Indian Vulture........ Soaring.......

`~ Gyps indicus ...followed by a Black Kite.....~'

Went to Ramnagar near Bangalore, superb rocky area.Some of the sightings were wonderfull. Saw some black kites following the vultures, some juveniles practicing their flying skills.


But the best part was looking at these beauties soaring right above us while we were resting on top of a hillock.

Elliot's forest lizard (Calotes ellioti)

Elliot's forest lizard (Calotes ellioti) is endemic to western Ghats. This is an Arboreal lizard. It has dorsal keeled scales and black angular mark on the side.

In breeding season the male changes its colouration, it is somewhat blackish in colour with patches.

Grey Francolins roosting (Francolinus pondicerianus)

Grey Francolins roosting (Francolinus pondicerianus)


When i started birdwatching, I use to wonder whether these birds can ever sit on a tree like most of the others do? Although I got the answer but never saw them roosting. Early morning in State Forestry College campus , Coimbatore, we went for searching Slender Loris with AJT Johnsing Sir and came across this roosintg group. It was a superb experience.

Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)

Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura)

Short - nosed fruit bat

Short - nosed fruit bat

They live in small colonies. Their diurnal roosts generally consist of shed of large surface trees, like palm, and even man made structures made of natural resources ex. huts. Diet generally consists of fruits, flowers, etc.

Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis)

Bengal Monitor (Varanus bengalensis)

The Formadible Lizard. There are stories which say people use to climb forts using Monitors !!!! But these lizards have really very powerfull claws. Their diet consists of small mammals, lizards, snakes, birds, eggs, etc.
Sad part is that they are hunted for meat and as most of the other wildlife, for "medicinal properties".

Indian Rock Python (Python molurus)

Indian Rock Python

(Python molurus)
It is an amazing experience to see these massive creatures while swimming.

The another one on the move, is around 9 feet and really massive.

Diving flying fox

Diving flying fox (Taken in low light), these beautiful bats just touch the surface of water and wet the fur, then just hang in their upside down position, then due to gravitational force the water starts driping downwards and they just enjoy drinking with their fur. sometimes they directly dive with open mouth.

Cinnamon Bittern (Ixobrychus cinnamomeus)

Cinnamon Bittern
(Ixobrychus cinnamomeus)

Collared Scops Owl (Otus bakkamoena)

Collared Scops Owl
(Otus bakkamoena)

A bird with very well Camouflage. When it closes it's eyes, the bird completely merges with the bark of the tree. Very mysterious bird.

Termite Hill gecko (Hemidactylus triedrus)

Termite Hill gecko
(Hemidactylus triedrus)

This is a beautiful gecko. Nocturnal and terrestrial in nature. Mainly found in open region and scrublands. Diet mainly consits of termites, beetles, etc.

Golden Backed Ant (Camponotus sericeus)

Golden Backed Ant
(Camponotus sericeus)
The golden part is really shiny. In this species the major workers measure around 8-10 mm, median 5-7 mm.

On mountains they build chimney like nests to prevent water from rushing in, on flat lands the nest openings are on level with ground layer.

In evergreen forest they nest in soil under leaf litter.

Red pierrot

Red pierrot (Talicada nyseus)


A mating pair of Red pierrot (Talicada nyseus) .

Pheasant tailed jacana

Took this photo of Pheasant tailed jacana (breeding plumage)from Ambazhari lake

Clear-winged Forest Glory

Beautiful Damselfly, a Clear-winged Forest Glory (Vestalis gracilis) from Indira Gandhi National Park Anamalais. This damselfly has briliant colours. In sunlight the body colouration is like mettalic/ shining green, in shade it's a bit less shiny. The wings look clear/transparent but at particular angle you can see a bluish shade on the wings.

Six spotted tiger beetle

Six spotted tiger beetle
(Anthia sexguttata)
A Six spotted tiger beetle (Anthia sexguttata) feeding on a dead Squirrel. These beetles are highly active. As they are always on move, it's really hard to photograph one. They have large mandibles (Insight: Closeup) This was a nice chance to have a close look at it and to capture this moment.

Nilgiri Tahr

Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius)

A male Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) with classic 'saddleback' marking.

Some of the fawns are trying out their play fights.


Female Tahr Close up.
These photos are taken on the way to Valparai (Anamalais Western Ghats)T.N. Sighted in all 13 Tahrs.

Common Vine Snake

Vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta)

A bright green, slender and gracefull snake, the Vine snake (Ahaetulla nasuta). It has Large eyes and long slender snout. The most beautiful thing are their Pupils, they are horizontal, the pupil forms a horizontal slit. They are mostly found in bushes and trees. They feed on lizards, some reports of tadpoles also.They are diurnal in nature. Threat display consist of flattened body with wide open mouth. This beautiful snake is mildly venomous and has rear fangs.

Malabar Flying Frog

Malabar FLYING Frog (Racophorus malabaricus)from Top Slip (Anamalai range, Western Ghats)

Superb leaf green coloured frog with yellow-reddish webbed feet. The females are larger than males.
The most remarkable habit of this is that they GLIDE from trees, it's superb..

To spawn, female usually choose a sight where the leaves are hanging over a water body. Then she lays eggs and male fertilizes them and whip up a FOAM like substance that covers the eggs, Hence the nest is called as FOAM nest.

Then female gather leaves close to the nest and encloses them in leaves. As foam dries up the leaves get glued to each other. The tadpoles emerge from the eggs and then drop in the water pool below and the life cycle moves forward......

Raptor Chase - Short toed Snake Eagle !

Here is a collage of a raptor story. Me and Kaustubh went for a drive on besa road and saw a Short toed Snake Eagle with a Snake in it's claws ; but what happened after that was really not expected, a pair of Drongo came and started chasing the Eagle, the STS Eagle use to fly away from them and while doing so it use to try to keep the hold on snake and take some meat pieces. The drongos kept harassing the eagle and atlast the Eagle dropped the snake and flew away. Really determined Drongos !!!!!

Vulturous Mayna !!!!!!

Is it Miniature Vulture ??????

No ! At first sight it looks so, but its Juvenile Mayna which is bald.

The reason for baldness is unclear. It was with other mynas which were looking normal.

The habitat of Indian Long billed Vulture (Gyps indicus)
Six were sighted in Navegaon Forest Range (Maharashtra).
These birds are scavengers and thus are depended upon the Natural cycle of Life and death of living organisms. Such sightings are becoming rarer and rarer
These are the cleaners of our environment and are in serious trouble these days

The scarcity of carcasses and drugs administered to cattle are some of the major problems for Vultures. There is scarcity of cattle carcasses due to utilization of dead cattle for various purposes including human consumption. Drugs administered to cattle are found to be a cause of vulture decline. The vulture numbers have declined very rapidly.

Wooly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus)

Saw a pair of Wooly-necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus) near borgaon. I tried approaching them slowly. After sometime i was very close to them and was able to enjoy their activities and photograph them.