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

Purple Sunbird

Early mornings over the scrub forests of the Amrabad Tiger Reserve provide a fantastic opportunity to study a tiny bird with iridescent feathers. High on a skeletal branch of a teak tree, a tiny silhouette shakes off the dawn chill. As the first ray of the Telangana sun cuts through the canopy, the drab, dark bird suddenly transforms. It erupts into an electric shimmer of metallic blues, deep purples, and glossy blacks. This is the male Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus), a living gemstone of the Indian subcontinent.

From the wild, deciduous expanses of Amrabad to the bustling, urban wetlands of Hyderabad—like Ameenpur Lake and the suburban oasis of Kudikunta Lake—this resilient avian wanderer navigates a changing world. This is the story of its life, its identity, and its struggle against a vanishing landscape.

#wildartworks, #Wildlife, #naturephotography, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #india, #ananthagiri, #ameenpurlake #amrabadtigerreserve, #purplesunbird, #sunbird

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

Indian Pied Myna/ Asian Pied Starling

From deep within the Amrabad Reserve, the Nallamala Hills rise in the distance like ancient, slumbering giants. A flash of stark black and white cuts through the dry deciduous canopy. It wasn't the majestic stride of a Bengal tiger, nor the cautious leap of a chital. Instead, it was a sharp, dapper bird that landed gracefully on a little mound of earth. With its crisp plumage resembling a finely tailored evening suit, the Indian Pied Myna (Gracupica contra) made its presence known through a sudden burst of liquid, musical whistles.

#wildartworks, #naturephotography, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #india, #ananthagiri, #ameenpurlake #amrabadtigerreserve, #piedmyna, #indianpiedmyna, #myna

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

Magnificent Emperor Dragonfly/ Blue Darner

The Magnificent Emperor Dragonfly (Anax immaculatifrons), characterized by its vivid green thorax and sapphire-blue abdomen, is a significant apex insect predator thriving in the protected forest streams of Telangana. These 80–95 mm dragonflies, which rely on shaded, perennial aquatic environments, serve as crucial bio-indicators whose presence signals a healthy ecosystem now threatened by habitat degradation.

#wildartworks, #Canon, #Wildlife, #naturephotography, #earthpix, #naturyst, #conservationphotography, #yesbbcearth, #wildlifeonearth, #bbcearth, #natgeowild, #natgeoindia, #india, #ananthagiri, #ananthagiriforestrange, #vikarabad, #amrabadtigerreserve, #magnificentemperordragonfly, #dragonfly,

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

Lesser Whistling Duck

Explore how the Lesser Whistling Duck thrives amid change in Amrabad and Ameenpur Lake. Discover its beautiful physical traits, unique whistling calls, and incredible resilience across India and Southeast Asia. Read our uplifting wildlife guide today!

#WildArtWorks #AmrabadTigerReserve #TelanganaTourism #WildlifeConservation #NallamalaHills #EcoTourism #IndiaBiodiversity #AmmavaripetaCheruvu #AmeenpurLake #ManjeeraWildlifeSanctuary #HimayatSagar #OsmanSagar #LesserWhistlingDuck #Duck

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