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Nature's allure in Muthanallur

Due to being on a family vacation, it's been a little over two weeks since my last blog post, and now I have a considerable number of photos that need to be shared.

I'll need to come up with a plan for sharing them, possibly by splitting them into multiple posts...

For now, I have some bird pictures from my visit to Muthanallur that I captured before I went on my out-of-town trip...




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I arrived at Muthanallur right before sunrise and luck was on my side as I managed to spot a black-winged kite in the low light conditions...




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I observed an Oriental Magpie Robin engaged in a lively discussion with a flock of Black Drongos...




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I noticed a carpenter bee buzzing around, collecting nectar from the milkweed flowers...




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The Greater Coucal is one clever bird; it sensed me coming from quite a distance and made a speedy escape.  I managed to capture some action shots of its great escape...




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I managed to catch a fleeting and blurry glimpse of the striking Blue-faced Malkoha, but I still wanted to post the photo here as a record of my sighting of this gorgeous bird...



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The sun finally emerged from behind the clouds, and I simply watched as it slowly revealed itself...



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I combined the sequence of pics to create an animated GIF showing the ascending beauty of the sun...


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A flock of Indian spot-billed ducks took to the air with remarkable grace, their wings flapping in perfect unison...

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A black-winged stilt gracefully made its way along the lake shore. Its distinctive long legs, made it stand out from the other birds...



When in flight, the long pink legs of this bird extend far beyond its tail...





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I couldn't resist capturing the stilt's graceful movements, which resembled a delicate ballet dance in the tranquil surroundings...

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Check out this video of the stilt - listen closely and you'll hear its distinctive calls, which are particularly loud and strident during breeding season. Interestingly, the stilt's partner appeared to be less skittish and more relaxed in its surroundings...

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I spotted a female purple-rumped sunbird next, flitting about amidst the branches...



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A White-browed Bulbul appeared on a nearby branch. It looked around alertly, as if searching for something...



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I was disappointed to see that the rusted gates of the old farm, where I used to spot birds, were now locked with a shiny new lock and chain. It seemed like the farm had been closed off to the public...



I decided to wait and look for birds in the reeds near the locked gate. Even though the old farm was inaccessible, I knew that there were still plenty of opportunities to spot birds in the surrounding area, where I hoped to catch a glimpse of the elusive red avadavats.  I was struck by the peacefulness of the surroundings...



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The rustling of the reeds and the calls of various other birds only added to the anticipation of what I might discover...



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Before long, two female red avadavats darted into view. I waited patiently for them to settle, eager to capture their vibrant colors in a photograph. As I clicked my camera, they seemed to sense my presence and took flight, disappearing into the reeds once again...



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A red-whiskered bulbul made a dramatic appearance unfurling its tail and opened its mouth in a wide yawn...



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A young red avadavat, yet to reach adulthood, caught my eye next...




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An oriental magpie robin suddenly burst into song...



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Watching the rose-ringed parakeet couple's courtship activity made me feel like a voyeur, guilty of a privacy breach...





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The scaly-breasted munia's name might be a bit misleading, as it is much more beautiful in appearance than one might expect...




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A black drongo in flight is a sight to behold, with its glossy black plumage and forked tail cutting through the air...



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After patiently waiting for an hour, I was finally rewarded with the sight of a father and son red avadavat. It was the perfect way to end my birdwatching adventure for the day...




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I hope you enjoyed reading the post. Your feedback is valuable to me, so please feel free to leave a comment and share your thoughts...


48 comments:

  1. Unbelievable beauty again, that stilt bird is indeed as gracious as a ballet dancer and those flying ducks are so nice and good captured that that is a winner on its own. Splendid shooting again.

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  2. As always, enjoyed seeing fabulous shots of our feathered friends along with interesting commentary. But I have to say that the animation of the ascending sun stole the show for me. :)

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  3. What a great series of photos.
    I really like the gif of the sunrise, but the video of the stilt avocet is really great.
    Greetings Irma

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  4. Wow! So professional ~ photos of feathered friends are awesome and the sky shots ~ Wow! Wow!

    Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  5. Beautiful photos. I love the cloudy sky shots. Hope your family vacation was a good one!

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  6. It is like a bird photo library here!

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  7. You are just an amazing and gifted bird photographer and blogger.

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  8. Wonderful photos shared.

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  9. Incredible photos. I've been known to serve my posts in bite-sized pieces :) because there's too many photos to share.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  10. Red munias I always yearn for. Never seen White browed bulbul in wide open till date. Bookmarked for future visit

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  11. What an amazing set of pictures. I really like those Bulbuls.

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  12. They are all pretty, but the Stilt is outstanding in beauty. Well captured!

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  13. Hello,
    Another great post, beautiful bird sightings and gorgeous photos. I can not pick a favorite I love them all.. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  14. The red avadavat is extremely impressive! Your video of the birds with their reflections is very enjoyable too. The scaly-breasted munia has nativized in some parts of California where it is called the nutmeg mannikin.

    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  15. I don’t see Black-winged Stilts unless on holiday in the Mediterranean . Your photos reminded me what a wonderful species it is with those impossibly long pink legs. And they do have brilliant calls that they make when flying and even feeding in a flock. A lovely set of photos in all.

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  16. Lovely photos, hard to pick a favourite. Thank you.:=)

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  17. I love the gif you made from the sun photos! WOW! It's really something to see. And you got some neat photos of 'bird legs' and neat reflections in the water. Beautiful photos! Can't wait to see those from your trip too!

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  18. You are so very patient and your photos are beautiful. I love the graceful black winged stilts, they really do look like ballet dancers. Your sunrise is amazing too.

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  19. What beautiful photos and the birds are just amazing. That Gif is very clever and the sun is so pretty. x

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  20. I'm sure I sound like a broken record, but repeat I do...
    Extraordinary photos!!
    Thanks for sharing this blog with us at IRBB!

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  21. Great visit, great birds. If I may be permitted an honest comment the great number of ads on your blog is a real irritant.

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  22. ...Shiju, thanks for this wonderful collection. Have a wonderful week.

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  23. So Beautiful Friend. Thank You

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  24. Amazing photography,,Your bird photos are stunning.

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  25. Gorgeous photos. Each and every time from A to Z your photos are stunning.
    Thank you for joining us this week at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/04/continued-from-last-week.html

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  26. I am amazed at the long pink legs on that bird. Thank you for linking up.

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  27. a carpenter bee looks unique and pretty....
    thank you for sharing a nice video....

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  28. Pretty pretty pretty birds, my favourite are the Indian spot-billed ducks, perfect Shiju.

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  29. What lovely clear photos :-)

    Have a birdtastic week 👍

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  30. I hope you enjoyed your vacation! I loved your painted storks in the previous post. And sunrise and all the natural wonders of the current post. Mornings are my favorite time of day. Birds are such a blessing on Earth.

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  31. Your photos are astounding! It shows you have patience and are a keen observer. The birds near you are so exotic compared to what I see here in the Midwest USA. Lovely!

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  32. As always, beautiful pictures. Thank you for sharing with us.

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  33. Thank you thank you for sharing all these gorgeous photos of gorgeous birds! WOW!

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  34. So pleased you got a great holiday and you have captured many of life's magnificent winged creatures... So good to read your post and see it in the link up for Wednesday’s Words and Pics. Thank you! Hope to see you next week too. Denyse.

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  35. Once again you have shared some wonderful pictures with us. I'm in awe!

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  36. Looks like you got some great captures on vacation. Beautiful

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  37. What an experience to follow you around nature

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  38. I agree with all the comments before ... Thank you too for sharing your gorgeous photos!

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  39. Your sunrise GIF is stunning and so many incredible photos of birds!
    Popping over from My Sunday Snapshot.

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  40. Such beautiful birds - Wow! Thanks for sharing and for linking up with #MySundaySnapshot.

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  41. Hello again, what gorgeous photos, so many beautiful and amazing birds you have in a lovely setting!

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  42. Your birds are amazing! The colours are quite interesting.

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  43. I’ve never heard of a Magpie Robin before, I’m going to look that up.

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  44. Caroline RadhakrishnanSunday, May 07, 2023

    Lovely shots. I wish I can accompany you again someday!

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