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Bird Battles and Beautiful Mornings

I had a fun time watching birds at Saul Kere Lake last weekend. I saw a fight between two groups of birds and many other interesting birds. Let's see some photos!



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My morning at Saul Kere Lake started with this beautiful sunrise at 6 AM. The sky was painted with soft colors, and fluffy clouds hung overhead like pillows, as if they were the remnants of a peaceful night's sleep.



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A slight commotion on the electric power lines drew my attention. A gang of Rufous Treepies was engaged in a heated dispute with a larger group of Black Drongos.



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Rufous Treepie is a member of the crow family, Corvidae. They are commonly found in various habitats across India, including forests, agricultural areas, and urban gardens.



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The Rufous Treepie is primarily an arboreal omnivore, feeding on a diverse diet that includes fruits, nectar, seeds, invertebrates, small reptiles, and even the eggs and young of other birds. It has also been known to scavenge on carcasses.



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While Rufous Treepies are typically known to join mixed hunting parties with species like Drongos and Babblers, here, I saw them engaged in a territorial dispute with a gang of Black Drongos.



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The fight gave me many opportunities to capture the birds in flight.

















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After the impromptu show, I spotted a happy-looking dog bathed in the golden light of the morning sun.



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As I continued exploring the park, I played with the morning light and shadows, capturing the scene from different angles. Suddenly, a jogger photobombed the shot, adding a touch of perspective to the image.



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A flash of vibrant blue caught my eye. A White-throated Kingfisher had flown towards me and perched on a branch partially hidden among the leaves.





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The kingfisher's bright blue plumage contrasted beautifully with the green foliage.



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I was hoping for a better shot when, to my surprise, the kingfisher flew closer, landing on a branch right in front of me. It was so close that I had trouble focusing my camera! 




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As I continued my walk, I heard a familiar melody. It was the turn of the Oriental Magpie Robin to sing its cheerful song.



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A pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets were perched on a nearby tree, their vibrant plumage contrasting with the blue sky. One of the birds took flight, its wings outstretched and its long tail trailing behind it. I snapped a photo of the bird in mid-air.


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An Asian Green Bee-eater was perched on a branch, holding a dragonfly in its beak. The bird was repeatedly beating the dragonfly against the branch, trying to break its exoskeleton before consuming it. 




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I spotted a group of Scaly-breasted Munias perched on a branch nearby. 









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I managed to get a photo of the juvenile before it disappeared into the bushes.

 


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I spotted one final bird: a White-cheeked Barbet perched on a branch high up in a tree.


 I had a fantastic time observing and photographing these amazing creatures. What was your favorite part of the trip? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

38 comments:

  1. Beautiful series of photos Shiju.
    Nice to see how the birds fight with each other.
    The Kingfishers are great, well photographed.
    I also think the dog in the light is great.
    Greetings Irma

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  2. Rufous Treepies are very entertaining birds. I have spent many happy moments with them!

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  3. You caught the playfulness of the birds. So colourful and so fun

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  4. a wonderful and amazing series. It's incredible.

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  5. Beautiful photos. Nice of the jogger to provide perspective at just the right moment!

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  6. Beautiful photos, I love the birds fighting sequence and your adorable dog in the sun. I think that's the first time I've seen a dog in your photos.

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  7. Delightful action packed captures!

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  8. Jogger photobombing was a great picture! I too witness lot of bickering between racket tailed drongo and jungle babblers at my hometown. Since my camera is dead, not able to capture anything birds nowadays.

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  9. Applause for another wonderful series of bird photos. What an explosion of natural exuberance.

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  10. That kingfisher was ready for his closeup!! Amazing photos of the birds fighting over territory.

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  11. Amazing birds , Great photography.

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  12. Hello Shiju,
    What a wonderful collection of photos, as always I love them all. The captures of the birds fighting are wonderful. I love the beautiful Kingfisher and the Bee-eater. The Parakeets, the Munias and the Barbet are all lovely birds. Love the sky and the view of the trail. Your posts are a treat to see. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great day and a happy weekend!

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  13. Hello. All these photos are amazing. Thank you for sharing them.

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  14. Fun to see we aare all one. this really looks like a dispute! Hopefully with a happy ending. Great photos again.
    The Kingfisher is a beauty, too. AS th eothers. Always a joy to visit your blog.

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  15. ...Shiju, once again you captured your morning beautifully. Thanks for taking me along to see the sights.

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  16. Lovely captures of all the birds. I particularly enjoyed the photo of the pup and the photos of birds in flight. Have a Happy WE, Shiju!

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  17. You show me so many birds I do not see in Hawaii and have never seen before! Thank you my friend. You do good work Aloha!

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  18. A grand display of beautiful photos. The birds are very nice captured in flight. Well done, have a great weekend.

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  19. You always get such great photos of the birds in flight. I really love the cloud dappled sky! WOW! And the jogger.

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  20. The fight between the two flocks of birds is fascinating, and your shots of the birds in flight are super.
    best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  21. Hi Shiju, As time has gone by I’ve come to expect many delightful photos when visiting Cranium Bolts and this post certainly satisfies my expectations. Delightful indeed. I truly admire the results you get with your long lens. Just amazing. Thanks, as always, for sharing! John

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  22. Wow! ~ Amazing photos of a wonderful series of birds ~ also great capture of light on the dog and with the archway ~ thanks,

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

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  23. Gorgeous photos of birds. I loved the one where the bird seemed to be scolding the others. He looked very convincing whatever it was he was trying to get across to his fellow flyers. Lovely and interesting post.

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  24. Yet another set of brilliant photos they are a pleasure to see :-)
    Have a birdtastic week 👍

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  25. Your photography skills are exceptional! The birds have great detail. Thank you for linking up.

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  26. Wonderful set of pictures. I would not have picked the first bird as a member of the crow family.

    Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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  27. As the days, weeks and months pass, you are fortunate to continue to see so many birds! I am assuming bird migration is not as prevalent in your area as it is here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

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    1. It’s amazing how many birds migrate to Bangalore every year. I’m lucky to have seen so many different species this season.

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  28. Dear Shiju, I have a lot of catching up to do on your blog, please excuse me. I'll start with the newer post. This time you have fluffy clouds, on my blog there are "fluffy cows" - which aren't really cows 😁
    Your action photos of the bird fight are top! And the kingfisher so close, someone has to try and copy you - not an easy task! The bee-eater with its prey also impresses me a lot. All in all, another wealth of great photos with wonderful birds and a cute dog!
    I'll take time for your other post tomorrow, because now I have to go to bed!
    All the best, Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2024/10/weltreise-2024-sw-usa-salt-lake-city.html

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  29. Beautiful this series! You are incredible with this photos. The vibrant blue is my favorite this time!
    Happy WW and a fine week!

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  30. what beautiful clouds! But the flight of birds is magnificently captured in your photos. Congratulations!
    Happy WW! ☺

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  31. Some spectacular action shots this week, with the Rufous Treepies fighting and the Bee-eater with its dragonfly. I also really like the close-up of the Kingfisher. You can see its face and expression so clearly!

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  32. Another wonderful set of pictures, you never fail to delight! The kingfisher is stunning.

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  33. Is that your Book of birds and nature? Wow, I doesn`t wonder about. Your descriptions are always professional and perfect. I enjoyed reading again very much.

    Thank you for being part at
    MOSAICMONDAY

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    Replies
    1. I wish a magic wand could turn my pictures into real books. But for now, I'm using Adobe Photoshop.

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  34. Look at those gorgeous clouds in that beautiful blue sky! Thanks for sharing and for taking part in #MySundaySnapshot.

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  35. I always find new birds on your blog. Beautiful all. Plus, your last post was a delightful romp with your sweet heart popping up from the fields pointing out a heart in the sky. You're blessed!

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