Behind the Lens

a blog every Friday on a specific species of animal or bird and stories of photos

Search for a specific species, genre or even a location or use the directory for a complete list of species I have photographed and written about till date.

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Black Kite/ Small Indian Kite/ Pariah Kite

The Black/ Small Indian/ Pariah Kite is a medium-sized, rather nondescript raptor with overall dark plumage. Varies considerably across range, but always note tail fork (can disappear when tail is fully open), and short head and neck. Their flight style is buoyant, gliding & changing direction with ease. Frequently forages in urban areas, rubbish dumps, aquatic habitats, and grassland, but usually avoids heavily forested areas. Sometimes solitary, but also gathers in large flocks on migration and at good feeding areas.

#wildartworks, #umamaheshwaram, #bhigwan, #jungle, #raptors, #wild, #forest, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #blackkite, #kite, #kumbhargaon,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Changeable Hawk-Eagle/ Crested Hawk-Eagle

A medium-sized eagle with massive rounded wings. It appears very small-headed in flight. Their name is misleading, as there are only really two color morphs, pale and black. The pale-morph adult is dark brown above with a white breast overlaid with dark streaks. While the dark morph is dark all over with paler outer wing feathers, and can be mistaken for dark Honey-Buzzards. They inhabit forests, forest edges, and expansive parks and plantations.

#wildartworks, #kabini, #tadoba, #TadobaTigerReserve, #jungle, #raptors, #wild, #forest, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography, #nilgiribiosphere, #nagarholetigerreserve, #kabinibackwaters, #tipeshwar, #tipeshwarwildlifesanctuary, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #changeablehawkeagle, #crestedhawkeagle, #eagle, #hawk, #tropicalraptor,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Crested Serpent Eagle

The crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela melanotis) is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. It is a rather large, heavily built eagle with a dark, white-tipped bushy crest that gives it a distinctive large-headed look. When raised in alarm, the crest frames the whole face, highlighting the bare yellow lores and eyes, making the head look larger and fiercer. Commonly seen perched upright in well-wooded areas, with wingtips nearly covering the broad white sub-terminal band on the tail. Its 1-3 note scream is often heard in the forest.

#wildartworks, #kabini, #jungle, #raptors, #wild, #forest, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography, #nilgiribiosphere, #nagarholetigerreserve, #kabinibackwaters, #tipeshwar, #tipeshwarwildlifesanctuary, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #crestedserpenteagle, #serpenteagle, #eagle, #hawk, #tropicalraptor,

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Marsh Tit

The marsh tit (Poecile palustris) is a passerine bird in the tit family Paridae and genus Poecile, closely related to the willow, Père David's and Songar tits. It is a plain tit with a grayish-brown body and contrasting black-and-white head pattern. Very similar to the Willow Tit and rather difficult to separate, but note the general lack of a prominent wing panel, smaller-headed appearance, and smaller, neater bib. These criteria, however, are generally more reliable in western European range than in Asian range. They inhabit deciduous woodland, older orchards, and gardens; sometimes visits bird feeders. Voice is diagnostic in western Europe, but much less so in Asia; song is a repetitive series of “chew” notes (essentially a slow trill) and calls include a bright “pitchu, pitchu” and “tsiptsip.”

#wildartworks, #Canon, #PromediagearTR424L, #Bird, #Birdsinwild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #exclusivewildlife, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #wildlifeseekers, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #Hokkaido, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #marshtit, #tit

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Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Bird Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Slaty-backed Forktail

The slaty-backed forktail (Enicurus schistaceus) is a species of forktail in the family Muscicapidae. A slim, medium-sized forktail, it is distinguished from similar species by its slate grey forehead, crown, and mantle. The only forktail in its range for which the adult has a gray back and crown; pattern is otherwise similar to that of Black-backed Forktail, which it overlaps partially in range. White on the head is restricted to a thick eyebrow that reaches behind the eye--instead of a full crown--giving it a more small-headed appearance than White-crowned and Spotted forktails. Like other forktails, prefers fast-flowing forested streams.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #doiinthanon, #thailand, #slatybackedforktail, #forktail, #doiinthanonnationalpark

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Archi & her cubs at Tipeshwar

More often than not, spotting a tiger, leave alone a tiger with cubs, is an exciting game of hide-and-seek with small clues sprinkled randomly all over the jungle – a strangely silent and deserted waterhole on a warm evening, a skittish sambar stomping his hoof for no obvious reason, a pug-mark across a recent jeep track, a nervous langur peering at a lantana bush – all pushing the adrenaline as you await a climactic encounter with the apex predator of the jungle. It does not matter where and how it happens, the moment is always mesmeric. Something beautiful and primal stirs within our dulled urban souls and it is virtually impossible to be unmoved by the up, close and very personal experience of meeting almost 220 kilos of majesty and raw muscle.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #trackingwildlife, #tipeshwar, #Mathani, #MathaniGate, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #archi, #architigress, #tipeshwartigers, #archicubs, #tipeshwartigercubs, #tigercubs, #7montholdtigercubs

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Archi - the Dhole chase at Tipeshwar

If you spend enough time in the forest, eventually, you will see an apex predator exhibit its fearsome skills and there is no better place than in central India with its numerous tiger sanctuaries of varying climes and terrain. This was one such thrilling event that unfolded at Tipeshwar, unexpectedly, before our eyes - the chase of some Dhole by the tigress Archi - to ensure the safety of her cubs.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #trackingwildlife, #tipeshwar, #Mathani, #MathaniGate, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #archi, #architigress, #tipeshwartigers, #tigerchasingwilddogs, #tigerhunt,

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Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Meadow queen of Maregaon

This is about my experience with the Meadow queen of Maregaon in Tipeshwar, also called the “4” Mark tigress because she has a huge “4“ beside her right eye. She is the daughter of the Budha Male and the Pilkhan female born in their litter of 3 in November 2013. Read on.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #canon, #tiger, #wildlife, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, @globalcapture, #maharashtra, #trackingwildlife, #tipeshwar, #Mathani, #MathaniGate, #pantheratigris, #scentmarking, #bengaltiger, #royalbengaltiger, #bigcats, #4MarkTigress, #4mark, #meadowqueenofmaregaon

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