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

Brown Rock Chat/ Indian Chat

The first light of dawn over the Kaifnath Hills does not burst forth; it bleeds softly through a veil of hanging mist, painting the jagged contours in shades of muted ochre and charcoal. To the untrained eye, this cracked, arid terrain appears desolate, a forgotten stretch of dry deciduous scrub and rocky outcrops. But as the sun clears the distant horizon, a sharp, down slurred whistle echoes across the gorge—a distinct “chee” that signals the presence of a true sentinel of the rocks. Perched proudly atop a jagged monolith, standing tall and square against the sky, is the Brown Rock Chat (Oenanthe fusca), historically known as the Indian Chat. Shot against the dramatic backdrop of the Bopgaon and Wadki ghats, this nearly endemic bird embodies the raw, rugged essence of an ecosystem under siege.

#wildartworks #Canon #CanonC50 #C50 #holkarwadi #Birdinginthewild #BirdWatching #conservationphotography #pune #endemic #brownrockchat #indianrockchat #indianchat #chat

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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

White-browed Wagtail

The morning mist over the Krishna River at the edge of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve does not lift so much as it dissolves, turning the water into a sheet of liquid pewter. Silence dominates the dawn, broken only by the distant, deep whoop of a langur. Then, a sharp, metallic chiz-zit rings out from a slick basalt boulder jutting from the current.

A small, starkly monochromatic bird drops from the overhanging bamboo canopy. It lands on the wet stone, its long tail immediately setting into a rhythmic, hypnotic up-and-down pumping motion. This is the White-browed Wagtail (Motacilla maderaspatensis), the largest of the Asian wagtails, and a permanent resident of the rugged riverine ecosystems of Telangana.

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #UmaMaheshwaram #Kawal #whitebrowedwagtail #wagtail #largepiedwagtail

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Asian Common Toad

The Asian Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) is a resilient generalist across Telangana's forests. An explosive, monsoon-triggered breeder, its mating window lasts just 24–48 hours after first rains. To stand out in chaotic pools, males turn from dull brown to neon yellow for two days, helping identify females. Following an intense scramble for amplexus, females lay 40,000 eggs. However, climate change now disrupts this highly synchronized, weather-dependent cycle.

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation IndianCommonToad #IndiaBiodiversity #Toad #Amplexus #MatingBehaviour #monsoontriggeredbreeder #monsoonbreeder

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

Indian Jungle Crow

The Indian Jungle Crow reminds us that every creature plays a vital role in our ecosystems. As human activity continues to change the landscapes of Telangana, the survival and adaptability of this intelligent bird will offer crucial lessons on how wildlife responds to a changing world.

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #Panchgani #UmaMaheshwaram #Kawal #IndianJungleCrow #Crow #intelligentbird

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

Indian Blackbird

The morning mist in the Nallamala Hills weaves a silver shroud over the rugged valleys of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve. In this quiet theater of the Eastern Ghats, a melody begins—a series of clear, fluting whistles that seem to mimic the very spirit of the forest. This is the call of the Indian Blackbird (Turdus simillimus nigropileus), a bird that carries the essence of India’s wild highlands in its soot-coloured wings.

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #AchampetRange #IndianBlackbird, #Blackbird #endemic

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

Brown Shrike

The story of the Brown Shrike in India is one of seasonal migration. Unlike the resident shrikes of the Deccan, this species is a winter visitor. Arriving in September and departing by April, it spreads across the subcontinent, favoring the humid, wooded regions of the south and northeast.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #birdinginthewild, #wildlifeonearth, #KawalTigerReserve, #AmrabadTigerReserve, #wildtelangana, #telanganawildlife, #shrike, #BrownShrike

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

Indian Robin

While some may mistake the male Indian Robin for a Drongo due to its black plumage, the differences are clear: drongos possess a deeply forked tail and an arboreal lifestyle, hunting insects in flight, whereas the Indian Robin remains grounded with its cocked, square-ended tail and terrestrial foraging.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #birdinginthewild, #wildlifeonearth, #KawalTigerReserve, #AmrabadTigerReserve, #wildtelangana, #telanganawildlife, #robin, #indianrobin

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