Archaeological Museum, Lothal

The Archaeological Museum at Lothal was setup in 1976. In the museum it displays artifacts recovered from the excavation conducted from 1952 to 1961. 

It showcases beads, terracotta ornaments, shell and ivory objects, copper and bronze objects, tools and potteries yielded from excavations. There are about 800 objects are on display in the museum.

Sadly photography is not allowed inside the museum. Outside the museum there is a tree and there I spotted a new bird that I had not seen before.

Redstart at Gir

In Gir Sanctuary went for Safari in an open jeep and we could see some birds flying around. We spotted the Redstart in open areas of the forest.

The adult male has overall dark grey to black on the upper parts and a black breast. The lower rump and tail are orange-red, and tail feathers dark red-brown.They have bright orange-red tails. The wings are blackish-grey.

They are rarely seen on the ground. They are usually seen on the trees.

Red Vented Bulbul at Coonoor

In Sim's Park of Coonoor among the various plants and trees one can also see a lot of birds. During tour of the park we also spotted many birds and one such bird is Red Vented Bulbul.

Their body is dark brown with a scaly pattern while the head is darker or black. 

The rump is white while the vent is red. The black tail is tipped in white. 

Coot at Jakkur Lake, Bangalore

At Jakkur Lake in north Bangalore you can come across many colorful birds. One of them is Coot.

Coots are small water birds. They have predominantly black plumage with red to dark red eyes and colored bills.

Birds of Jakkur Lake - 9, Bangalore

Jakkur Lake in north Bangalore you can come across many colorful birds. 

Here is glimpse some of the water birds of different species.

Indian Roller on the Highways

While travelling on the highway from Bangalore to Mangalore one can see beautiful bird perched on the electric wires by the side of the road. One such colorful bird is Indian Roller.

It is a stocky bird. The breast is brownish where as the crown and vent are blue. The primaries are deep purplish blue with a tail that is sky blue with a terminal band of Prussian blue and the central feathers are dull green.

The neck and throat are purplish lilac with white streaks. The bare patch around the eye is ochre in color. They have a long and compressed bill with a curved upper edge and a hooked tip.

These birds can be seen perched along roadside trees and wires. They can also be seen in open grassland and scrub forest habitats. 

Birds of Hebbal Lake - 17, Bangalore

Glimpses of birds at Hebbal Lake in north Bangalore.

Red-necked Ibis at Talkad

We came across many birds during our visit to Talkad. We spotted many birds around the temple in this small village. One of them is Red-necked Ibis.

It is a medium sized bird, measuring 60-70 cm in length. It has bright reddish warts on the crown and the nape. It is a black bird with a patch of white near the shoulder. 

These birds inhabit grasslands, meadows, marshes, riverbeds and irrigated farmland. They build nest in trees.

Eurasian curlew at Bhitarkanika

In Bhitarkanika National Park we  hired a boat and cruised in the lake. Event it is off season we wanted to try our luck to spot some birds. One of them is Eurasian curlew.

It is one of the largest wader that is 50–60 cm in length. This is a greyish brown bird with a white back and greyish-blue legs. It is a very long curved bill. 

It feeds by probing soft mud for small invertebrates. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, and can be seen across Europe and Asia. 

Birds in Bhitarkanika

Bhitarkanika National Park is home for many common as well as rare birds. We spotted few common birds while going in a boat ride in the river.

Red-necked Ibis at Diu

During our visit to Diu, we came across many colorful birds. We could spot some birds near the beaches. One such beautiful bird is Red-necked Ibis.

It is a medium sized bird, measuring 60-70 cm in length. It has bright reddish warts on the crown and the nape. It is a black bird with a patch of white near the shoulder. The bills and legs are grey but turn reddish during the breeding season.

These birds inhabit grasslands, meadows, marshes, riverbeds and irrigated farmland. They build nest in trees. They mostly feed on frogs, fish, worms, insects, small reptiles. 

Common Kingfisher at Usgalimal

When we were in Usgalimal to visit the Rock Engravings we came across Common Kingfisher.

It is a small bird, measuring 25-35 cm in length with a wingspan of 25 cm. These birds have bright plumage and have compact body, short tails, large heads and long bills. The upper-parts of this beautiful bird are greenish blue and the back and the rump are pale sky-blue. 

On the throat and the nape it has a whitish patch. It has rufous patches at the base of the bill and ear region. It has greenish blue neck strip while the breast, abdomen and rest of the underparts are rufous. 

Their main diet is mostly fish. It also feeds on aquatic insects, flies, dragonfly nymphs, butterflies. 

Indian Peahen at Gir

In Gir Sanctuary went for Safari in an open jeep and we could see some birds flying around. We spotted the Indian Peahen in open areas of the forest.

It has a mixture of dull grey, brown, and green in the plumage.  It has brownish upperparts while underparts, lower breast and belly, are whitish. 

The flight feathers are darker brown. The neck is glossy green whereas the breast is dark brown with green gloss.  On the head, it has glossy green forehead and crown, with the same form of crest but greenish at tip. The bare skin of the face is white.

Bank Myna at Patan

When we were in Patan to visit the ancient Rani-Ki-Vav we could spot several common birds in the vicinity. One of them is Bank Myna.

This bird identified by the grey body, black hooded head and the bare brick red patch behind the eye. The upper plumage is slaty grey while the underside is lighter grey. The legs are yellow while the iris is deep red. 

It is found in northern parts of South Asia. They inhabit mainly in the vicinity of open water and cultivated farmland.

Black-headed Ibis at Ponda

During our trip to Ponda, we could spot some birds  in a field filled with water and one of them is Black-headed Ibis.

They have white-plumage with some greyer areas on the wings. The bald head, the neck and legs are black. The thick down curved bill is dusky black. 

Their diet is fish, frogs and other water creatures, as well as on insects.

It can be seen walking around on marshy land probing with its bill into soft mud and shallow water.

Birds of Jakkur Lake - 8, Bangalore

Jakkur Lake in north Bangalore you can come across some colourful birds.  Here is glimpse some of the birds.

Birds at GKVK Campus, Bangalore

The GKVK campus on Airport Road near Hebbal in Bangalore is one of the lesser known hot spots for the birds. This campus belongs to University of Agriculture Sciences. This is spread over a vast agricultural land of 1100 acres.

I had visited this place with my friend recently and could spot few birds.

Birds in Neighbourhood - 24

I get to see variety of birds in the back yard of my parents house in Udupi. I have captured few of them in my camera and here they are. One such beautiful bird is male Brahminy Kite.

It is a medium sized bird that measures 45 to 50 cm in length and weighs 400 to 700 grams. The wingspan is 110 to 125 cm. The adult has chestnut back, wings and belly and a contrasting white head and breast.

It is mostly seen in coastal plains, rivers, lakes, swamps, marshes, reservoirs, rice fields and urban areas.

They feed mainly on dead fish, crabs and carrion. They also catch and feed on live preys such as small birds, reptiles and fish. 

Black-headed Ibis at Sangam

During our trip to Mysore, we also visited Sangam.  We could spot some birds here and one of them is Black-headed Ibis.

They have white-plumage with some greyer areas on the wings. The bald head, the neck and legs are black. The thick down curved bill is dusky yellow. 

Their diet is fish, frogs and other water creatures, as well as on insects. 

It can be seen walking around on marshy land probing with its bill into soft mud and shallow water.

Birds of Jakkur Lake - 7, Bangalore

Jakkur Lake in north Bangalore you can come across some colourful birds. 

Here is glimpse some of the birds.