Friday, April 23, 2010

Spring is in the air !

The Mahua trees add much colour and buzz to Kanha. The flowers attract many animals like these Chital, which find them nutritious and tasty?



Spring or late winter is also when nectar gathering by the Rock Bees is at it's peak..evident by this cluster of honey combs on this beautiful Red Silk Cotton tree, just outside Mukki gate. Why these Bees prefer specific trees nobody knows ?!



One of the most striking raptors, the Changeable Hawk Eagle..this one had such a prominent crest!


I managed to get this shot of him taking to flight..and the one below immediately after! Sometimes one gets lucky with such shots!







The beautiful Short Eared Owl! A winter visitor to Kanha..notice it's typical habitat..open grasslands..i saw it on Bamhni Dadar..the highest point of Kanha..an amazing spot for birding and sheer scenery!



Wild Boar Sows nursing young 'stripers'..a scene rarely witnessed!






An inquisitive Wild Boar staring at me..they are so well endowed in winters!



The striking Black Shouldered Kite hovering over the grasslands looking for prey!




I really like to observe interesting animal behaviour..and sometimes get lucky to capture it on camera! In this shot a Jungle Cat is dashing for cover!



Hotly pursued by a Pea-hen! Tables turned ?!!



Beautiful evening sky viewed from Bamhni Dadar.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Kanha in Winter!!

Spring is already in Kanha..but i thought i should begin with a few of my select pictures taken in Kanha this winter. You can double click on these pictures to get an enlarged view.



A Handsome Barasingha Stag...my favourite Deer


One beautiful winter morning in Kanha..i love to observe these delicate shafts of light..



Barasingha females..walking into the lovely Sondhar meadow; one of the best places in Kanha to see these elegant Deer




A herd of Sambar, which got chased into the Bishanpura waterhole by a pack of Dhole..



Whistling Teal or Tree Ducks



The rare Brown Wood Owl-so aptly named, as we can only find it in thickly wooded cover.



Roosting Brown Dusk Hawk Dragonflies (Zyxomma petiolatum)



A very special winter beauty-the Black Giant Wood Spider (Nephila kuhlii)



A curious 15 month old juvenile Tiger in Mukki!



A Barasingha Stag




Changeable Hawk Eagle feeding on a Coucal..which it had hunted in front of my eyes!




Common Stone Chat..a winter visitor to Kanha




Common Giant Wood Spider..preying on a Asiatic Blood-tail Dragonfly





Juvenile Peacock trying out it's skills!



Impressive Sambar Stag in it's best breeding condition



Am Back in cyber-space!

Hi..i was out of circulation for long now! A conspiracy of factors like a new personal computer (i fell for Kalyan's seduction to buy an Apple and took ages to get used to it!), ennui and not knowing where to begin again, kept me away! But there's one little chap who kept asking me to get back to my blog..Sujay! He missed it the most! I am back Sujay!!
He's got his own blog and it's amazing! Check it out: www.sujaychampati.blogspot.com