Birds of Hyderabad

This is my first field testing of my 600mm F4 lens.  After 6 years of using my 300mm f2.8 I am trying to get used to this monster 😉

What could be a better place to try out the same than a morning trip to Ameenpur lake. I was told Flamingos were flocking in dozens. Though to our disappointment the lake was full to its brim and there were no flamingos.

 We started the morning with a common kingfisher




Ameenpur is the best place to shoot a kingfisher as the reeds are the same height as your tripod. In comparison this was my earlier Common Kingfisher shot from Ameenpur with my 300mm F2.8 couple of years back. Leave it for you to decide which one is better 😊



 Next saw a common coot walk on water..




A greenish warbler



A purple sunbird female









A little cormorant....




and a Grey heron in light


...and in the morning mist



A few more from the Gandipet lake area.

Green Bee-eater




snugged together in a wintry morning



Chasing a bee (may be !!)




Coppersmith barbet



Lesser Whitethroat ( a lifer for me) and a winter visitor to India, not commonly seen in Hyderabad.



Red rumped swallow



Indian Golden Oriole



A visit to Icrisat over the easter weekend was productive.

An Indian darter on a tree



An intermediate egret



Little stints in flight




Indian thick knee or Indian Stone Curlew



A red-naped Ibis




Birding among tea gardens in Munnar

While staying at the Club Mahindra resorts, Munnar for a family vacation during Oct we did some birding in and around the property. The location was among tea gardens and had a lovely view





Most of the birding was during morning walks. The first one was an Indian Yellow Tit just outside of our balcony




A while later a Vernal hanging parrot dropping it's food... oops !!


The first lifer was a Hill Swallow ( Hirundo (tahitica) Domicola) again similar to the Pacific swallow found only in the Nilgiri belt and Sri Lanka




A juvenile Blue rock thrush female ( ID To be confirmed)




and another lifer, the Nilgiri Flowerpecker!! It is now treated as a separate species than Plain flower pecker






While we went for a day long trip to Chinnar wildlife sanctuary the timing as well as the availability of wildlife was a disappointment. We just spotted a wild elephant and a  Grey-backed shrike.



Good to see a few lifers. Not an exhaustive birding trip though I understand that Munnar has good potential.