The Osprey is a migratory raptor from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for prey like the fish. They are often found near shallow lakes and water bodies with high perches. The birds hunt once-twice and then rest most of the day maddeningly for us. Often it is a long wait to see it in action. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey.

This was shot in an estuary we visited early last year. The area was teeming with waders - 1000's of them. We were there during high tide and hence it was difficult to shoot many birds. The Osprey was resting on a small wooden log in the middle of the water and flew away as we approached it.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

An Eurasian wader and a winter migrant to India. They are quite common around shallow water bodies during the winters. We see them in small numbers of 3-4 here, often in the company of Sandpipers, Stints and Ruffs all wading in the shallow waterlogged fields or lake banks.

We were returning from our short exploration of a few tidal flats in the Godavari river when we sighted around 3-4 of these Redshanks flying between various banks. There were not many banks in this area and above those few, the Brahminy Kites and Black Kites were hovering and landing on the perches. After 2-3 moves between various spots, these waders flew away to another place behind the view.

Thank you very much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

Also known as Indian Scissor Bills, these are endangered birds that are found only in a few places in the country. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. These are one of the largest concentrations of the bird and the birds habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

A resident bird of the jungles and forests at higher altitude found in our neighbouring state. They were everywhere and unlike their common cousins, the common Myna, these birds are relatively quiet and mostly minding their own business. Somehow they are almost impossible to find in our home state.

We sighted several of them while returning from a boating trip. They were foraging in the flowering plants on the side of a country road. There was a huge family of them and many were at eye level though not at the best angle of light. These Mynas were flying to multiple bushes and finding the little insects and spiders and consuming them.

Thank you so much in advance for your views and feedback.

These are endangered birds that are found only in a few places in the country and much sought after by bird photographers. They are a bit like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. These are one of the largest concentrations of the bird and habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars of the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

A common bird around the waterbodies in our state, they are seen throughout the year hunting or drying their bodies and wings on perches near the water. All 3 cormorant species are found around us - including the Indian and Little Cormorant.

This was shot during a boating trip on the backwaters of river godavari at the point where it converges into the sea. There is a huge mangrove forest which we covered throat a boat trip. The forest hosts some amazing diversity. We couldn't get much of that, but sighted this Cormorant with this eel catch. It flew allmost a km to eat this and finally managed to get this in. The eel is a difficult thing to swallow I suppose and it resisted the cormorant quite a bit.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback Much appreciated.

These beautiful barbets are resident birds endemic to India and around the forests are often heard easily rather than seen. They have a very loud call heard above everything else in the forests.

This one was shot in a forest overlooking a temple on the edge of a hill. There were maybe 3-4 of these around and the calls filled up the air. Maybe the loudest one is the winner, so this one was checking it out. It surveyed the area briefly and then started to call. There is a month or less for their breeding season so activity is slowly growing and the birds are easily visible try to find their partners. The haze / fog is still around and that is a challenge to shoot though.

The perches were fantastic that day and the forest was so lush and green that it is a literal feast to the eyes. The light is getting better and February promises to be an exciting month.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback Much appreciated.

Large slow moving, migratory raptors from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for fish.

This was shot in an estuary we visited during Jan 2024 - we sighted around 3 of them on perches like this. Since it was a low tide, we couldn't get near them without the risk of boat getting stuck in the sand. But the birds were quite active and hunting - diving into the water. The sky was terribly overcast and the water rocky, so we had to leave fast. The Ospreys flew over the mangroves and settled there on the top.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

One of the many Plovers that are found on the coasts of India and are highly confusing to id. This was a lifer for me that morning.

Shot on a sandbank where there were 100's of the endangered Skimmers - -this was flying around and I managed to grab 1-2 shots from a difficult prone position.The area had a huge population of Lesser and Greater Sand Plovers - I am not 100% sure of the exact differences between them except for the size - this is the bigger of the two visibly.

This is a small bird - 20-25 cms and found across the costs of South Asia, Australia, South East Asia where it winters after migrating from Central Asia and parts of Siberia. The birds hunt marine worms, crustaceans, insects using a run and pause technique unlike the steady probing technique shown by other waders. There were 100's of these in the banks along with several other plovers and being small, were hard to get a decent shot from close.

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

We travelled 2.5 hours on the sea / estuary to Hope Island hoping to see a wide variety of waders which are usually found there in winters. But this trip - we got nothing except a few gulls. So we spent shooting the creatures that were right near our feet - the Red Ghost Crabs.

These are such a delightful crab species - shy and sticking close to their sandy burrow. The color is so beautiful and the beach turns red with their numbers - there were literally 1000's of them in the beach. These are a member of the subfamily Ocypodinae and found on the tropical and subtropical beaches around the world. There are several colors, usually drab brown, but these ones are a delightful red. They are edible, but due to their small size are not fished either by birds or humans in this location. But apparently eaten in other places in the country.

The crabs make small round balls - usually 2-3 mm in diameter from their mouths. They collect small amounts of sand and suck out the organic matter - and then throw out a sandy ball onto the beach. I must have seen a billion such small balls on the deserted beach there. This particular crab - I am not sure if it is blind - it didn't run away from us, but continued to collect sand while the 100/1000's of its kind disappeared into the sand.

Apparently, fishermen use it as a weather guide per a reliable article from Roundglass. If these crabs venture far away from their sandy burrows, then its a calm sea. If they stick close, then its likely rough seas!

Many thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

Also known as Indian Scissor Bills, these are endangered birds that are found only in a few places in the country. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. These are one of the largest concentrations of the bird and the birds habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

Migratory raptors from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for prey like the fish.

This was shot in the lagoon we visited two weeks ago - we sighted around 3 of them on perches like this. Since it was a low tide, we couldn't get near them without the risk of boat getting stuck in the sand. But the birds were quite active and hunting with a few dives as well. The sky was terribly overcast and the water rocky, so we had to leave fast. The Ospreys flew over the mangroves and settled there on the top.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback.

Rare and endangered birds found only in a few places across the country. Sightings are prized by bird lovers and photographers. They behave like terns both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These birds are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. This was one of the largest concentrations of the bird.

Habitat degradation such as fishing, transportation, irrigation schemes etc.. are the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars of the rivers on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well. Feral dogs, crows and other predators are known to decimate breeding colonies.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

Also known as Indian Scissor Bills, these are endangered birds that are found only in a few places in the country. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them.

The birds habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

Thank you Angharad for the wonderful testimonial.

The Brahminy Kite is a colorful medium sized raptor found pretty much everywhere along the coasts of India - though in varying frequency. This is an immature male based on the plumage. There were about 4-5 of them, all of them sitting on perches like this around 10 feet from each other in an estuary on the Godavari river.

These kites were just resting after continuously harassing the small waders for a while. But then, an army of House Crows which were feeding on the crustaceans left over on the sandbars during the low tide didn't like the presence of these kites. So they continually mobbed them together. 4-5 crows mobbed each Brahminy kite at a time and in a span of 15-20 mins all four kites flew away. The Kites briefly fought back, but it was each Kite for himself - the other kites didn't budge when their friend was mobbed. The crows though joined hands and fought the Kite - the groupism was so stark!

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

A colorful medium sized raptor found pretty much across the country - though in varying frequency. This is a male based on the colorful plumage and it was sitting atop this floating tree in a lagoon on the Godavari river. There were a good number of Brahminy kites everywhere.

We visited the lagoon to sight the rare Indian Skimmers (which we got wonderfully) during the morning low tide. Several sandbars were exposed and water depth was around 2 feet. We walked in the water for a few kilometers looking for the Skimmers which were flying all around and settled on a sandbar on the far side. The exposed sandbars resulted in crustaceans and small fish being left out in the shallow pools which attracted a variety of waders. There were maybe 2000-3000 birds of several kinds (6 lifers) - all were busy foraging on the ground.

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

Rare and endangered birds found only in a few places across the country. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These birds are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors. These are also known as Indian Scissor Bills.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. This was one of the largest concentrations of the bird. Habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

Thanks so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves. Much appreciated.

A colorful medium sized raptor found pretty much everywhere along the coasts across the country - though in varying frequency. This is an immature male I think based on the plumage. There were about 4-5 of them, all of them sitting on perches like this around 10 feet from each other in a lagoon on the Godavari river.

These kites were just resting after continuously harassing the small waders for a while. But then, an army of House Crows which were feeding on the crustaceans left over on the sandbar during the low tide didn't like the presence of these kites. So they continually mobbed them. 4-5 crows together mobbed each Brahminy kite at a time and in a span of 15-20 mins all of 4 of the kites flew away. The Kites briefly fought back, but it was each Kite for himself - the other kites didn't budge when their friend was mobbed. The crows though joined hands and fought the Kite - the groupism was so stark!

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

Also known as Indian Scissor Bills, these are rare and endangered birds found only in a few places across the country. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are much larger around 40-45 cms. These birds are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are easy to miss from afar due to their similarities to terns.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. Here is one which was lucky to have caught a Prawn or Shrimp - not sure which one. It consumed it in mid air almost immediately. And unlike the Terns, they do not toss their prey in the air - I am sure how they manage to get the prey head first into the mouths though.

Habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

A resident common kingfisher often found near ponds, lakes and canals. Its often sighted hovering or flying above the water and then diving to catch some small fish. They are always sighted in pairs and the pair are sexually dimorphic. A Black Breast band separates the male from the female. We sighted a pair on the mangrove banks foraging in the shallow waters.

I find this bird difficult to shoot due to the black and white plumage which makes it hard to get good detail. I have spotted it many times and shot it flying several times, but not many shots are satisfactory.

Many thanks for your views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

A colorful medium sized raptor found pretty much everywhere along the coasts across the country - though in varying frequency. This is an immature male I think based on the plumage. There were about 4-5 of them, all of them sitting on perches like this around 10 feet from each other in a lagoon on the Godavari river.

These - there were 3 of them - kites were just resting after continuously harassing the small waders for a while. They found this broken stump on the banks and perched on them. The wind was strong and they had some challenge balancing on them. But then, an army of House Crows which were feeding on the crustaceans left over on the sandbar during the low tide didn't like the presence of these kites. So they continually mobbed them. 4-5 crows together mobbed each Brahminy kite at a time and in a span of 15-20 mins all of 4 of the kites flew away.

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

A beautiful kingfisher predominantly found in the mangrove habitats around coastal regions and along estuaries and rivers. This is also one of the few migratory kingfishers in the country. The bird is seen much of the year except during the rainy season where it disappears and is thought to migrate south for the breeding season.

The bird is quite distinctive in its appearance with a black cap, purple wings and reddish beak. This Kingfisher is usually observed on a perch like this - or an open branch extending onto the water from where it dives into the water to catch fish or sometimes insects. This behaviour is quite different from the Stork Billed Kingfisher or Collared Kingfisher both of which perch inside the trees on branches making them hard to sight many times.

We sighted this bird on the banks of Godavari river, though we couldn't get closer much to my disappointment due to the low tide. The morning low tide exposed the banks due to which the boat had to maintain distance.

Thank you very much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

These are resident waders about 15-18 cm tall and found across South Asia and South East Asia near the edges of water bodies throughout the year. These are social birds and often found in large flocks - sometimes 100's of them. They prefer the wet slippery mud near water bodies to rest and flock together.

The birds were nesting on the tidal flats in the estuaries of River Godavari - one of the largest rivers of South India. In here, these pratincoles, River Terns, Blue Tailed Bee Eaters, Curlews, Ruddy Turnstones were all having their day. Unfortunately, it was quite a cloudy and windy day too - so we didn't have much luck with most of the birds there.

Thank you so much in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

The Osprey is a migratory raptor from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for prey like the fish. They are often found near shallow lakes and water bodies with high perches. The birds hunt once-twice and then rest most of the day maddeningly for us. Often it is a long wait to see it in action. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey.

This was shot in an estuary we visited last month. The area was teeming with waders - 1000's of them. We were there during high tide and hence it was difficult to shoot many birds. The Osprey was resting on a small wooden log in the middle of the water and flew away as we approached it.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

Large slow moving, migratory raptors from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for fish.

This was shot in an estuary we visited during Jan 2024 - we sighted around 3 of them on perches like this. Since it was a low tide, we couldn't get near them without the risk of boat getting stuck in the sand. The birds were active and hunting - diving into the water. The sky was terribly overcast and the water rocky, so we had to leave fast. The Ospreys flew far away in their hunt - we could see them from a distance, but too far for photography.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

A colorful medium sized raptor found pretty much everywhere along the coasts across the country - though in varying frequency. This is an immature male I think based on the plumage. There were about 4-5 of them, all of them sitting on perches like this around 10 feet from each other in a lagoon on the Godavari river.

These kites were just resting after continuously harassing the small waders for a while. But then, an army of House Crows which were feeding on the crustaceans left over on the sandbar during the low tide didn't like the presence of these kites. So they continually mobbed them. 4-5 crows together mobbed each Brahminy kite at a time and in a span of 15-20 mins all of 4 of the kites flew away. The Kites briefly fought back, but it was each Kite for himself - the other kites didn't budge when their friend was mobbed. The crows though joined hands and fought the Kite - the groupism was so stark!

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

Also known as Mangrove Heron, this is a small heron maybe about 40-45 cms tall. They are resident birds of the country found usually around streams, wetlands and mangroves sighted often on the banks or shallow waters hunting small reptiles, fish or crustaceans.

The bird is usually found solitary unlike the other herons which are often seen in small numbers. In the Mangroves of Andhra Pradesh, they were sighted in good numbers (always solitary) on the banks of the Godavari river. This one was hot in the small streams that were crisscrossing the mangrove forest. The birds tend to sit still for a while then suddenly make a move and grab a fish. We saw a good number of them, but then the very tight passage way and lots of tree meant that I couldn't get many shots.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

A resident woodpecker found in woody areas across the country. Its a medium sized woodpecker and known for its loud calls. These birds are mostly seen in pairs with male and female going around together often foraging on the same tree.

We sighted this in a coconut plantation and as we driving on the dirt road next to the plantation, spotted 3 of them foraging on the trees around us. I wasn't aware that woodpeckers forage on coconut trees so this was a first to me. The area had lots of Parakeets and several trees had hollows that they occupied. I think the woodpeckers would have made those as the Parakeets cannot make them. We suspected the presence of Owlets too, but didn't sight any.

Thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

The reservoir - a very large water body of one of the biggest rivers in India (GodavarI) was full of life. We went there to shoot the very rare Indian Skimmers, but the place was teeming with activity during the low tide. There were close to 80 species of birds - though most were in quite unfriendly photographics places.

The gulls were near the waters edge which had lots of small fish that were jumping out of the water. And there was competition between the gulls, terns, skimmers and cormorants.

The Brown headed gull is an asiatic bird that is found on the coasts and near lakes within 100-150 km inland all the way from Pakistan to China. The birds were slowly moving from one sand bank to another and also hunting in the shallow waters and hunting fish.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

One of the many Plovers that are found on the coasts of India and are highly confusing to id. .

Shot on a tidal flat, there were dozen's of waders, I think all of them Lesser Sand Plovers judging by their size. I am not 100% sure of the exact differences between them except for the size - this is the smaller one.

This is a small bird - 20-25 cms and found across the costs of South Asia, Australia, South East Asia where it winters after migrating from Central Asia and parts of Siberia. The birds hunt marine worms, crustaceans, insects using a run and pause technique unlike the steady probing technique shown by other waders. There were 100's of these in the mudflats along with several other plovers and being small, were hard to get a decent shot from close.

Thank you so much in advance for your views, feedback and faves.

Migratory raptors from Central Asia that dot large lakes and the coasts in the country during winters. Interestingly, some don't go back and we speculate that they maybe too old to make that journey. They are often seen competing with the local birds like the crows, Brahminy Kites and Black Kites for prey like the fish.

This was shot in the lagoon we visited during Q4 last year - we sighted around 3 of them on perches like this. Since it was a low tide, we couldn't get near them without the risk of boat getting stuck in the sand. But the birds were quite active and hunting with a few dives as well. The sky was terribly overcast and the water rocky, so we had to leave fast. The Ospreys flew over the mangroves and settled there on the top.

Thanks in advance for your views, faves and feedback - much appreciated.

A medium sized plover and a migratory shorebird that winters in India. This is a remarkably long distance plover that breeds in Siberia and Alaska and migrates widely across the pacific ocean.

While not a lifer, this is the second time I have seen it and much closer too. The bird is around 25 cms long with a wingspan of around 60 cms. While this is a shorebird, it mostly feeds inland far from the waters edge preferring open spaces with small patches of vegetation. The birds always are seen in flocks - often 4-5 to 20-30.

We sighted this on a small tidal sand flat with an even small patch of vegetation. The day was cloudy and a cyclone was forecast, so the beaches were rough and the place terribly windy. After an hour's boat ride, we managed good shots of only 2 birds in that rough weather.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback.

Also known as Indian Scissor Bills, these are rare and endangered birds found only in a few places across the country. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These birds are mainly found in rivers and estuaries and are impossible to miss due to their bright orange, white and black colors.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. This was one of the largest concentrations of the bird. Habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

A widely distributed tern found around the coasts of Europe, Africa, Asia and part of Americas. This is a fairly large and strong tern compared to the other terns around 33-40 cms long and with a ~90 cms wingspan. They look a bit like other terns, but are easy to identify due to their large size.

They are often seen diving in the water and flying quite high compared to the other terns. They are one of the few terns (I know of) that have a broad diet. They hunt flying insects over water, or even hunt over wet fields to grab small mammals and amphibians.

I sighted them before on the coasts of Goa and once or twice much inland around a lake. The birds are tough subjects to shoot given their all white plumage and a tendency to fly high. Luckily, the mangroves behind helped me get a decent shot.

Thank you very much for the views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

Shot in mangrove forest from a boat. The Common Kingfisher caught a fish and landed on this perch pretty close to us. She realized the closeness and within 5 seconds flew away. The fish was still struggling in the beak of the Kingfisher.

These are resident Kingfishers quite common in the countryside. During a birding trip last week, we visited a large mangrove forest in search of the Black Capped Kingfisher - which we sighted- but couldn't get any shots of the bird. Instead had to settle for this one. The weather played spoilsport and the haze made it an unproductive trip.

Thank you very much in advance for your views, faves and feedback. Much appreciated.

A common medium sized bird of prey found in a large numbers in cities and near coasts in India. This is the most common raptor and one we cannot miss. They are thought to be most abundant species of Accipitridae. The birds are opportunistic hunters and we see them scavenging road kills, near garbage dumps, or chasing other birds like Grey Herons, Egrets and other birds and stealing their prey / food.

While returning from the sea where we spent several hours island hopping in the very cloudy weather, we sighted several birds in the harbour and there were a couple of kites that were hunting. An Intermediate Egret plucked this fish out of the water and landed on a nearby submerged tree . But then this Kite chased the Egret in a highly dramatic fashion and grabbed the fish from its mouth and flew off. I was too close to the action, but managed to grab a few shots like this.

Many thanks in advance for all your views and feedback.

Apparently, the largest tern in the world around 48-60 cms long with a wingspan of around 130-140 cms. Quite a big bird in reality. Terns are confusing to id for me, but this one was quite easy due to its size. This was a lifer to me. The tern is quite widespread and found on the coasts of Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America.

I sighted it in the estuary of Godavari river which was teeming with activity during the low tide. A large number of Indian Skimmers, variety of plovers, few species of terns, Curlews and other waders were resting on a small sandbar just about 1-2 feet wide, but around 20 feet long. The tern flew several times to find some space to land and finally found it. But it couldn't enjoy that space since the tide rose and less than 30 minutes later the sandbar was almost inundated with the water.

The behaviour of Caspian Tern is quite like any other tern and during my short stay near the sandbar couldn't id any distinguishing feature (I am sure there is though). It hunts fish and hovers in the air before diving.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

A common medium sized bird of prey found in a large numbers in cities and near coasts in India. This is the most common raptor and one we cannot miss. They are thought to be most abundant species of Accipitridae. The birds are opportunistic hunters and we see them scavenging road kills, near garbage dumps, or chasing other birds like Grey Herons, Egrets and other birds and stealing their prey / food.

While returning from the sea we spent several hours island hopping in the cloudy weather, where we sighted several birds in the harbour and there were a couple of kites that were hunting. An Intermediate Egret plucked this fish out of the water and landed on a nearby submerged tree . But then this Kite chased the Egret in a highly dramatic fashion and grabbed the fish from its mouth and flew off. I was too close to the action, but managed to grab a few shots like this.

Many thanks in advance for all your views and feedback.

Indian Skimmers rare and endangered birds found only in a few places across the country and the population is thought to in low numbers. They are somewhat like terns and behave like them both in flight and roosting behaviour, but are larger around 40-45 cms. These birds are mainly found in rivers and estuaries usually resting on the sandbanks or tidal flats.

The distinctive feature is the bill, with a long lower mandible and a short upper mandible. The birds skim on the water with their beaks open and grab fish, shrimp and other crustaceans and larvae. They are a delight to watch and we were lucky to sight around 300+ of them and spent an hour on the mossy wet ground shooting them. This was one of the largest concentrations of the bird. Habitat degradation is the main reason for their endangered status. The colonies lie in the sandbars on the estuaries making them very hard to protect as well.

Many thanks in advance for your views and feedback. Much appreciated.

ghar pe bol ke aye ho kya? Whatever might be the language but you might have heard this kind of shouting when you suddenly come across a vehicle by mistake. Or you might have shouted on some body when they run across your vehicle.

I was on the over bridge taking this shot and I heard train coming from the other side. Immediately I was gearing up for the right moment to shoot. Mean while I saw this girl so immersed in her doings next to railway track. I was little worried and I did hear the train driver honking multiple times. But this girl did not respond. I was little worried and at the last moment I clicked and moved on. How much you might be busy but can't one hear train honking also?

While reviewing the photos on the computer, there I saw the driver shouting at the girl / signaling her. Reminded me my 6 months stay at Mumbai during initial days of my career. There trains and life next to train tracks are just like that. Life goes on.

Large view

Kakinada, India.

Kites are considered auspicious.

The distinctly rusty red and white plumaged Red Backed Sea Eagle (aka Brahminy Kite) is revered as a messenger of the gods in most eastern cultures.

In Hindu mythology it's called the Garuda, the sacred vehicle of Lord Vishnu.

In the spirit of ornithology and science, birders in India are trying to weed out references to castes in the names of the birds in India.

The American Ornithological Society is pursuing similar efforts to replace age old racial tropes from the names of the birds in North America.

This kite soars over mudflats and beaches and deftly hunts for fish above the surface of the water.

By the Bhairavapalem mudflats, near Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India.

The Indian Skimmer is an endangered species.

By the Bhairavapalem mudflats, near Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India.

This is one of the very few skimming shots I snagged. Acquired skill, direction of wind, gentle sun light presented at the right angle, ebb of the tide, and large numbers of birds apart, the way the actual location is situated can make it easy to predict where the birds perform their skimming shows; one can then be prepared to capture the action.

This location has all of the above, except that the area where they can skim is large; it's not easy to predict where they will dive to skim. Ideally I'd wish for a small pond of still water next to their roosting place, without being challenged by the expanse of the location, for capturing the skim shots; Or in other words, I want the moon... LOL. It wasn't a bad trip. Quick, but tiring.

The Sec'bad-Kakinda train trip in 1st A/C was most enjoyable. There's an Indian Railways mobile app similar to Swiggy/Zomato that let's you order your meal ahead based on your train journey's PNR number. Thank you, Mrs and Mr.JBS, of Kanuru Agraharam Sri Sai Temple, my fellow passengers visiting from the US, for educating me and for the delightful conversation throughout! I will never go hungry again on a train journey in India. What a very small world!

On the return train journey, I was way too tired, so just crashed and had to be woken up when my station arrived. My co-passenger in the coupe - seemed like a man of importance, given the number of people coming to check on his comfort and well being - wasn't too keen on striking up a conversation either.

Loved the company of my passionate birding friend Raja Chenna.

Many thanks to another passionate friend Abdul Raheem for planning the whole trip. Very sorry you could not make it, Raheem Bhai! Much obliged to Drjagan Pannala, R Eswar Kumar and Sriram Reddy for your invaluable advice and timely assistance when I called upon you, in preparation for the trip.

By the way, did you know this trivia?

What's a group of skimmers called? A "folk of skimmers"!

Gear : Nikon Z9; 600mm f/4 TC Z lens;

EXIF : Focal length: 840mm, Aperture f/5.6, ISO 400, SS: 1/1250s

>> “My Duty is like that of a helmsman who must steer safely the boat - the Fatherland - through storms and take people to the shores of happiness"

- Ho Chi Minh

Shot At: Uppada Beach, Kakinada, AP, India.

Explore highest : 7 :) thanku guys

From Srikanth Mannepuri at the BC Royal Museum Wildlife Photographer Exhibition

Mannepuri was shocked to see so many recently caught marlin and sailfish in a single place, in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. To demonstrate the scale of the fish market, he used a drone to get a bird’s-eye view. Globally, 85% of fish stocks are overexploited by humans

Crossing from opposite side was Kakinada-Manmad exp with ED WAP4 #22224 at 489km near EE.

Krupa Ratnam. 2007-07-21.

BZA WAM4 pullin up Kakinada-Tirupathi passenger.

Krupa Ratnam. 2007-07-21.

GY WDM-3D 11350 chugging off to depart from Vijayawada junction with 57258 Kakinada port - Tirupati Passenger...