Indian Robin ( The Male)

Species : Saxicoloides fulicata
Family : Muscicapidae
Size : Slightly larger than sparrow

The Male Indian Robins are 15 cm (6 inches) long, glossy black with a white shoulder patch .Black plumage set off by a white shoulder patch and chestnut red under the root of the tail. Race cambaiensis of western India and erythrura of eastern India have the males with brown backs.It generally throws it's tail up over the back and never let it come down.Look the picture how the black colors shines in the bright sunlight.The bird is so beautiful to watch.This is the beauty of bird watching.This photograph is taken when the male is bringing food for feeding it's chicks.You can see the feed on it's beak.This is the beauty of nature to watch.

The Arboreal Bird

COPPERSMITH BARBET

Species: Megalaima haemacephala

Family: Megalaimidae

Size: Slightly larger than Sparrow

The Coppersmith is brightly coloured grass green bird with a black-bordered yellow face with black eye stripes, crimson red forecrown and throat patch. Bill stout and dark. Underparts yellowish-green, diffusely streaked with darker green. The sexes are alike. It is somewhat larger than a sparrow and about 17 cm. It is a plump bird, with a short neck and large head. The short, truncated tail is distinctively triangular in flight.

They are entirely arboreal bird and never descend to ground.The name barbet refers to the bristles or barbs fringing its heavy bill.

The call is a loud rather metallic tuk…tuk…tuk , reminiscent of a copper sheet being beaten, giving the bird its name. Repeated monotonously for long periods.While uttering them the bird bobs its head from side to side producing a curious ventriloquistic effect.

This is the wonder of Nature.Look the photograph of this bird.How beautiful it is.Bird watching keep you close to nature and you can feel the beauty through these beautiful winged wonders.

Born to be Free

Born to be Free

The nesting

Fig.Rufous tailed Finchlark with nest feeding the chicks

I usually go to the riverbed for bird watching.I followed this bird for seven days to locate it's nest.In the photograph above you can see how she has built the nest.It is under a big rock and under the base of a grass tuft.It is very difficult to locate it's nest.For taking this photo again I struggled a bit.As the bird is very shy going near to nest was not easy.So I used a shutter release and took this shot from a distance of around 20ft (I have only a 200 mm lens and Nikon F3 camera at that time).Though not a good shot the bird's behavior can easily be studied.The nest is built by the female only using pebbles and finally with soft materials.It is a great experience to watch the egg hatch, the chicks to grow and finally leaving the nest.This is the wonder of nature.I love watching this for hours and days.They are born to be free and fly in the sky at their own will.

RUFOUS-TAILED FINCH –LARK

Species : Ammomanes phoenicurus

Family : Alaudidae

Size : Larger than sparrow

This is a ground nesting bird with brown upperpart and brick colour under part.Black bands are present towards the tail.The plumage camouflages the bird exceedingly well against its habitat and it is hard to locate the bird when it is not in flight. The bird is found in open stony country side,dry riverbeds,open cultivated land and low rocky hills in India.

Fig.The Rufous tailed Finch lark

The amazing feature of this bird is the male’s mating song-flight display .It utters a sharp whistling sound very sweet to heard and is diagnostic of the bird.

Fire on the wings

SMALL MINIVET

Species : Pericrocotus cinnamomeus

Family : Corvidae

Size : Smaller than sparrow.

The Small Minivet is 16cm long with a strong dark beak and long wings. The male differs from most other common minivets by having grey, not glossy black, upper parts and head, and orange underparts, fading to yellow on the belly, orange tail edges, rump and wing patches.The female is grey above, with yellow underparts including the face, tail edges, rump and wing patches.

These birds are seen in garden , grooves and forest in flocks. Each flock is guided by the male from tree top to tree top. The male is followed mostly by female and young ones.The main food of this bird is insects and larvae.This minivet catches insects in trees by flycatching or while perched.

The nest is a cup-like structure of fibers like materials plastered with cob webs placed on the upper part of a branch at about 20ft or more from the ground.Female lays two to four spotted eggs and incubated for 12 to 15 days alone. Both sexes together raise the chicks.