Missed my earlier posts? Don't worry, you can catch up by clicking the button below.

Thursday, February 09, 2023

A Valentine's Day post from Kannamangala

Here’s a Valentine’s Day post from Kannamangala lake. Yes, birds never miss a chance to renew or perhaps find new love. Read on…



...
A banyan tree, sky and the lake. A lovely setting…



...
A Little Egret congregation invited my attention…



...
There’s always one who likes to be a bit away from the crowd and enjoy solitude…



...
An Indian Pond Heron…



...
A Little grebe…



...
A Grey Heron…



...
A lone Painted Stork…



...
A Grey Hornbill was hidden in the foliage…



...
He made love with his partner. Grey Hornbills stay with the same partner all their life…



...
An Indian Pond Heron caught my attention. He was looking for unwary fishes from his elevated perch…



...
He gets excited on spotting one…



...
Aims and attacks like a dart…



...
A fish is caught…



...
A White-throated Kingfisher…



...
A male Purple-rumped Sunbird…



...
A Cormorant drying itself…



...
A Black-headed Cuckooshrike whistled his long pee-pe-pe-pe-pe-twe-twee song. The mating call is most attractive and I’m sure he will find his partner soon…



...



...



...
A male Purple Sunbird was seen in his most attractive breeding plumage…



...



...
Cinereous Tits are so quick-flitting birds that you get only two hardly presentable pics from about 50 clicks…



...



...
A pair of brightly colored and strongly scented Cannonball flowers…



...
It was a White-browed Wagtail's turn to sing his long and loud mating song with many different notes…



...
Great Cormorant is a ‘food lover’. He caught a huge Tilapia fish… 



...



...



...
A Brahminy kite tries to steal the Tilapia but is a bit late…




...
A Little Grebe mother and child (with a yellow bill)...



...



...
Some pen friends…

...



...
A lady Indian Golden Oriole…

...



...
I watched the courting behavior of a Great Cormorant couple…

...
...






...
Wishing you a happy Valentine’s day, filled with things you love!
  


Thursday, February 02, 2023

Flower show and a camera ban



On the last day of the Bangalore Flower Show 2023, my wife, kid and I decided to make a visit. The Horticulture department has banned digital cameras in the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. 

The reasons for the ban:

1. to avoid inconveniencing visitors, especially the daily walkers and runners

2. to ensure flora and fauna are not disturbed

3. flash light and photography equipment can cause bee attack

All illogical reasons.

But they allow mobile phone cameras and make a mockery of all the above said reasons. 

Here are our phone camera pics from the flower show…



...
The sky…



...
A variety of Chrysanthemums…


...


...




...


...


...
Bluemink...



...
Alstroemeria… 

...


...
Day lilies…



...
Dianthus…



...


...
New Guinea impatiens…



...
Poinsettia…


...
Tulips…

...



...
Snapdragon…



...
Venus flytrap…

...
The trapped insects are the only critters I have this week...

...



...
Pycnosorus…





...
Purple striped chrysanthemum…



...
The place has a good variety of birds. We saw Black-naped Oriole, Tickell's Flowerpecker, Shikra, Oriental Magpie Robin, a Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker and a few sunbirds. Without a camera the sightings were disappointing for me. But Rohan enjoyed viewing them through the binoculars…



...
We also took photos of each other in various poses…

...

...

...

...

...



...
An attempt to salvage a bad mobile photo…




...
There are a few photographers who depend on the botanical garden for their livelihood. They  shoot and print instant postcards for ₹ 100. Here’s our family pic clicked by one of them…


 ...

Thus ended our trip. Overall it was an enjoyable one. For now, it seems like a permanent camera ban and other parks are following suit. Hope the Horticulture department will apply their mind and reverse the ban.