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Thursday, December 07, 2023

Saul searching for a Verditer

I was back at Saul kere Lake last weekend with a quest: to photograph the elusive Verditer Flycatcher. This vibrant bird had danced just beyond my lens on my last visit. I also got some other birds while I waited for my target. Here are the pics.



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The first bird I saw was a cattle egret.



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A burst of color blooms like a distant promise.



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A Spot-Billed Pelican, its wings spread wide, scanned the water below for the perfect fishing spot. I took advantage of this opportunity to snap some photos of its flight.







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With a satisfied sigh, the pelican finally landed on the water, ready to begin its hunt.




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A White-throated Kingfisher,  perched with a sharp beak, patiently scanned the water, waiting for its moment to strike.



A flash dive and a quick pop-up – the Little Grebe was back in action.


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An Indian Spot-billed duck dipped its head in the water, searching for food.




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An Oriental Magpie Robin busily hopped and flew around.





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With a relentless hunger, an Indian Green Bee-eater devoured insects without pause.






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A Black-naped Oriole sat unmoving on a distant tree.




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Arriving at the Verditer Flycatcher's spot, I saw it briefly perch on a distant tree before being attacked by a crow.




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Thirty minutes crawled by. Then, a flash of blue in the distance signaled the Verditer Flycatcher's return, but my hopes of a close encounter were quickly dashed as it was driven away by a Black Drongo.



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While another hour melted away, a flock of rose-ringed parakeets, offered a captivating spectacle that briefly eased the frustration of the wait for the elusive Verditer Flycatcher.













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A flash of dusky gray caught my eye – an Ashy Woodswallow had also joined the scene.



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Another bee became prey for the green bee-eater.



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Just when hope began to fade, the long-awaited Verditer Flycatcher finally materialized, albeit in challenging light. I kept clicking until I got a flight shot.





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The flycatcher's flight was my cue to call it a day. The sky was beautiful on the walk back.



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I'd love to hear your feedback on this post. What did you think?

Linked with Mosaic Monday

46 comments:

  1. What a beauties again. Birds paradise.Incredibly beautifully captured.

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  2. Your flight shots of the pelican are really terrific. The last Verditer Flycatcher I saw was in Hong Kong several years ago, bathing in a puddle. Beautiful bird.

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  3. Dear Shiju, I didn't know any Verditer Flycatcher before - a beautiful bird and you took great photos despite difficult conditions. Somehow he doesn't seem to be very popular in this place when other birds keep chasing him away. I recently watched crows chasing away a kestrel (WITHOUT photos of course 😟...) There were very exciting scenes to observe at the tree with the rose-ringed parakeets and you also observed many other beautiful birds - thank you for the wonderful photos!
    All the best, Traude
    ☕🧸🍷🕯️☃️📚🕯️
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/12/osterreichische-nationalbibliothek.html

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  4. Captivating indeed friend! The birds are lucky you are their chronicler. Aloha

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  5. these birds are so agile through your photography

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  6. You are a champion birdwatching skywatcher!!

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  7. Awesome photos of the parakeets in flight. They look down right acrobatic!

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  8. All amazing captures of birds in action!

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  9. Beautiful flight photos, especially the parakeets!
    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  10. What a great series of photos Shiju.
    I think the flying Spot-billed Pelican and the White-throated Kingfisher are great, these species do not occur in my country.
    I also find the Indian Green Bee-eater great to see,
    Also the flock of parakeets, which are found in the Netherlands, even in large numbers in some cities such as Amsterdam.
    I enjoyed your photos.
    Greetings Irma

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  11. Birds, birds and more birds. You live in bird paradise. I hope you are keeping record in a bird book. It will be filled with dates and times and what they eat and how they respond to your camera. I enjoy seeing your blog weekly. I scroll down slowly.

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  12. The parakeets in action are lovely, as are the rest of your shots. Thank you for linking up.

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  13. Hello,
    Another awesome outings, so many beautiful birds. Your photos are a treat to see. Some of my favorites are the Kingfisher, Bee-eater, the Parakeets and the pretty Verditer Flycatcher. Great 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.

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  14. Fantastic photos. And what fascinating wing feathers the pelican has when they are folded on its back. Sort of lumpy. Haven't noticed that in a bird before.

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  15. Once a pelican went after me. They are huge. Great pics, Mother Nature provides beautiful colors for some!

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  16. You do seem to have the most colorful birds for Saturday critters! I love the bee eater but that pelican is grand too. And the series of parakeets is amazing! Wonderful photos this week! Hope you get to go again this week!

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  17. Hi Shiju, Absolutely an amazing post … wonderful … congrats on these photos and finally capturing the elusive Verditer Flycatcher! I honestly suggest that you contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and provide a link to this post. In USA they are one of the most popular birding associations. They might want to feature your blog on their website. Your photography is superior and I love looking at your work. Thank you for linking up with Saturday’s Critters which allowed me to find your blog. Wishing you a happy weekend and week ahead. John

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  18. Hello Shiju :=)
    The beautiful Verditer Flycatcher looks bigger than the other Flycatchers, and you took marvellous photos of each species. I enjoyed looking at all your wonderful shots of the parakeets, and all these lovely birds. Thank you!:=)

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  19. ...Shiju, you captured so many images, but the ones in flight are my favorite.

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  20. Wow! Fantastic photography of handsome and beautiful birds ~ thanks,

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

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  21. Wow! Lots lots of beautiful captures. The fight scenes were incredible to see, you captured the anger in one of the birds. you could see it in its eyes. Thanks for sharing.

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  22. Beautiful the Indian Green Bee-eater and of course, the Verditer Flycatcher. All sorts to mention here, have a weekend Shiju.

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  23. They are all so very beautiful. Thank you for sharing these joyous moments with all of us. Take care!

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  24. Fantastic bird images. I can never capture them like that with my camera. We have the bee-eaters here in Australia. Vibrant colours. Enjoy your week. I am joining you at Mosaic Monday.

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  25. OMG! Shiju, I've missed your avian wonders. The Verditer Flycatcher is such a delight. Have some incredible shots taken by the then 12 year-old from the mountains of Uttarakhand.

    I totally love the others too in your frame - it's awe-inspiring to see the parakeets on flight and you have captured different nuances of their flight wonderfully.
    The Pelican as always is a regal bird, beyond impressive. The others have their own unique charm too.

    I got back after a longish break and posted a compilation of our walks too. Here you go:

    https://natashamusing.com/2023/12/notes-from-the-wilderness-natasha-musing/

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  26. Glad you got the Flycatcher..worth the wait..Your pictures are outstanding...love seeing them...thanks

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  27. Your photos are breathtaking. The egret, the bee-eater, the king-fisher - my word! They are works of art.
    Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2023/12/a-living-nativity-at-nearby-church.html

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  28. I commented on this post last week but it didn't seem to post. I'll try again! I love all the beautiful photos as usual. I just appreciate going on walks with you and seeing beauty through your eyes.

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  29. Another set of beautifully taken photos firts time i have seen a Flycatcher :-)
    Have a flycatchingtastic week 👍

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  30. Your captures of the pelican in flight are sublime!
    Stunning series of photos, Shiju!

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  31. Wow, what amazing photos, some of the best you've ever shown us.

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  32. Outstanding photos.
    The flycatcher looks so beautiful! Wow!

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  33. The photos are amazing, the blooms are amazing, so I have to take time to be inspired by your flow of beauties!
    Thank you and Happy WW! A fine week ahead!

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  34. Your Photos are wonderful. You have a special artistic sense, congratulations! 😍💞

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  35. Beautiful photos of the birds - I find the ones mid-flight specially impressive, like the pelican and the parrots. And of course the Verditer Flycatcher - glad you were able to find and photograph it.

    I also have a soft spot for the photo of the tree in bloom in front of the buildings - as one might imagine from my own photography 😺

    Happy WW, and thanks as always for dropping by!

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  36. So many exquisite photos that I don’t know how to pick a favorite. The pelican looks fantastic, the.Indian Green Bee-eater is stunning, and the Verditer Flycatchers are amazing!

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  37. Your persistence definitely paid off, wow love the Flycatcher and ALL the other shots. What an awesome day of birds
    I visited you via WW On A Tuesday – Oh! Dear
    I linked up this week with = 32. This is a personal invite to come and join us at #WordlessWednesday #Photography Wednesday - Saturday. https://esmesalon.com/tag/wordlesswednesday/

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  38. You seem to have much more color in your birds, but maybe I am overstating it but we have very different climates too...

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  39. These marvelous photos are a gift that lifts our spirits like these birds! Aloha friend

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  40. I am so happy that you dropped in and thank you for sharing your links with us at EsmeSalon Wordless Wednesday. See you again on Jan 10, 2024.

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  41. Thank you again for this lovely post.

    Tracking down rarer birds is your specialty. All respect, you have succeeded fantastically again. The photos are proof of that.

    However, the play in the air of the parrots made me smile in particular.

    Thank you so much for this wonderful post on
    MosaicMonday

    Many Greetings by Heidrun, I wish you and your family a pleasant time

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  42. Such incredible shots, you are so talented! Thanks for sharing and for linking up with #MySundaySnapshot.

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