Behind the lens

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

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

Hawfinch

The Hawfinch is a unique, chunky finch sporting a massive bill (steely gray in summer, pinkish in winter), blue-gray hindneck, like a shawl on an orangey head. Despite its distinctive appearance, it is shy and easily overlooked. It favours mixed & deciduous mature woodland, especially with beech, oak, & hornbeam, where it tends to feed and perch quietly, high in the canopy. It also feeds on the ground in autumn and winter, sometimes forming single-species flocks.

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#wildartworks, #Canon, #PromediagearTR424L, #Bird, #Birdsinwild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #exclusivewildlife, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #wildlifeseekers, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #Hokkaido, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @globalcapture, #hawfinch, #finch,

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

Sambhar

The Sambhar (Rusa unicolor) are a large deer species native to the Indian subcontinent, South China & SE Asia listed as a Vulnerable Species on the IUCN Red List since 2008. Sambar have many subspecies which vary in size and appearance, and it is known as the largest Oriental deer with some adult males reaching 550kg in weight. Their populations have declined substantially due to severe hunting, local insurgency, and industrial exploitation of habitat.

Sambar have a thick coat of long, coarse hair which forms a dense mane around the neck, especially in males. The males can be distinguished by their antlers, as well as being slightly larger and darker than females and young. The name is also spelled Sambur, Sambhar or Sambhur.

#wildartworks, #wildlifephotography, #kabini, #Wildlife, #nagarholetigerreserve, #nilgiribiosphere, #nagarhole, #kabinibackwaters, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #tipeshwar, #pench, #deer, #Rusaunicolor, #Tadoba, #tadobaandharitigerreserve, #penchnationalpark, #pench, #sambar, #sambhar, #sambur, #sambhur,

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

Bluethroat

The Bluethroat is a beautiful thrush-like bird that tends to stay hidden. A dull gray above, but a head-on view reveals a stunning pattern of electric blue and orange on the throat with some variation in pattern across range. Females show fainter colors than males, sometimes lacking blue entirely, but are still very boldly patterned. They have a variable song including imitations of other species among a jumble of trills, whistles, and chirps. They are typically found in scrubby, brushy habitat, often in edge areas: reedbeds, overgrown fields, and thickets. Usually skulky but singing males can perch conspicuously atop a bush. They breed across Europe and Asia into Alaska and winter from northern Africa to southeast Asia.

#wildartworks #wildlifephotography #jungle #wild #forest #wildlife #conservationphotography #wildlifeonearth #bbcearth #natgeowild #natgeoindia #bluethroat, #Muscicapidae, #flycatcher, #oldworldflycatcher, #telanganabirds, #wildtelangana, #manjeerawildlifesanctuary, #Manjeera, #manjira, #hyderabadbirds,

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

Oriental Honey Buzzard

This is a large resident raptor of lowland & montane broad leaf and mixed forests, well-known for their tendency to congregate in large flocks of up to thousands during migration. They have an unusually small and slender head, a long striped tail, broad wings, and well-striped underwings which make them easily recognisable and they also show considerable plumage variation throughout their range. True to their name, this species is a raider of wasp and bee nests, although it prefers their larvae over their honey.

#wildartworks, #jungle, #raptor, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography, #tipeshwar, #tipeshwarwildlifesanctuary, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #orientalhoneybuzzard, #buzzard, #crestedhoneybuzzard, #tropicalraptor, #tadoba, #pench, #rannofkutch, #littlerannofkutch, #kutch, #endemic,

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

White-eyed Buzzard

The White-eyed Buzzard (Butastur teesa) is a slim brown buzzard with a distinct white iris. Adults have a white throat with a prominent dark stripe, yellow base of the bill, & a rufous tail. The dark tips to wing feathers are clearly visible in flight and there is often a white patch on its nape. The usual habitat is dry, open country or forest, where it mainly feeds on insects, rodents, & small mammals. This species is most often seen soaring alone in thermals or perched still. Groups of two or three may sometimes be seen.

#wildartworks, #jungle, #raptor, #wildlife, #wildlifephotography, #tipeshwar, #tipeshwarwildlifesanctuary, #conservationphotography, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #whiteeyedbuzzard, #buzzard, #tropicalraptor, #tadoba, #endemic

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

Indian Fox/ Bengal Fox

The Indian Fox or the Bengal Fox is endemic to the Indian subcontinent, except in the coastal regions & the Western Ghats. They are usually seen near agricultural areas and human settlements. Although known to be distributed throughout the subcontinent, their occurrence is based on factors such as prey availability. They have long, bushy tails with black tips, which distinguish them from the similar-looking Desert Fox. They are omnivorous opportunistic feeders and prey on insects as well as small mammals.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Canon1DxMkii, #PromediagearTR424L, #DeityD3Pro, #EF600f4LISIII, #Wildlife, #naturephotography, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #Telangana, #YenkathalaGrasslands, #Enkathala, #EnkathalaGrasslands, #Mominpet, #wildtelangana, @wildtelangana, @save_yenkathala, #indianfox, #bengalfox, #fox, #canidae, #smallestcanid,

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

Malayan Water Monitor

Malayan/ Asian Water Monitors are among the largest lizards in the world with a wide distribution. Varanus salvator (subspecies macromaculatus) are a common sight across parts of South and South-east Asia. Their coloration ranges from brown to black with orange, yellow or white spots or ocelli. Their heads are ventrally flattened with an elongated snout. Their tails are long and powerful and are used for swimming, fighting or hunting.

#wildartworks #canon #Wildlife #wildlifephotography #sungeibulohwetlandreserve #conservationphotography #wildlifeonearth #planet_untamed_magazine #bbcearth #natgeowild #wetlands #marshlands #varanussalvator #malayanwatermonitor #asianwatermonitor #watermonitor

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

The winter migrants of Yenkathala

Once again I venture into the Yenkathala/ Enkathala grasslands, home to as many as 191 bird & numerous wildlife species like the Indian Grey Mongoose. In winter these spectacular grasslands host some beautiful migrants - the Montagu’s & Pallid Harriers - which fly from Russia and Eastern Asian countries traveling over 5,000 kilometers to winter here in the dry sub-humid type of grasslands.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Canon1DxMkii, #PromediagearTR424L, #DeityD3Pro, #EF600f4LISIII, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #TelanganaBirds, #HyderabadBirds, #YenkathalaGrasslands, #Enkathala, #EnkathalaGrasslands, #Mominpet, #wildtelangana, @save_yenkathala, #MontagusHarrier, #montaguharrier, #pallidharrier, #paleharrier

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