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Saul Kere - Avian Awe Always

Last weekend, I experienced avian awe at Saul Kere Lake in Bangalore as always. I saw some incredible bird activity. Unfortunately, the camera settings were a bit off, resulting in less-than-ideal photo quality. Nevertheless, here are a few shots that capture the essence of my birdwatching adventure.



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A Red-wattled lapwing raised an alarm as soon as I reached. I caught it alongside an Indian spot-billed duck, who immediately started to pay heed to the alarm call.




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In the distance, a white-throated kingfisher perched on a branch, its beady eyes scanning the water below, ready to dive in for a fish.



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There were some surprise visitors at Saul Kere. Four Yellow Bitterns were making long sorties covering the entire lake vegetation and briefly stopping at the foot of reeds. I managed to capture them in flight although it was a tour de force.



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A juvenile Black kite was seen perched atop a tree.



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At the lake, I witnessed a small fight between some baby Bronze-winged Jacana birds and a big Grey-headed swamphen. The Jacana chicks were trying to protect their territory, but the swamphen was much stronger. The swamphen eventually won the fight and scared the Jacana chicks away.







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To show who was boss, the swamphen even plucked a few feathers from one of the Jacana chicks.



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This tranquil scene captures the beauty of Saul Kere Lake, with its lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and a glimpse of the nearby city.



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I watched a green bee-eater next.





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A Little egret was actively hunting for prey among the water hyacinths.




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It seemed like the breeding season had been quite successful for the birds. I spotted a juvenile Brahminy Kite perched on a branch before it took flight.




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I caught a glimpse of a Red-vented bulbul flitting through the foliage.



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There were adults too. An adult Brahminy kite was seen perched on a distant tree.



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A white-breasted waterhen, with its sleek plumage and elegant demeanor, looked quite striking.



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A Black-crowned night heron, an unexpected visitor to the lake, caught my attention next.



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A noisy flock of Rose-ringed parakeets caught my attention. It was a pleasure to capture them in flight, their wings outstretched in a vibrant display.









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I also managed to capture an Indian pond heron in flight.



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A white-cheeked barbet, carefully scanned the trees for the perfect spot to build its nest. After a thorough inspection, it selected a dry tree trunk and began the arduous task of excavating a suitable cavity.





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I noticed that many of the trees at Saul Kere were labeled with yellow tags containing QR codes that linked to more information about the tree species on the Flowers of India website. This innovative approach allows visitors to learn more about the different tree species and their ecological importance.

Honge - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Pongam%20Tree.html

Arjuna - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Arjun%20Tree.html

Banyan - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Banyan%20Tree.html

Cluster Fig - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Goolar.html

Elengi - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Maulsari.html

Peepal - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Peepal.html

Silver Oak - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Silver%20Oak.html

White Silk-Cotton - https://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Kapok%20Tree.html


I hope you enjoyed this account of my recent birding trip to Saul Kere Lake. The diverse avian life and peaceful atmosphere made it a truly memorable experience. Please share your comments below!

Linked to Thursday Tree Love


43 comments:

  1. The lake delivered its usual bounty, camera settings or not. The use of QR codes on a nature trail has been used here to great effect. The more people know about nature the better.

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  2. gorgeous images as always. The green bird eater is delightful. The QR codes are a great idea. Enjoy the rest of your week, and thankyou for visiting my blog this week.

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  3. A lovely set of pictures, despite the camera settings! I love Egrets and that little one's a beauty!

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  4. Fantastic birds! Interesting about the QR codes. I use them myself, but it seems like most people have not gotten used to them.

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  5. Love the look of the parakeets in motion. They are both crisp and fluid like ballet dancers. I've yet to see such tags when I am out and about. A great idea but some folks would probably appreciate a little onsite info as well. :))

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  6. The QR codes are a wonderful idea. I'm always amazed at the divesity of bird life you manage to find!

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  7. You always caught fabulous wildlife so well

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  8. This is wonderful! It makes me want to visit your lake and spend time there seeing all these fabulous creatures. Aloha to you

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  9. Beautiful series of photos of the different types of birds Shiju.
    The green bee-eater is my favorite.
    I wish you a good weekend.
    Greetings Irma

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  10. Amazing collections of bird photos, green bee-eater , kite, parakeets, Loved your post. Happy weekend.

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  11. Great bird show and that labeling with tags could be done more on interesting trees al around the world.

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  12. Hello. An absolutely wonderful place to watch birds. Beautiful birds and great photos.

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  13. Hello,
    The lake is a wonderful place for your birdwatching and photography. Great bird sightings , I love the all. It is nice to see the tree tags, it is an easy way to id the tree. 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 parakeets really put on a show for you. LOVE the black crowned night heron and the tags on the trees are helpful! Wonderful outing and fantastic photos!

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  15. Oh goodness there are so many delightful and lovely birds in your world just waiting for you to share with us. thank you so much.

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  16. Hello Shiju :)
    Fabulous series of photos of the birds you saw. My favourite is the Green Bee-eater, and the tags are a wonderful idea.
    Best Wishes
    Sonjia

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  17. Wonderful photos and I like the Egret and the Bee Eater. Thank you for linking up.

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  18. bonjour super billet et super blog et superbe photo, il annonce une semaine assez chaude avec des tempèratures avoisinant les 31 degrés , par contre la nature commencent a souffrir du manque d'eau je te souhaite une belle journée de Lundi ,belle semaine

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  19. What a fantastic birdwatching adventure at Saul Kere Lake!
    Despite the camera issues, you’ve beautifully captured the lake’s vibrant avian life.
    The variety of birds is amazing!
    Incredible photography as always, Shiju!

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  20. ...Shiju, once again you have amazed me with your images. The QR code at a fabulous idea, I like to find them here.

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  21. Dear Shiju, I can't tell from your photos that the camera settings were a bit off. The area around the lake is really gorgeous and there was a wonderful birdlife. When I saw the kingfisher, I remembered that I managed to photograph a kingfisher bird near Christchurch - unfortunately not as brilliant as you, but I was still happy. I didn't even know that there were kingfishers in New Zealand. It was wonderful how close you were able to photograph the bee-eater. And then the fights and playful flights that you were able to observe and snap. Great as always!
    All the best, Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/08/weltreise-2024-abschied-von-neuseeland.html
    PS: Marking the trees with QR codes is a wonderful idea!

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  22. Another PS: My German blog friend Astrid has a monthly linkup "My friend the tree" - here is the newest one: https://lemondedekitchi.blogspot.com/2024/08/mein-freund-der-baum-schwarzkiefer.html
    Your QR code "story" would also fit in well here!

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  23. Loved the pond heron in flight!
    The qr codes for the trees is a great initiative indeed!

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  24. Such beautiful photos. Some of the birds are common to my area too. I particularly fond of the green bee-eater.

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  25. Love seeing the bee eater. Beautiful photos and the QR codes are fantastic for learning more about what you see.

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  26. Gorgeous photos - the diversity of the wildlife and your skill in capturing them on film never ceases to please the eye and the soul!
    Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2024/08/from-pennsylvania-academy-of-fine-arts.html

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  27. Fabulous captures again shiju always enjoyable to see :-)

    Have a beaktastic week 👍

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  28. Again a fabulous series of images. I think there are so special those with Brahminy Kite!
    Happy WW and a fine week!

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  29. Great photos as always - and it seems there was an exceptional variety of birds this week! I also like seeing the buildings from the city peeking through the lush greenery of the lake.

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  30. what impressive poses! smooth flights or in full attack. very beautiful all!

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  31. Your birdwatching adventure at Saul Kere Lake sounds absolutely captivating! Despite the camera challenges, it’s clear that you witnessed some incredible moments. The interaction between the Red-wattled lapwing and the Indian spot-billed duck must have been fascinating to observe. Capturing the Yellow Bitterns in flight, especially with their surprise appearance, is no small feat. And of course, spotting a juvenile Black kite perched high is always a treat. It’s moments like these that make birdwatching such a rewarding experience.

    I’m excited to share my latest blog post with you! I’d love for you to give it a read and share your thoughts. Thank you: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/08/protected-by-grace-testimony-of-trust-and-gratitude.html

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  32. Stunning photos as ever. I was surprise to see a bird plucking feathers from a chick!

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  33. Such beautiful birds, you are so talented with photography. Thanks for sharing and for linking up with #MySundaySnapshot.

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  34. Your photos are always so beautiful. My favorite today are the Brahminy kite, and the white egret.

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  35. I really like the tags and hopefully people will pay attention. Lovely photos even if you were not as happy with them...

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  36. Your photographs are beautiful. I would have loved to take this walk, and I found a favorite in the green parrots. Lovely post.

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  37. You got some really amazing photos of birds in attack! How fabulous! #gardenaffair

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  38. Absolutely brilliant shots and so much of happiness in this post. Also the trees being tagged is wonderful. So much to learn and know from Nature. Thanks for continuing to bring joy via your pictures and grateful for linking up. See you around.

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  39. Beautiful photographs! It must take a lot of patience to capture these images!

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