Oriental Pratincole

Common name : Oriental Pratincole, large Indian Pratincole
Scientific Name: Glareola maldivarum

The Oriental Pratincole is a beautiful looking  tern-like shorebird with long, pointed wings  and a forked tail.It is a medium-sized bird measuring 25 cm and weighs approximately 75 g. The sexes are alike, with seasonal variation, and juveniles are easily identifed.During breeding season adults have a dark olive-brown crown and nape, paler olive buff on the neck, dark olive-brown back and upper rump The ear coverts are pale creamy buff, and are separated from the chin and throat by a black  line which runs down from below the eye to encircle the throat and separate it from the upper breast,  the underpart is white.The bill is black with a red gape and base of  lower mandible, the eyes are dark brown, and the legs and feet are brownish black.
The species is generally gregarious, occurring in small to large flocks.Oriental Pratincoles eat insects, including dragonflies, cicadas, beetles, moths, ants, termites, locusts, grasshoppers,  flies, bees and wasps, they also eat flying insects.The species usually feeds aerially. The above photograph s taken at the Mahanadi Reservoir in Sambalpur, Odisha, India.

Plani Prinia Feeding

The above photographs are showing the Plain Prinia parents feeding the chicks.I managed to locate the nest inside a bush at about 2 ft from ground.Observed it for almost 15 days. By the time the bird get comfortable with my presence. I waited and watched the bird feeding the chicks entire day.Finally got some feeding shots.You can clearly see the bird holding a grasshopper and feeding it to the chicks.The chicks are voracious feeders.They eat almost 3 to 5 times of their body weight.The parents keep the nest clean by clearing the droppings inside the nest.After 12 days of hatching finally the chicks left the nest.This is the beauty of nature and beauty of bird watching.Yhis photograph is taken with a 200 mm lens with Nikon F3 camera.

Asian Paradise Fly catcher, The nesting

Nesting Season of Asian Paradise flycatcher is generally June to August i.e the rainy season.It may be due to availability of more flying insects during this period.

The nest is conical in shape and just the size of a tea cup.It is found hanging from a tip of a small and thin branch of a tree generally at a height of 8ft to 15ft from the ground. The nest is woven with fine grasses and fibers.The outer wall of nest is plastered with cob webs and spider egg shells. It is observed that the female alone built the nest.The female generally lays four numbers of pale pink colour eggs with blotches of reddish brown.In some cases three eggs are also found. Incubation takes nearly 18 days and both the parent incubate the eggs alternately.The nestling period is around 10 to 12 days.The chicks are raised by both the parents.

It is quite thrilling to watch the parents feeding the nestlings.I observed it very close to the nest.The photograph is taken by my pretty old Nikon 801 camera with a 200 mm lens.Watching nature so close is a rare experience to share.Enjoy the bird Watching.