vegetation looked so similar to a path next to fields or next to the railway tracks here in Austria. But at the latest when Parakeets appeared I would have noticed that I was not traveling in Austria ;-DDD You have discovered many beautiful birds and also insects - but most of all I am of course happy for you because you managed to fulfill your mission. The photos of the strawberry finches are really stunning!
ReplyDeleteAll the best, have a nice Sunday and a happy new week!
Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/09/strudlhofstiege-gartenpalais.html
Fantastisc captures. I enjoyed so much. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou got some seriously spectacular shots of birds in flight. They're fantastic!! The red birds are gorgeous too!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fabulous collection of photographs, so pleased I visited your blog today :)
ReplyDeleteAll the best Jan
https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/
Wow ! Awesome pics of the strawberry finches ~ equally professional are your other photos ~ Double Wow
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days ~
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Amazing skies, Great bird photography.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week ahead
You had a very rewarding trip to the lake. You take great photos of the flying birds and those perched on the branches. Fantastic pics of the strawberry finch. Now I know why it is called strawberry finch.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a wonderful and dedicated bird lover! Your photos are all so clear and beautiful. The red munia is so special to see at the end photos.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fab assortment of photos some great captures
ReplyDeleteHave a capturetastic week 👍
Another bird I'd not heard of! I love the pictues of the parakeets, hardly surprising you took time off to photograph them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, a little strawberry complete with white seeds dispersed down its back. Perfection. I love your sky shots too. A flurry of feathers. A great morning in the field!
ReplyDeleteYou have such a good eye for photography. Love all the shots. Cannot pick a favorite. Thanks for the lovely comment.
ReplyDeleteI never even had heard of a strawberry finch! Very pretty. Love the spot-billed duck captures too - especially the two that fly closely in tandem and the dragon fly. Have a great week, Shiju!
ReplyDeleteI think the strawberry finch is now my favorite bird. The color, yes, but the spots I love. The action shots of the parrots are stupendous, too.
ReplyDeletehave a wonderful day
ReplyDeleteWow, so good to see the colours on these birds! We have rainbow lorikeets in Australia and they are noisy and inquisitive and travel from tree to tree in packs I reckon. Thanks so much for linking up this week for Wednesday’s Words and Pics Link Up.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to connecting with you more again soon.
Next week, I am back with my story about following my heart!
Warmest wishes,
Denyse.
Your post is a buffet of beauty. The first sunrise photo is a Wow! for sure. Love the tri colored munia and the strawberry finch. Red birds are amazing.
ReplyDeletewonderful post. The Strawberry Finch looks amazing. So beautiful and so are the Indian Spot-billed ducks :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome clicks! You took us to the place through your lens
ReplyDeleteI liked the detail post and enjoyedevery bit of it. As I regularly visit here, and the same pattern is seen what you explained in this search for strawberry finch, it’s like the jewel in the crown
ReplyDelete