The birding hotspot at Hoskote lake has been flooded since November, 2021.
Birdwatchers have been literally boxed into a corner of the lake since then.
I go there once in a while, tread the sidewalks of farmlands, brave aggressive guard dogs and try to click birds from afar.
Here are the few birds I found last weekend…
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I was just in time to capture the sunrise…
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Water consumed most of the erstwhile birding area and threatens to take over the farmlands too…
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A Gray Wagtail is the first sighting…
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A Richard's Pipit is seen foraging in the freshly tilled field…
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A Black Drongo has an easy job guarding his territory that is surrounded by water…
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A Little Cormorant is drying itself…
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Can you spot the White-throated Kingfisher on that distant tree…
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Paddyfield Pipit…
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A Little Egret flew across…
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Some marigold flowers from te farm…
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A Red-vented Bulbul…
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A Paddyfield Warbler sat atop a mango tree…
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Millet grass…
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Cormorants, drongo, kingfisher and heron perched together…
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Three White-browed Wagtails put on a great show…
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The wagtails then moved to the ground...
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A Red-wattled Lapwing was guarding the area like a dedicated sentinel…
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More Cormorant gathering…
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A Gray Heron…
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A small family of Waterlilies. Looked like a single parent with three kids…
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I watched a White-throated Kingfisher looking for a fish meal…
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He hit the jackpot after a few unsuccessful attempts…
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An Asia Green Bee-eater…
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A Long-tailed Shrike marked its presence…
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An Indian Pond Heron posed with a water lily…
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Water lilies are a new introduction at Hoskote lake. I took several shots of the beautiful blooms…
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A Common Bluetail damselfly is seen perched on a petal…
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And the last sighting is a Bronze-winged Jacana who is seen imitating me treading the uneven sidewalks of fields…
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It was a difficult and tiring trip but I was happy with the sightings. Hope you liked the post. Awaiting your comments…
Your photos are magical! Thank you for all these beauties you shared!
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you and other beautiful images!
Always amazed at your crystal clear photos no matter what the circumstances are.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. I really like the photo of the egret in flight, and also the water lily blooms!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful water lilies and wonderful variety of birds. Your photo collage is very artistic--I love it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post sir. I find warblers and pipits hard to identify. You have any tips or only experience teaches?
ReplyDeleteYes, identifying pipits and warblers is difficult. The streaking on underparts, bill size, tail length, mantle, lore etc are keys to identify. I still cannot identify many of them correctly in the field. I compare and identify when I'm back on my desk.
DeleteWow perfection again. Great to see.
ReplyDeleteGiven that you were figuratively boxed in (not literally) you did very well. Great birds and great pictures.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful.
ReplyDeleteTurns out the florals are as exquisite as your bird photos. So many of these elicit wonder and would make beautiful cards or prints on the wall.
ReplyDeleteDelightful pictures, the waterlilies are sinply beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHello Shiju, Another fine post! Thank you for sharing your wonderful photography. Your creativity is simply amazing. I just took a moment to read all the comments on your last post …The Saul Kere series. Everyone loves you! 😊 Best regards from Seattle! John
ReplyDeleteVery pretty birds and flowers. Cleverly captured. I saw a Shrike here in Finland yesterday. Of course the species which survives here.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteAnother great outing, I would be thrilled to see all of these birds. I hope the farm lands will not be flooded. Pretty sunrise and the waterlilies are beautiful, I love their color. Gorgeous collection of photos. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
Flooding could be from changes to the shape of the land (such as developers paving more space) or due to rainfall, and I wondered what factors caused this lovely bird sanctuary to be so inaccessible to you and other birders. Your photos are beautiful, especially the very colorful water lilies.
ReplyDeletebest… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I really like the look of the Richard's Pipit, and the Kingfisher too. So many great looking birds.
ReplyDelete...beautiful images, thanks for taking me along.
ReplyDeleteYou do seem to have had more than your fare share of rain. However, despite the grey skies and the long distances you came up with super pictures. I do like the wagtail, the pink flowers and the Red-wattled Lapwing. I don't envy your having to ID those pipits - I guess you are accustomed to sorting them out by now.
ReplyDeleteYes, you certainly did well photographing the awesome feathered friends and nature ~ Wow! Thanks,
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
I love the birds and I love the photos when the wings are spread but today it's the water lilies. They are just gorgeous with the vibrant colors! You must have loved finding this spot to take photos!
ReplyDeleteSo much beauty to see and enjoy in your photos. Well done!
ReplyDeleteHello Shiju :=)
ReplyDeleteAnother great outing and sightings. The birds that stand out for me are the Red-wattled Lapwing, the Bee-eater and the Long-tailed Shrike, and the scenes of the Waterlilies are very beautiful.
All the best:=)
Flooding since November? Wow.
ReplyDeleteBut a great variety of beautiful birds. And all the gorgeous water lilies!!!!
It was great having you link in this week at IRBB! Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Each shot tells a story ... but I love the water lilies most. Do you editing your captures for example with PhotoShop? I asked because they are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteI process my photos using Lightroom Classic CC.
DeleteBeautiful photos. No favorite, as they all shine in their own right, although those bright waterlilies really catch the eye. I'm always greated with magnificent photos when I visit you site, and I love that.
ReplyDeleteShiju - for being boxed in a corner, you still found an incredible diversity of wildlife. And such spectacular photos. I was especially drawn to the water lilies! Thanks so much for visiting my blog and your kind comments.
ReplyDeleteThough boxed in a corner, you still have great shots of beautiful birds from your visit to the lake. Beautiful marigold and pink water lilies blooms.
ReplyDeletelovely Red-vented Bulbul....
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing photos of beautiful critters
Your photos are unfailingly marvelous. I love the biodiversity you capture, and have never once been disappointed in all of your images.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/01/weighing-heavy-on-my-mind.html
Your photos are so impressive. I like the bee eater and your first photo/collage is very beautiful. Thank you for linking up.
ReplyDeleteYou waders must have loved the flooded waters - gorgeous flowers too. That first mosaic of orange flowers and birds is striking!
ReplyDeleteFab photos as always great sunrise capture too thanks for sharing :-)
ReplyDeleteHave a sunsettastic week 👍
Shiju I loved the reflection bouncing off the water lillies. I was at Bandhavgarh recently and loved spotting some exclusive species including the gorgeous racquet tailed Drongo, Stone chat, Plum headed parakeets, Malabar pied hornbills and the majestic queens of the jungles. Will share a post soon. :)
ReplyDeleteThe Bronze Tailed Jacana is always a winner innit?
Wishing you and yours a wondrous 2023.
Cheerio!
Oh my! What an explosion of birds and blooms. Lily pads are magical, rising from the muck. No matter where you are, you make it shine. Answering your question, I'm still using my old camera after my new one was lost or stolen in Costa Rica last year. It has a fisheye feature. An easy dial, nothing fancy, so I can just snap and shoot. It is fun to be creative!
ReplyDeleteIt's all just beautiful as always Shiju. You always bring smiles. I admire your beautiful pictures as always and also the way you identify everything you saw and the way you describe the behaviors with the perfect captions. I come for the birds, but the flowers were a beautiful bonus. ..... I'm sad though to learn that the flooding may destroy this lovely birding place. I hope that doesn't happen.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos! The waterlilies are so pretty, and I always enjoy seeing the birds you spot and your descriptions.
ReplyDeleteFabulous shots and that cubes effect at the start is great!
ReplyDeleteWaterlilies, I never can get enough of them. Love your captures of the, as well as the landscapes you caught (of course the birds included. Here we are dealing with frost and big parts of trees broken off because of the weight of the ice. Have a great week, Shiju
ReplyDeleteLovely photos as always but I was really struck by the beautiful color of those water lilies!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love that collage, and the bird shots around it. Sad that the water has taken over...hope gets better. That's a long time.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved your post (as usual!) giving me peeks into your world that is so different from my winter world in the northeast United States. Different scenery, different (for the most part) birds. The photo directly under the sunrise photo with the field of cannas (?) in the mist was almost magical.
ReplyDeleteI adored the colours in the waterlilies...how beautiful to see them so prolific too. It was great to see your post shared for this week’s Wednesday’s Words and Pics. I am grateful for your support. I hope to see you next week too. Thank you. Denyse.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful photos and so clear and colourful I like the smiles too heheh!
ReplyDeleteHave a funtastic week 👍
mother nature often reclaims what she thinks is hers. the birds are spectacular and your images of them gorgeous!! the waterlilies are indeed beautiful as well!!
ReplyDelete