Hoskote Lake 2.0

It has been a long time since my Chikmagalur trip that I went anywhere out for photography, two long months to be precise . Well to be fair, I tried my best to take out at least some hours but my schedule was packed, pity that I have to wait for so long !! Damn with the schedules, I decided to visit my favorite spot "Hoskote Lake" during the last week of September. This time, I was alone, I drove towards the lake on a misty morning. The excitement was more this time since it was after a long lay-off & Hoskote never disappoints me (remember the last trip ?). I arrived at the spot at around 6:30 AM but the sky was quite dark as if the heaven may open anytime. Just hang in there I said. Going towards the lake, I can see the familiar residents of the lake - Black Cormorants, Greater Cormorants, Egrets, Painted Storks, Little Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Black Headed Ibis & much more. Surprisingly the different types of Munias that normally welcomes you from the bushes were missing this time.

I went towards the little denser part of the lake where I had my first shot in the form of a beautiful Rose-ringed parakeet Female. It was hopping from one branch to another playing with its mate & then eventually flew away, but not before I clicked the female one. They were feasting on a fruit, probably having their breakfast.

Now how do you differentiate between a Male & a Female? Yes through DNA test, of course...hmm..easier way is that the male have a ring around his neck while the female may have a very pale ring or no ring at all. Another way to identify the difference is by their tail, the males generally have a longer tail.

As per Wiki, there are around 393 species of parrots around the world with different sizes & colors, fascinating isn't it. Right behind the tree where the parakeets were sitting, a Black Kite was preening itself. Though they are very common in Bangalore, I didn't have the chance of going close to it before. In fact, they are the most abundant raptor (bird of prey) in the world.

Its cere and gape are yellow while the beak is black.Though they are called as Black Kite, the plumage is actually dark brown, with scattered light brown.

Have a look at its portrait shot below.

It was very patient as I took a bunch of shots. After spending around 15-20 minutes, it finally flew away to the other side of the lake.

Meanwhile, I saw many Long Tailed Shrikes moving across the bushes in front of me making loud sounds. For the moment I ignored them & moved towards a Brahminy Kite which seemed like eating something while sitting on an electric pole. They are again fairly common in Bangalore but are beautiful as well. The Brahminy Kite is about the same size as the Black Kite but its tail is rounded. From the photography perspective, though it was visible clearly & was sitting on an open space, the bright yet cloudy sky was making it difficult for me to expose it correctly. The white head of Brahminy Kite was making it even more difficult as it was camouflaging with the color of the sky. The background plays such an important role while making a photo, this was a great example. Nevertheless, I got a decent shot in the end without disturbing it much.

Lot of raptors I murmured as I started looking for the smaller & cuter ones near the trees & bushes. The people there cultivates different varieties of vegetables & fruits which keep the birds interested. I saw a lot of Indian Silverbills hovering over the vegetation in search of food. They are also called as white-throated munia & normally found in flocks. I could able to click three of them in one frame though one of them was not interested at all. I waited for the odd one to turn but probably it was not in a mood.

In the above picture, you may visualize a cow in the background but do you know who was riding on it? Jungle Myna it was & since it was quite close, I was able to get some good shots. Those in my view were the best shots of the day, the images came out crystal clear. It is interesting to note that the South Indian race has a blue iris unlike their northern counterparts which has a yellowish one.

I was really happy with the shots & decided to take a short break for breakfast. Besides birds & some cattle, there was nobody else in the vicinity. It felt so good that after a long time I was able to spend some time with myself, doing what I love without any distractions & disturbances. I was in my zone!! After finishing off my breakfast & hydrating myself, I decided to venture the other side of the lake.

The Shrikes were still making a lot of noise & it seemed like one of them was chasing the other one. I stationed myself in a place & was trying to understand whatever was going on around me. After observing minutely, it seemed like a juvenile long tailed shrike was chasing the older one for food, it was probably hungry. They were jumping from one bush to another making it difficult to take any decent images. I kept on trying & at last succeeded in capturing both in a single frame, though the juvenile was not facing my camera.

I was also able to get a closeup shot of the elder one after the juvenile decided to flew away.

The long-tailed shrike is a typical shrike, favoring dry open habitats and found perched prominently atop a bush. Note that they are capable of vocal mimicry and include the calls of many species.

On my way out, I saw a Purple Heron & a pair of Grey Herons near the lakeside. Both the birds looks even more majestic in flight though I couldn't really capture them in that mode. They were quite far but nevertheless got some images. They are the permanent residents of the lake & you will find them whenever you visit the lake.

While clicking them, it started drizzling & with that I decided to call it a day. Hoskote always amazes me with the variety of birds & always has some surprises in store for me while coming out. This time also no different, while coming out of the lake area, I saw a small bird sitting on a dead branch. In the first couple of glances, I couldn't recognize it. After clicking couple pictures while reviewing on the camera screen, I could identify the bird as Cinereous tit.

These birds are widely available in Indian sub-continent but this was my first sighting & so was very happy. As I look back, I feel fortunate to grab a lot of good moments, moments that brings a smile to my face.

With those moments captured in my camera I bid goodbye with a promise to visit once again. Till next time, Adios !!