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Monday, December 26, 2011

Pallid Harrier - young male

This handsome bird is a young male Pallid Harrier. As an adult, this bird would show a very different coloring(whitish-grey). They are winter migrants to parts of Europe and Asia, especially India.

pallid harrier male
A young male Pallid Harrier sits on his mound amongst the dry grasslands of Bangalore


Common Name: Pallid Harrier
Scientific Name: Circus macrourus
Location: Bangalore, India
Camera: Canon EOS 20D
Lens: Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS
Exif: F6.3, 1/2500, ISO-400

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Eurasian Marsh Harrier - male

Finally got my chance to get a decent image of this species.
The Eurasian marsh harriers like all the other harriers are winter visitors to Bangalore and are amongst the first to arrive. The males are usually a lot more skittish in comparison to the females. The image below is that of the male. Females are darker, almost chocolaty brown in colour with a lighter colored head.

male eurasian marsh harrierA male Eurasian Marsh Harrier in evening light, Bangalore

Canon EOS 20D + Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS, 1/500sec, F4, ISO-800

BTW I recently upgraded to my dream lens, the Canon EF 600mm F4 L IS and for those who've not met me, this is me: :D

Canon EF 600mm F4 L ISAngad Achappa Photography

All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Monday, December 5, 2011

Indian Roller

Indian Roller, Coracias benghalensis:
While quite a common and colorful bird, not many people know that the Indian Roller is also the State Bird of Karnataka. It was formerly called Blue Jay. They are usually seen perched on trees and electric wires along roads and also in open grasslands. It is a 26-27cm stocky bird. They mainly feed on insects such as beetles, grasshoppers and crickets.
The Indian Roller is easily distinguished from the migratory European Roller, the former has a brown breast while the latter has a blue breast.

Indian RollerIndian Roller

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Monday, November 28, 2011

Cattle Egret - Artistic maybe? :P

A little birding after quite some time. :) Here is one image that i quite liked, it isn't the usual stuff, and many may not even like it. Other images to follow soon.

cattle egret
Cattle Egret amongst grass


All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Yellow-wattled Lapwing with chick

An image made quite sometime back. The lapwing chicks have such awesome camouflage that it is nearly impossible to spot them in dry grass.
The Yellow-wattled Lapwing is a brown colored wader with a very distinct yellow colored wattle on its face. They are extremely territorial and are know to even try and attack humans when close to their chicks.

yellow wattled lapwing with chickYellow Wattled Lapwing with chick

Canon EOS 400D
Sigma 135-400mm
Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve


All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Friday, October 28, 2011

Eurasian Spoonbill - B&W

This photograph was taken in Jan at Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary.

While these spoonbills are quite a common sight here, as soon as i saw this particular bird emerge after a dip in the, i knew it was only a matter of seconds before it started ruffling. Harsh sunlight on the bird gave me the opportunity to expose for the whites on the bird and get a nice underexposed background.

Hope you like the image. Do click on the image to view it large (Looks much better) :)

eaurasian spoonbill
Eurasian Spoonbill ruffling

Exif: Canon EOS 20D, Sigma 50-500mm, 1/1000sec, F7.1, ISO-200, Ev -1 , shot from a tourist filled moving boat. Converted to B&W using Photoshop CS3.


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in
any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Jungle Bush Quail

Sorry for the delay in posting. While I had initially planned out a few trips and lots of birding for the month of October/November, i regret to say that i am STUCK AT HOME! :( Yes, stuck at home as I'm down with Typhoid

Thought of sharing this image made last year of a male Jungle Bush Quail

jungle bush quail maleMale Jungle Bush Quail

The male is very easily distinguishable from the female, as the male has heavily barred underparts. Jungle bush quails mainly feed on seeds, especially of grasses and once in a while feed on insects.

Location: Daroji Bear Sanctuary
Camera: Nikon D3S
Lens: AF VR Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Small Green barbet / White-cheeked Barbet

Come September - mid-October and the trees around my workplace are usually busy with bird activity, especially barbets. Its quite easy to spot them as the males have a very loud mating call which is constant during the afternoons.

One can easily see them in pairs or even three of them together(as i quite often happen to see) during this period of the year.

Unlike the Brown-headed Barbet, this species is mainly found in South India and has a broad white cheek stripe below the eye which distinguishes it from the former.

small green barbet or white-cheeked barbetSmall Green Barbet / White-cheeked Barbet

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Eurashian Marsh Harrier - female

Was going through my archives when i found some decent images of the Female Eurasian Marsh Harrier.

The marsh harriers prefer wetlands or marshy areas, especially those rich in common reed. Migratory as they are, the come down to India during winters around September-October and remain until March after which they head back to their homeland.
Marsh harriers feed on small birds, amphibians, fish and small mammals. On some occasions they have been known to hunt larger birds such as flamingos.

I quite liked this setting where the brown colored bird was sitting amongs the dried up reeds and some scorched patches of grass.

female marsh harrier
female marsh harrierFemale Marsh Harrier



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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Greater Spotted Eagle - Nictitating Membrane

In this image, you can see the nictitating membrane covering the eye of the Greater Spotted Eagle. The nictitating membrane is usually a transparent or translucent membrane that moves horizontally over the birds eye to clear dirt in the eyes and also to moisture them.

Greater Spotted Eagle nictitating membrane displayNictitating membrane displayed over the eye of a Greater Spotted Eagle


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Tawny-bellied Babbler

These guys are very-VERY skittish, and was quite a challenge getting them, or maybe im not yet experienced at photographing them. :D


tawny bellied babbler or tawny-bellied babblerTawny-bellied Babbler


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Black Wood Spider

A short trip to Somanhalli Lake on Kanakpura Road, and i ended up with this image. I never expected myself to be shooting spiders at 500mm!! :)

The light was poor, and all the muck after the rains wasn't helping either. I then came across this spider. Since the sun was behind the subject i thought of using a flash for fill-in, but at the last moment changed my mind and decided to get a little creative. Hope you liked the image.

giant wood spider against the lightBlack Wood Spider


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Difference between Adult and Juvenile Egyptian Vultures

I had a lovely day shooting Egyptian Vultures with my friends Sameer & Vinay.

In this post you can see the stark difference between the adult and juvenile Egyptian Vultures.

adult and juvenile egyptian vultureJuvenile(Left) and Adult(right) Egyptian Vultures


egyptian vulture in flightEgyptian vulture in flight



juvenile egyptian vulture in flightJuvenile egyptian vulture in flight


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Thursday, September 1, 2011

The common raptor - Pariah Kite

One of the most common raptors, these birds have taken to scavenging and stealing food instead of actually making a kill. A bird that i really LOVE!! :)

Pariah Kite

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Friday, August 26, 2011

Shikra - Accipiter badius

shikraShikra

The Shikra is a small-sized raptor often found within cities. I have often seen them feeding on Rock Pigeons and smaller birds found around my house. This one here i think is a Juvenile or Immature Shikra.

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Friday, August 19, 2011

Common Kingfisher with fish

I had always seen images of kingfishers with fish in their beaks and admired them. Finally after quite a long wait, i have managed to get atleast a decent image of a small blue / common kingfisher with a fish. Hope to better this soon!! :)

small blue kingfisher or common kingfisher with fishSmall Blue / Common Kingfisher with fish


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Monday, August 8, 2011

Daroji Bear Sanctuary - Heaven for sloth bears

sunset over watchtower at daroji bear sanctuaryThe Watch Tower at Sunset

Daroji Bear sanctuary is a must for any of you sloth bear lovers. A short drive from Bangalore, this sanctuary is situated very close to the popular tourist destination Hampi. A trip inside the sanctuary costs a very nominal fee, but provides some lovely fauna sighting opportunities. P.S. if asking for directions, ask the locals for 'Karadi Dhama' and not 'Daroji'. :D

sloth bear at daroji bear sanctuarySloth Bear at Daroji Bear Sanctuary

Unlike most of the usual sanctuary's, the best time to visit Daroji is late afternoon, when the bears come out for feeding.

sloth bear at daroji bear sanctuaryTeddy bear with claws :)

One can if lucky sight female bears with cubs, and in some cases the mother carrying the cubs on her back. Sadly i never got to see this.

sloth bear with cubSloth Bear with Cub

Daroji is also home to other fauna such as leopard, hyena, mongooses and the elusive and rare pangolin.

sloth bear at daroji bear sanctuaryStanding tall

sloth bear at daroji bear sanctuarySloth bear

sloth bear at daroji bear sanctuaryOn the Rocks

sloth bear at daroji bear sanctuaryAn image i always wanted

Even bird life is quite spectacular here, with pretty good sightings of painted spurfowls, jungle bush quails, painted francolins and yellow-throated bulbuls. Peafowl are present in large numbers.

painted spurfowlMale Painted Spurfowl with female in the background

daroji bear sanctuaryA view from our tower


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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sloth Bear with Cub

sloth bear with cubA sloth bear with her cub

This image was taken at Daroji Bear Sanctuary, Karnataka.

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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Sloth Bear at Hampi

A must visit for all you bear lovers!! :)

Sloth Bear at Daroji Bear Sancturay



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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Purple Swamphen in Action!!

Purple Swamphen in Action
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Purple Swamphen
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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Monday, July 25, 2011

Purple Swamphen

A lazy Sunday and i had to get up around 4:30 AM. Set off for a short birding trip with a few friends. Managed to get a few images of Purple Swamp Hen along with her chick.

Tried my hand at a little Macro Photography. Borrowed Rahul's Canon EF 100mm F/2.8L IS USM Macro lens and shot few spiders... :D

You can view the other images HERE.


Purple Swamphen with chick


Jumping Spider


A frog camouflages in the surroundings
(ID of this frog would be appreciated)


House Fly?


Do let me know which image was your favorite & why in the comments section.
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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form, website or print/online media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com

Monday, July 4, 2011

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Mysore - July 2011

spot billed pelicans at ranganathittuSpot-billed Pelicans at Ranganathittu

It was 5:30 AM and i was all set to leave for Sameer's place. We'd decided to leave for Kokarebellur at 6AM. It took some convincing to get him to take out the car instead of the bike(after recovering from fever, the last thing i wanted was to get drenched in rain in the middle of nowhere!!), and so began our journey. On the way we spotted a couple of eagles(couldn't ID) and a Greater Coucal perched on a stone slab a few feet away from us.

marsh crocodile at ranganathittuMarsh Crocodile basking

Kokarebellur is 12km off the Bangalore-Mysore highway. We were quite delighted to see the human-bird bond in this village. The villagers have more or less adopted the birds(painted storks & spot-billed pelicans). While the were in good numbers and not camera-shy, we decided not to photograph here because of all the man made structures around and instead head to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.

juvenile painted storks at ranganathittuJuvenile Painted Storks

We reached Ranganathittu around 9:30AM. The weather thankfully was favorable(no rain & no harsh sunlight). On reaching the sanctuary came our first disappointment. The fees for a boat ride(if your want it exclusively for yourself) had been increased to Rs. 1000/-, which i think is quite steep considering the fact that its ONLY a 30min ride!

juvenile painted stork and marsh crocodileA juvenile Painted Storks looks on as a Marsh Crocodile basks next to it.

We took the normal boat rides, with the other tourists. Thankfully they weren't the usual loudmouths who end up at this place. The water levels were quite high owing to the recent rains. The first boat ride had the usual birds i.e. Painted Storks, Asian Open-bills, Herons, etc. While we did get a few decent images, we weren't quite happy with the results and decided to take another ride.

juvenile painted storkJuvenile Painted Storks

After a short drive to the ATM in a nearby village and a decent lunch we went for our second boat ride. This ride yielded a nice little surprise in the form of a Smooth-coated Otter. My first otter sighting. We ended up seeing the otter thrice over a period of time. Sadly no images as the otter was quite skittish. The number of muggers we spotted was good too. Quite a few of them were basking. Sameer spotted an Indian Roller, which was a first for me at Ranganathittu.

marsh crocodile ranganathittuA Juv. Painted Stork & Black-headed Ibis decide to leave their spot as a Marsh Crocodile comes up to bask. A typical tourist-filled boat can be seen in the background.

At one point i saw a pair of Cattle Egret chicks trying to push the third chick out of their nest, something id only seen on TV before.

marsh crocodile basking at ranganathittuAn adult Marsh Crocodile basking in the sun.

I did however notice this one lady who continued dipping her hand in the water even after the boatman's repeated warnings.

tourist dipping hand inside crocodile infested water at ranganathittuA tourist dips her hand in the crocodile infested waters.

The two species we would like to photograph here are the Stork-billed Kingfisher and the Grey-headed Fish Eagle.

Some more images from this trip:

two marsh crocodiles baskingTwo Marsh Crocodiles basking


juvenile painted storksJuvenile Painted Storks


asian openbill storkAsian-openbill Stork taking-off


purple heronPurple Heron


juvenile painted storkJuvenile Painted Stork in flight

All images taken hand-held from a rocking boat in Manual/AV mode using a Canon EOS 20D & Sigma 135-400mm.

Do let me know which image was your favorite & why in the comments section.
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All Images are Copyrighted Angad Achappa and may not be used in any form,website or print media without written permission of the Photographer. For any inquiry for the photographs please contact: angadachappaphotography@hotmail.com