BONNE ANNÉE

Waking up the neighborhood

Most of us tend to wake up to the sudden invasion of ear splitting noise from our alarm clocks; more often than not also simultaneously getting our blood pressures shooting up through the roof.

Not so long ago; I had to travel to a very noisy city; Hyderabad (India) on work for a few days and was dreading the prospect of sleeping to the noise of traffic and oh yeah!! Loud people. I was actually very pleasantly surprised at the sounds that woke me up every morning. The song birds would begin their concert promptly at 0530 in the morning (pretty unearthly time for most people but then I've always been an early morning person!). The prinias, Sunbirds, doves and bulbuls singing made for such a pleasant contrast to the usual morning alarm that I actually started to waken much earlier just to hear the birds sing. Oh yeah! this early and pleasant start meant that the rest of the day was mostly pleasant too. Here are some of my feathered friends. Looking forward to renewing my acquaintances soon.

Purple Rumped Sunbird

Purple Rumped Sunbird

Purple Rumped Sunbird courting

Male Sunbird

Purple Sunbird

Purple Sunbird

Plain Prinia

Common Dove

Red Vented Bulbul

Glen Campbell - Both sides now

The original was composed by Joni Mitchell and the version I've heard and liked was sung by Glenn Campbell.
So here goes....
Bows and flows of angel hair,
and ice cream castles in the air,
and feathered canyons everywhere,
I've looked at clouds that way,
but now they only block the sun.
They rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done,
but clouds got in my way.


I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
from up and down, and still somehow,
it's clouds illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds...at all.


Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels, the dizzy dancing way you feel
as every fairy tale comes real; I've looked at love that way.
But now it's just another show. You leave 'em laughing when you go
and if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.


I've looked at love from both sides now,
from give and take, and still somehow
it's love's illusions I recall.
I really don't know love at all.


Tears and fears and feeling proud, to say "I love you" right out loud,
dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way.
But now old friends are acting strange, they shake their heads,
they say I've changed.
Something's lost but something's gained in living every day.


I've looked at life from both sides now,
from win and lose, and still somehow
it's life's illusions I recall.
I really don't know life at all.

The Grey Pelican

The Spot-billed Pelican or Grey Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) is a member of the pelican family. It breeds in southern Asia from southern Pakistan across India east to Indonesia. It is a bird of large inland and coastal waters, especially large lakes. At a distance they are difficult to differentiate from other pelicans in the region although it is smaller but at close range the spots on the upper mandible, the lack of bright colours and the greyer plumage are distinctive. In some areas these birds nest in large colonies close to human habitations.

The Spot-billed Pelican is a relatively small pelican but still a large bird. It is 125–152 cm (49–60 in) long and a weight of 4.1–6 kg (9-13.2 lbs). It is mainly white, with a grey crest, hindneck and a brownish tail. The feathers on the hind neck are curly and form a greyish nape crest. The pouch is pink to purplish and has large pale spots, and is also spotted on the sides of the upper mandible. The tip of the bill (or nail) is yellow to orange. In breeding plumage, the skin at the base of the beak is dark and the orbital patch is pink. In flight they look not unlike the Dalmatian Pelican but the tertials and inner secondaries are darker and a pale band runs along the greater coverts. The tail is rounder.
The newly hatched young are covered in white down. They then moult into a greyish speckled plumage.
The spots on the bill appear only after a year. The full adult breeding plumage appears in their third year.

The species is found to breed only in peninsular India, Sri Lanka and in Cambodia. A few birds from India are known to winter in the Gangetic plains but reports of its presence in many other parts of the region such as the Maldives, Pakistan and Bangladesh has been questioned. The main habitat is in shallow lowland fresh waters. The Spot-billed Pelican is not migratory but are known to make local movements and are more widely distributed in the non-breeding season.  

They are very silent although at their nests they can make hisses, grunts or snap their bills. Some early descriptions of nesting colonies have claimed them to be distinctive in their silence but most have noted colonies as noisy.
Like most other pelicans, it catches fish in its huge bill pouch while swimming at the surface. Unlike the Great White Pelican it does not form large feeding flocks and is usually found to fish singly or in small flocks. Groups may however sometimes line up and drive fish towards the shallows. When flying to their roosts or feeding areas, small groups fly in formation with steady flapping. During the hot part of the day, they often soar on thermals.
The birds nest in colonies and the nest is a thick platform of twigs placed on a low tree. The breeding season varies from October to May. These are usually built alongside other colonial waterbirds, particularly Painted Storks. Three to four chalky white eggs is the usual clutch. The eggs become dirty with age. Eggs hatch in about 30–33 days. The young stay in the nest for nearly five months. In captivity the young are able to breed after two years. Like other pelicans, they cool themselves using gular fluttering and panting.

Hebbal Lake - Bangalore

Its been a long time since we had gone out and adding to that was the arrival of the new lens; so late on Saturday night we decided on a quick trip to the Hebbal Lake; since Sunday was also reserved for the weekly household chores. So there we were at Hebbal at 07:30am (It is worth getting there an hour earlier; cause we missed out almost all the fishing action!)

Sunday early morning also means that the drive is extremely pleasant and relaxing. The entry to the park is free and so is the parking. Most important - You are free from the usual madding crowd of picnickers; which means that there is silence reigning.

Here are a few of the shots taken with the new Sigma 150-500. Comments/feedback welcome!! 

Enjoy!!!

Water Lilly

Water Lilly Cluster

Red Backed Sea Eagle in Flight

Spotted Billed Ducks

Dragon Fly

Moorhen

 Moorhen doing some stretching

Smooth Slient Grace - Words that describe a Pelican's Flight

Great Cormorant in Flight

Great Cormorant on the water

Purple Heron Lands

Long and Silent Vigil

Sandpiper and Wagtail in a conversation

Wagtail probably did not like what the Sandpiper said

Intermediate/ Yellowbilled Egret

Intermediate/ Yellowbilled Egret

Intermediate/ Yellowbilled Egret

Pond Heron coming in for a landing

Pond Heron in Flight