Winged Encounters At Hoskote

Last Sunday morning, I ventured to Hoskote Lake amidst an overcast sky. While the sun remained hidden, a few avian inhabitants graciously unfurled their wings. Here are the pictures from those pleasant encounters.

~~~
At 6 am, the lake basked in the gentle glow of early morning light.

~~~
The sky appeared captivating with ever-changing clouds.

~~~
I saw several Baya Weaver nests at various stages of construction. Some of these nests even appeared to be occupied by nestlings.

~~~
While making my way down from the road to the ivy gourd farm, I felt a bit cautious about encountering any guard dogs. To my relief, one of them approached me without barking or showing aggression. It stood nearby, curiously observing as I searched for birds.

To avoid intimidating the guard dog, I decided to pretend to ignore its presence and refrained from taking any pictures.

~~~

Peafowls' calls pierced through the air with high-pitched screams.

I spotted a peafowl hidden among the fronds of a coconut palm.

~~~
After a patient wait, I spotted a peahen elegantly perched atop a different coconut palm.

~~~
The peahen's lofty perch made it impossible for me to escape its watchful gaze.

As soon as the peahen noticed my presence, it swiftly took flight and landed on a distant tree, beyond my reach.

~~~
My attention was drawn to a red-vented bulbul that appeared nearby.

~~~
Seemingly inspired by the peahen, the red-vented bulbul took flight. 

~~~
Next, I encountered a spotted dove. Unlike the previous birds, the dove seemed unperturbed by my presence.

~~~
A purple sunbird emerged, accompanied by a spider-like insect in its beak. 

~~~
I was able to capture the moment as the sunbird swallowed its prey.

~~~
I observed a male Baya weaver attentively watching over its nest, ensuring the safety and protection of its offspring.

~~~
A purple heron skulking in the vicinity. 

~~~
Continuing the trend of the morning, the purple heron took an abrupt flight, revealing its awe-inspiring wings in all their glory.

 ~~~
The birds today were alert towards potential threats, including lurking birdwatchers like myself. As soon as the long-tailed shrike sensed my presence, it promptly began to emit warning calls.

 ~~~
The shrike quickly resorted to a furtive attempt to conceal itself from my view.

~~~
It was now the red-wattled lapwing's turn to be rattled. 

~~~
The red-wattled lapwing continued to scream, repeatedly uttering a phrase that sounded like "pity you did it." 

 ~~~
Next in sight was a plain tiger butterfly.

 ~~~
I returned to the Baya weaver colony to find the male weavers diligently engaged in constructing their nests.

 ~~~
I caught sight of a female Indian robin.

 ~~~

The male weavers made frequent visits to the nests, arriving approximately every 10 minutes, carrying grasshoppers to feed the hungry fledglings. 

 ~~~
The female weavers also play an important role in the nest-building process. They would arrive at the nests and meticulously add the finishing touches, ensuring that every detail was in place. 

~~~
I spotted a Large Grey Babbler going about its regular routine. Engaged in its typical behavior of foraging and socializing.

 The day culminated with a vivid display of the Royal Poinciana tree in full bloom.

I hope you enjoyed reading the post. Your comments and feedback are welcome!

Linked with Mosaic Monday