They have ultra-violet vision!

Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)

A fact that I learnt today about this species today is that are able to see near ultraviolet light, allowing the birds to detect the urine trails around rodent burrows as they shine in an ultraviolet colour in the sunlight.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Kestrel

Oriental White-eye – 2

Oriental White-eye foraging on a bottle brush tree
Oriental White-eye foraging on a bottle brush tree

There is always a better shot 😉

Oriental Pratincole

Oriental Pratincole in flight over Makardokda Lake
Oriental Pratincole in flight over Makardokda Lake

The Oriental Pratincole (Glareola maldivarum), also known as the Grasshopper-Bird or Swallow-Plover is a wader in the pratincole family, Glareolidae.

Their most unusual feature of the pratincoles is that although classed as waders they typically hunt their insect prey on the wing like swallows, although they can also feed on the ground.

Black Redstart

Black Redstart - male
Black Redstart - male

Till very recently I did not know about the sub-species of Black Redstart. The sub-species we get is Phoenicurus ochruros rufiventris. Seen in Turkmenistan eastwards through Pamir and Alay Mountains to Himalaya and is a widespread winter visitor to the rest of Indian plians

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Redstart

Oriental White-eye

Oriental White-eye foraging on a bottle brush tree
Oriental White-eye foraging on a bottle brush tree

The Oriental White-eye, Zosterops palpebrosus, is a small passerine bird. They are easily identified by the distinctive white eye-ring and overall yellowish upperparts. Several populations of this widespread species are named subspecies and some have distinctive variations in the extent and shades of yellows in their plumage.About eleven subspecies are well recognized.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_White-eye

Long-crested Ealge, Juvenile

Long-crested Eagle - Juvenile
Long-crested Eagle - Juvenile

When I first saw this bird I was reminded of the Changelable Hawk Eagle…

New!!

Rufous Treepie - Dendrocitta vagabunda
Rufous Treepie - Dendrocitta vagabunda

In the morning it looked like there will be no sun on the new years day but by afternoon the skies cleared out and I could go out for a walk! Happy new 2012 to everyone

Our guests from Mangolia

Bar-headed geese
Bar-headed geese

For 4 years in a row, the same female with NU band has been turning up from Mangolia in a Lake near Nagpur – read the complete story by Tarun Balpande at https://www.migrantwatch.in/blog/2011/12/03/female-bar-headed-goose-nu-four-years-in-a-row/

In a tight turn

Green bee-eater, Merops orientalis in flight..
Green bee-eater, Merops orientalis in flight..

Green bee-eater is a very agile flyer, unless gliding it is very hard to capture them sharp details. Took about 45 mins and 200 shots to get this one…

European Roller

European Roller
European Roller

European Roller, Coracias garrulus is a long distance migrant and at times a few straggler can even reach up to Nagpur. This individual was however taken on our recent trip to Kutch, Gujarat.