January 2010 - Tarique Sani

Rann of Kutch: Day 1 – Arrival

Steppe Eagle in Banni Grasslands — Steppe Eagle, Aquila nipalensis

This time I kept a daily journal of our trip and I am reproducing it here as it was written without any changes…

21st Jan, 2010: We started from home at 7:50am, a wee bit late by my estimate but Swati was cool with it so I did not say anything. Flight was on time, Security people did not question too much about the Camera gear we were carrying.

We had a 3-hour layover at Mumbai, while on the customary “browse the bookstore” round I found a new book by Richard Bach “Hypnotizing Maria” – more on that book perhaps in a separate post later. The flight to Bhuj was delayed by an hour. As we came into land at Bhuj, Aasim remarked, “Looks like we are landing in middle of no where!” We got out of the aircraft to the thundering sound of fighter jets on low flying sorties. The Indian Air Force shares the Bhuj airport. Continue reading Rann of Kutch: Day 1 – Arrival

Bird list from Kutch visit, 21st Jan 2010 to 28th Jan 2010

Am sure I have missed some larks and warblers which I just didn’t care to note and a few waders which I could not identify. The thing I am most thrilled about is having 37 lifers

Grey Francolin Francolinus pondicerianus
Black Francolin Francolinus francolinus – Lifer
Yellow-legged Buttonquail Turnix tanki
Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus
Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica
Gadwall Anas strepera
Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha
Common Teal Anas crecca
Garganey Anas querquedula
Northern Pintail Anas acuta
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata
Yellow-crowned Woodpecker Dendrocopus mahrattensis
Common Hoopoe Upupa epops
Indian Roller Coracias benghalensis
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis Read the complete list of 160

Eurasian Wryneck – A woodpecker which is unlike any…

A woodpecker unlike any other - Eurasian Wryneck — Eurasian Wryneck

Eurasian Wrynecks are somewhat uncommon in Nagpur. They are winter visitors to India and till very recently I did not know that they are actually woodpeckers because they are unlike any other woodpeckers. Continue reading to find out more and a video of why they are called Wrynecks

My first photo of 2010

Banzai!!! - Explored — Banzai!! A Black-winged kite launches for an attack

I just realized that this was the first photo that I took in 2010. We were on our regular morning walk and the roads were pretty much deserted. This particular fellow we have been tracking since it was a juvenile just out of the nest. Usually raptors are very camera shy but this individual I would like to think knows us and likes to pose 😉

This photo also made it to Flickr explore on 6th Jan 2010

Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)

The Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus) or outside Asia, African Monarch, is a common butterfly which is widespread in Asia and Africa. It belongs to the Danainae (“Milkweed butterflies”) subfamily of the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae.

It is believed to be one of the first butterflies to be used in art. A 3500 year old Egyptian fresco in Luxor features the oldest illustration of this species.

The Plain Tiger can be considered the archetypical danaine of India. Accordingly, this species has been studied with in greater detail than other members of its subfamily occurring in India.

See an earlier post on Striped Tiger (Danaus genutia)

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danaus_chrysippus