Sanjay Singhs Photography

Ah-Ha Pelican!

Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) clicked near Sultanpur, Haryana during my weekend birding walk! It has been a great news for the birders’ since these birds last visited this area about 5 yrs back!!

It is also known as Rosy pelican! It breeds from southeastern Europe through Asia & Africa, in swamps / shallow lakes.

These are huge birds measuring about 5 to 6 feet in length with enormous pink & yellow bills which can be as long as 18 inches!

The great white pelican is highly sociable and often forms large flocks! They mainly eats fish & the pouch on their bill serves as a scoop! It is famously said that their bill can hold more water than their bellican :)

It is a migratory bird & is listed in the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals!

Today, because of overfishing in certain areas, white pelicans are forced to fly long distances to find food. Human disturbance, loss of foraging habitat and breeding sites, as well as pollution are all contributing to the decline of the great white pelican!

Image © sanjay_singhs photography

Black bulbul clicked in Shimla!

Also known as the Himalayan black bulbul or Asian black bulbul; it is a passerine bird found in southern Asia from India east to southern China.

Their body plumage ranges from grey to black, and legs and bill are always rich red.

They can be quite noisy, making various loud cheeping, mewing and grating calls. They feed mainly on seeds / insects, and are particularly fond of berries.

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Black-breasted weaver (male) (scientific name Ploceus benghalensis) clicked in Sultanpur farms!

It is also known as the Bengal weaver or black-throated weaver. It is a weaver resident in the northern river plains of the Indian subcontinent. Like the other weavers, the males build an enclosed nest from reeds and mud, and visiting females select a mate at least partially based on the quality of the nest!

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Jacobin cuckoo or Pied crested cuckoo (scientific name- Clamator jacobinus) is found in Africa and Asia. It is considered a harbinger of the monsoon due to the timing of its arrival!

This species is widely mentioned in ancient Indian poetry as the chaataka! The poet Kalidasa used it in his "Meghadoota" as a metaphor for deep yearning and this tradition continues in literary works!

They inhabit dry forests, thorny plains and dry lowlands. Their diet primarily consists of insects, fruits and berries with hairy caterpillars being their favourite!

The Jacobin cuckoo species usually breed during June to August in north India. They do not build nest and lay their eggs in the nest of host birds like babblers. The hatchlings are raised by the host birds.

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Chestnut-shouldered petronia (scientific name- Gymnoris xanthocollis). This is the male bird clicked at Mangar, Haryana.

Dr Salim Ali, India’s legendary birder, has noted this species as key to his introduction into ornithology! As a young boy he shot a sparrow that looked different, and it was identified for him by W. S. Millard, then secretary of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), who also introduced him to the literature and collections at the museum there. As a result, Dr. Ali ultimately took up ornithology as a profession!

This bird species is found in southern Asia! It lives in forest and open scrub habitats and is migratory; moving in response to rains.

image © sanjay_singhs photography

The Indian Pitta (scientific name- Pitta brachyura), clicked in Mangar forests of Haryana!

It is small (about 20 cm), stubby-tailed bird with brilliantly-coloured plumage! Is a passerine bird native to the Indian subcontinent; breeding in the forests of the Himalayas, hills of central and western India!

It has a unique call like a short double whistle, “wieet-pyou” or “whee-tiou”! It is easier to hear them, than to see them as they are shy and hidden in the undergrowth where they hop and pick insects on the forest floor!

The name pitta comes from the Telugu word meaning "small bird”! Local names in India are based on the colours and their behaviours such as the time of calling; example Hindi: 'Naurang' (due to its nine colours) & Tamil: 'Aru-mani kuruvi' (6 o-clock bird)!

The Indian Pitta is a solitary bird with each individual maintaining a well-defined territory! It is a weak flier but has strong pink coloured legs!

It has a wide distribution and currently not under the threatened list!

© sanjay_singh photography

Portrait of "Merlin".... Clicked at Jhajjar, Haryana!

Merlins are small falcons with a powerful build and for centuries have been regarded as a falconry bird! They are from the Northern Hemisphere, with numerous subspecies throughout North America and Eurasia. They have sharply pointed wings, a broad chest, and a medium length tail. Merlins are generally dark and streaky, though their coloration varies geographically and by gender.

Merlins are fierce, energetic predators that patrol open areas looking for their prey, mostly small birds! They fly powerfully, with quick wingbeats, pausing to glide only rarely.

By far the most serious long-term threat to these birds is habitat destruction, especially in their breeding areas!

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Pied bush chat male (scientific name- Saxicola caprata), clicked amidst mustard fields near Sultanpur, Haryana!

It is a small passerine bird found ranging from West Asia and Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is a familiar bird of countryside and open scrub or grassland where it is found perched at the top of short thorn trees or other shrubs, looking out for insect prey. They pick up insects mainly from the ground.

The males are black with white shoulder and vent patches whose extent varies among populations. Females are predominantly brownish while juveniles are speckled!

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The Common Kingfisher (Scientific name- Alcedo atthis), clicked at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. It is also known as the Eurasian kingfisher.

It has wide distribution across Asia, Europe and North Africa. This sparrow-sized bird has the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile with a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptations to see prey under water!

Common kingfishers are important members of ecosystems and good indicators of the standard of the water.It can tolerate a certain degree of urbanisation, provided the water remains clean.
This species has a large range & a large population. For these reasons, the species is evaluated as "least concern”.

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"Every move you make....
Every step you take....
I'll be watching you!"
Probably this famous 80s song by 'The Police' was inspired by an owl!

Spotted Owl at Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary!!

Owls have binocular vision & their large eyes are fixed in their sockets! So they have to turn their entire heads to change views.... Owls can rotate their heads and necks as much as 270°!

SHIKRA ( Scientific name- Accipiter badius) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae! This picture is of an adult female clicked in the farm flats of Farrukhnagar, Gurgaon!

The word shikra or shikara means hunter in the Hindi language & is borrowed from the Urdu word shikari, meaning hunter!

The shikra is found in a range of habitats including forests, farmland and urban areas. They are usually seen singly or in pairs. They feed on reptiles, small mammals, small birds, frogs and insects.

The shikra was a favourite among falconers in India and Pakistan due to the ease with which it could be trained & was frequently used to procure food for the more prized falcons. They are noted for their pluck and ability to take much larger birds.

Image © sanjay_singhs photography

I had been waiting for a year to get a glimpse of this beautiful migratory bird!

NORTHERN LAPWING (Scientific name Vanellus vanellus) a record-shot clicked at Sultanpur flats, Haryana after a long tiring search of several hours walking through mud-fields & marshes! This species of lapwing has a characteristic crest!

It is highly migratory over most of its extensive range, wintering further south as far as north Africa, northern India, Pakistan, and parts of China!

Their habitat is mostly shrub land, mudflats & marshes & feeds mostly on insects & worms! This species prefers to feed at night when there is moonlight!

Their global numbers have been declining over last several years due to loss of open land to cultivation! The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorised it as "Near Threatened”!

Image by sanjay_singhs photography

Ruddy shelduck (male in breeding plumage recognised by its black collar), clicked at Bhigwan, Pune!
Scientific name is Tadorna ferruginea!
Known in India as the Brahminy duck
Is a member of the family Anatidae!
It is a distinctive waterfowl
They mostly inhabits inland water-bodies such as lakes, reservoirs & rivers!
It is a migratory bird, wintering in the Indian subcontinent and breeding in southeastern Europe and central Asia.

Another aquatic beauty clicked during my recent trip to Bhigwan, Pune…..

The Whiskered Tern (scientific name Chlidonias hybrida) in its winter plumage!

The bird belongs to the Laridae family. Its summer plumage is much blacker in colour!

In Bhigwan, these birds have mastered the art of surfing the water over pieces of floating thermocol! The sight of the bird floating on the water is a true marvel! They mostly eat small fish and insects!

Image © sanjay_singhs photography

My recent Pune visit was made memorable by an early morning trip to Khumbargaon, Bhigwan (about 100km away from Pune). Located in the backwaters created by Ujani dam on Bhima river, this place is a birders paradise! This year due to late rains, the backwater was full & resembled a huge sea! It took us 5 hrs to go from one end to another in a boat & back! With a cool breeze blowing & an early morning chill, this serene experience was something to cherish!
This was also my first experience of clicking lovely aquatic birds!

Presenting here, my click of the Black Headed Gull (non-breeding adult).
A breeding adult has a chocolate-brown head (not black, despite the name)!

The black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) belongs to the family Laridae. The body and wings are pale grey, with black tips on the primary wing feathers. The bill is red with a black tip, and the legs are also red. The “black” hood is lost in winter, leaving just a dark vertical streak or spot behind the eye.

In India, these birds are winter migratory. They feed mostly on aquatic insects. These gulls have a good spread across the world & currently not listed as threatened.

Image © sanjay_singhs photography

To my astonishment sighted a rare beauty from the Saxicola genus during my recent birding trip in Sultanpur flats in Haryana, India….

STOLICZKA’S BUSHCHAT (scientific name Saxicola Macrorhynchus)

Seen here perched on a Milkweed Crown plant, it is a very small (about 3 inches long), light weight bird with distinct long legs!

Its numbers are rapidly declining & is notified as vulnerable!

© sanjay_singhs photography

SIBERIAN STONECHAT (Saxicola maurus) .....

This picture is clicked in Sultanpur flats in Harayana, India & is of a male in breeding plumage!

Its scientific name means "dark rock-dweller". These birds are about 3-4 inches long!
The wintering range of the migratory bird is from southern Japan to Thailand and India, and west to northeast Africa. The Siberian stonechat is insectivorous! It breeds in open rough grassland with scattered shrubs!
These birds are fairly widespread & there are no documented threats to their existence so far, other than loss of habitat!

BREAKFAST TIME...

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra)!

It is a passerine bird in the bunting family! This is an unusual bunting because both the sexes appear similar in plumage. It is a bird of open country such as farmland and weedy wasteland!
It has declined greatly in north-west Europe due to intensive agriculture! It has recently become extinct in Ireland, where it was previously common!

Crested Lark clicked at Farrukhnagar farmlands, near Gurgaon!

Crested Lark (scientific name- Galerida cristata) is a species of lark distinguished from the other 81 species of lark by the crest of feathers that rise up in territorial or courtship displays and when singing! The crested lark is a songbird, and has a liquid, warbling song described onomatopoeically as a whee-whee-wheeoo!!

This species is threatened by agricultural intensification and over fertilization which results in overgrown vegetation in wastelands! Use of pesticides, afforestation & climate change too are affecting this species!!

Clicked this image of juvenile blackbucks playing in a farmland near Gurgaon!

Blackbuck is the only representative of genus antilope in India. It is extinct in almost entire world & now found mostly in India! It has been declared an endangered species! They can run upto 80 kmph!!

Due to extensive poaching and habitat loss, blackbuck populations have reduced drastically. Unplanned urbanisation is shrinking habitat of blackbucks!

The Red Poppy....

The small, fragile, brilliantly red poppy is probably the world's most popular wildflower! This treasured wildflower is very easy to grow. Almost any sunny spot is fine, and though it prefers neutral to alkaline soils, it it is quite adaptable.

This flowering plant is not the one used to make edible poppy seeds nor for making narcotics!

Clicked at Suwarna Jayanti Park, New Delhi! Another well maintained green park with several beautiful flowers!

Oriental Pratincole (Scientific name Glareola maldivarum) clicked near Gurgaon, Haryana!

These beautifully patterned & coloured birds are also known as the grasshopper bird since they feed on grasshoppers! They typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground. The Oriental Pratincole is a bird of open country, and they are often seen near water in the evening, hawking for insects!

It is a medium-sized shorebird, measuring 23 to 25 cm in length and weighing 60 to 100 grams. Both the sexes look alike. The breeding season of these oriental pratincole species in most of its range is from April to June. These birds are mostly seasonally monogamous.

Threats- Hunting pressure, habitat loss and degradation are the main threats that may endanger the survival of these pratincole species.

Sarus Crane (couple).... clicked at Rohtak, Haryana!

Sarus Cranes (scientific name Grus antigone) are the tallest flying birds in the world! It stands upto 1.6 meters high with a wingspan of upto 2.4 meters! Their number in India is declining & currently around 15k-20k!

It is a social creature, found mostly in pairs or small groups of 3-4. They are known to mate for life with a single partner. Its breeding season coincides with heavy rainfall in monsoon & nests are constructed on water in natural wetlands or in flooded paddy fields!

Threats- The main threat to the Sarus crane in India is habitat loss due to construction activities and degradation of the wetlands due to draining, pollution & conversion of land for agriculture!

Beautiful birds..... Red-rumped swallow clicked at a farm near Sultanpur, Haryana!

The Red-rumped swallow (scientific name-
Cecropis daurica) is a small passerine bird of the swallow family. They are resident birds in India and adapted well to the changing habitats! They have colonised many parts fo the world!

They are fast fliers and they swoop on insects while airborne. They have broad but pointed wings!

While clicking this photo, the birds sitting & swinging on a long twig of dried grass looked like they were in a surreal world!

Bird portrait..... Honey Buzzard (female) at a field near Rohtak, Haryana!

Honey Buzzards are birds of prey! The females are larger than males! The birds weigh around a kilogram, with wingspans in excess of 1 meter! They feed on bees & wasps!
The Honey Buzzard in the northern regions is migratory, arriving at the breeding grounds around April & leaving around October!

Degradation of habitats and felling trees are major threats to its survival!

Magic of nature... Golden light!

An early morning walk not only makes one healthier but also helps in seeing nature at its colourful best! The lovely golden rays of the Sun making everything warm & beautiful!

This bird is the Grey Francolin, clicked in a farm near Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary in Haryana! The golden light makes it glow at its best!
Grey Francolin (Species- Francolinus pondicerianus) is found in the plains and drier parts of South Asia. These birds are typically about a foot long! They run very swiftly & gracefully!

Sanjay Singhs Photography updated their info in the about section.

Art in nature....
Macro photograph of a butterfly!

This image was clicked in Delhi's Lodhi Garden! This is the Common Cerulean butterfly (scientific name Jamides Celeno)!
A walk in Lodhi Garden is a great stress buster and it is essential that such green spaces are preserved not only for humans, but also for the numerous small insects who play a critical role in our ecosystem!
Butterflies have been around for at least 50 million years and probably first evolved some 150 million years ago. They play a critical role in pollination & are widely used by ecologists as model organisms to study the impact of habitat loss and climate change.

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Nature Art....
Morning dew on a Shasta Daisy flower clicked at Nehru Park, New Delhi!

- Nehru Park is one the largest park of Delhi! It not only purifies the air but also offers beautiful stress free environment to enjoy nature!
- Shasta daisy, are the perfect, low maintenance perennial flowering plants for naturalizing and filling in bare spots in the landscape!
- Droplets of morning dew adoring any natural creation are like jewellery adorning them!