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, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee Wildlife, Wildlife Photography Siddhartha Mukherjee

Indian Eagle Owl/ Bengal Eagle Owl

The Indian or Bengal eagle-owl (Bubo bengalensis), also widely known as the Rock eagle-owl, is a large horned owl species native to hilly and rocky scrub forests in the Indian Subcontinent. It is splashed with brown and grey, and has a white throat patch with black small stripes. It is usually seen in pairs and has a deep resonant booming call that may be heard at dawn and dusk.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Canon1DxMkii, #PromediagearTR424L, #DeityD3Pro, #EF600f4LISIII, #Wildlife, #naturephotography, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #Telangana, #YenkathalaGrasslands, #Enkathala, #EnkathalaGrasslands, #Mominpet, #wildtelangana, @wildtelangana, @save_yenkathala, #ramnathgudpalle, #indianeagleowl, #bengaleagleowl, #rockeagleowl, #eagleowl, #owl, #raptor

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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, 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

Osprey

The Osprey is a large, mostly white raptor that cruises over lakes, rivers, and coastal waterways in search of fish. The are impressively widespread: found on every continent except Antarctica. They are mostly white headed with white underparts and a dark brown back. In flight, they hold their wings with a kink in the wrist (shaped like an "M"). Stick nests are conspicuous on top of channel markers, utility poles and high platforms near water. Often seen plunging feet-first into water from high in the air to grab fish.

This sequence was documented at the Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Bird, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #conservationphotography, #bhigwan, #BhigwanBirdSanctuary, #Kumbhargaon, #osprey, #seahawk, #fishhawk, #riverhawk, #raptor

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

Spotted Owlet

Once again we venture into the grasslands surrounding Kumbhargaon, a nondescript village to the south of Bhigwan, in search of the Spotted Owlets. Surrounding the Ujni backwaters are rich grasslands and fertile farms home to an impressive list of birds, mammals and reptiles. The Spotted Owlet (Athene brama) is a small tropical asian owl breeding from mainland India to Southeast Asia and a common resident of open habitats including farmland and human habitation.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #PromediagearTR424L, #Bird, #birdofprey, #Birdinginthewild, #BirdWatching, #Wildlife, #WildBirds, #naturephotography, #your_best_birds, #planetbirds, #earthcapture, #photo_pond, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #bhigwan, #bhigwanbirdsanctuary, #kumbhargaon, #indian_wildlifes, #indianwildlifeofficial, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, @awpc.hk, #animalsofinstagram, @globalcapture, #spottedowlet, #owl, #raptor,

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