Behind the lens

a blog every Friday on a specific species of animal or bird and jungle lore

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

Tri-coloured Munia

Golden hour at the extensive reed beds near the quaint village of Kumbhargaon. A gentle breeze rippled through the tall grasses, making the reed heads sway in rhythmic unison. To the untrained eye, the marshy edges look quiet. But to a patient observer, the reeds come alive with frantic motion as a tiny avian jewel - the Tri-coloured Munia - prepared for its evening routine. 

#wildartworks #Canon #CanonC50 #C50 #kadbanwadi #Birdinginthewild #BirdWatching #conservationphotography #bhigwan #BhigwanBirdSanctuary #Kumbhargaon #munia #tricolouredmunia

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

Black-breasted Thrush

The pre-dawn air at Doi Ang Khang, a jagged limestone massif rising near the northernmost tip of Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, is a freezing, shifting sea of mountain fog. For a wildlife photographer, waiting here is an exercise in both patience and sensory deprivation. Crouched low beside a moss-slicked logging trail flanked by high-elevation pine-oak forest, the lens remains frozen, trained on a small, damp patch of leaf litter.

Then, as the first gold fingers of the sun pierce the canopy of the Royal Agricultural Station, a shape materialises. It moves with a rhythmic, springy hop unique to the genus Turdus. It is the Black-breasted Thrush (Turdus dissimilis).

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#wildartworks, #Birdinginthewild, #DoiAngkhang, #chiangmai, #Thailand, #oldworldthrush, #doi, #blackbreastedthrush, #thrush

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

European Roller

As the sun dips below the horizon at Kadbanwadi, casting a deep amber hue over the scrub forest, I discover the European Roller, a rare turquoise nomad migrating through these grasslands. This blog explores the bird's striking blue & cinnamon plumage, its incredible 10,000-km journey across Asia and our deeply connected ecosystems & why  these fragments of wild grasslands deserve our utmost protection.

#wildartworks #Canon #CanonC50 #C50 #europeanroller #kadbanwadi #migrant #roller #Birdinginthewild #BirdWatching #conservationphotography #bhigwan #BhigwanBirdSanctuary #Kumbhargaon #indapurgrasslands

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

Dark-backed Sibia/ Black-backed Sibia

Dawn at Doi San Ju in Chiang Mai breaks through dense mountain fog along the Thailand-Myanmar border. The cold air smells of damp moss, pine needles & wet bark. Suddenly, a striking silhouette cuts through the grey mist. On a mossy branch lands the Dark-backed Sibia, a medium-sized, slender & elegant montane acrobat, its long tail balancing a sharp posture.

#wildartworks, #Birdinginthewild, #conservationphotography, #DoiSanJu, #ChiangMai, #thailand, #DoiPhaHomPok, #darkbackedsibia, #Sibia

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

White-browed Laughingthrush

The early morning mist hung heavy over the dense canopy of Chiang Mai’s evergreen rainforests, draping the ancient trees in a silver shroud. The forest floor was alive with the rustle of leaves, but nothing was visible through the thick green wall of ferns and bamboo thickets. Suddenly, a chaotic burst of sound shattered the silence—a chorus of raucous cackles, rhythmic whistles, and metallic twangs that echoed through the ravine. It was the unmistakable "laugh" of the forest’s most elusive troupe.

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#wildartworks, #Canon, #PromediagearTR424L, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #animalsofinstagram, @globalcapture, #DoiAngkhang, #chiangmai, #DoiPhaHomPokNationalPark, #DoiPhaHomPok, #Thailand, #doi, #whitebrowedlaughingthrush, #laughingthrush

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

Kalij Pheasant

To encounter the Kalij Pheasant in the wild is to step into a complex evolutionary narrative that stretches across the vast mountain systems of South and Southeast Asia. From the rugged foothills of the Indian Himalayas to the limestone karsts of Indochina, the Kalij Pheasant serves as an ecological anchor, bridging the gap between the high-altitude forests of the north and the tropical, humid jungles of the south.

#wildartworks #Canon #PromediagearTR424L #Birdinginthewild #conservationphotography #KaengKrachanNationalPark #Thailand #KalijPheasant #Pheasant

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

Western Yellow Wagtail/ Sykes's Wagtail 

A small passerine bird in the wagtail family Motacillidae. A widespread wagtail, favoring wet meadows, marshland, grassy and muddy lakeshores. Occurs in fields and often near livestock during migration.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #conservationphotography, #bhigwan, #BhigwanBirdSanctuary, #Kumbhargaon, #ujnibackwaters, #westernyellowwagtail, #wagtail,

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

Oriental Magpie-Robin

Finding and photographing the Oriental Magpie-Robin (Copsychus saularis) in the Nallamala forests of South Telangana is a rewarding experience for any birder or photographer. Known as the "Doel" or "Dhayal," this bird is celebrated for its melodious songs and striking black-and-white appearance.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Birdinginthewild, #conservationphotography, #telanganabirds, @wildtelangana, #nallamalahills, #amrabadtigerreserve, #orientalmagpierobin, #doel,

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