Aditya's Photography

  The Indian Scops Owl  is a resident species of  South Asia .  The Indian scops owl is a small owl of 23 to 25cm in height, although it is one of the largest of the scops owl . Like other scops owls, it has small ears . The upperparts are grey or brown  with faint brownish-yellow  spotting. The underparts are  brownish-yellow  with fine darker streaking. The facial disc is  brownish-yellow  and the eyes are orange or brown.   The Indian scops owl is nocturnal . Through its natural camouflage , it is very difficult to see in the daytime, but may sometimes be located by the trees with smalls birds resting in it. It feeds mainly on insects .

This dragonfly is a common and widely distributed species found throughout the year across the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. The male (as shown in the above images) of this species is distinctly different from the female.  The male has a reddish-brown face, with eyes that are crimson above and brown on the sides.   The wings are transparent with crimson venation and the base has a broad amber patch.  The female has a  bright reddish-brown face with eyes that are purplish-brown above and grey below.  The wings are transparent with brown tips. The venation is bright yellow to brown and basal amber markings are pale.   It is commonly found in weedy tanks and ponds, gardens, marshes, and slow-flowing streams and rivers in the lowlands and mid-hills. It breeds in streams, rivers, canals, ponds, and tanks.  

Other name - Green Marsh Hawk  Distribution - South-eastern Europe, Australia, and from North Africa to Japan.  It is a medium-sized dragonfly with a wingspan of 60-85mm. Adults are grayish to greenish-yellow with black pale markings (this information might not be completely accurate since a few females of this species have been spotted which are completely yellow). The females are very similar to the males in shape and size but might differ a bit in colour. This dragonfly perches motionless on shrubs and dry twigs for long periods. It voraciously preys on smaller butterflies and dragonflies.  The image above is of a female. 

  Other Names - Chital, Axis Deer Distribution - The Spotted Deer is found in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In the west, it is found in eastern Rajasthan and Gujarat . In the north, it is found at the foothills of the Himalayas and from Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal Region through to Nepal,  northern West Bengal, and Assam. Its southern limit is Sri Lanka.  The Spotted Deer is a medium-sized deer. They are the most common species of deer in Indian forests. The males are larger than the females and only the males have antlers (as shown in the image).  Spotted deer most commonly occur in herds of 10 to 50 individuals, with one or two males and a number of females and young. They primarily eat grasses and vegetation but will also ingest their shed antlers as a source of nutrients.

                                      Plains Cupid in the process of mating                                                              A male butterfly has several methods of determining whether he has found a female of his own species. One way is by sight. The male will look for butterflies with wings that are the correct color and pattern. When a male sights a potential mate it will fly closer, often behind or above the female. Once closer, the male will release special chemicals, called pheromones , while it flutters its wings a bit more than usual.   The male may also do a special "courtship dance" to attract the female. These "dances" consist of flight patterns that are peculiar to that species of butterfly. If the female is interested she may join the male's dance. The butterflies mate by joining together end to end at their abdomens. During the mating process, when their bodies are joined, the exchange of hormones takes place and the female is fertiliz

PLAINS CUPID  Wingspan - 25-35 mm Status - Locally common  Found in India, Sri-Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar Habits and Habitats -These butterflies can be seen fluttering about and chasing each other in weed lots. They are not as alert and aware of human presence as larger butterflies and go about their business without paying much attention to humans. The males are more often seen on damp patches than on flowers. The females fly low among grasses. The Plains Cupid flies in the Himalaya up to 2000 meters but it prefers well-wooded regions. The easiest way to distinguish between the two sexes is that the male's upper portion is bright lavender-blue with a dark outer border. The first image gives us an idea of its appearance whereas the second image clearly portrays the male's upper portion which is bright lavender-blue with a dark outer border. This butterfly is very common and can be easily spotted in our gardens, all you need to do is to find the time to observe yo

  The K alij Pheasant  is a  pheasant  found in forests and thickets, especially in the  Himalayan  foothills, from  India to western  Thailand . The majority of this birds diet is made up of seeds however it will also feed on leaves, buds and a small number of insects. They nest in burrows . In the above image the blue one is the male whereas the brown one is the female . There life expectancy is 10 - 15 years. Note for bird watchers - They are mainly found in dense forests of Sattal , Uttrakhand.  

BLUE WINGED SIVA  A brightly colored bird of lowland and foothill forests. Usually travels in large groups, and is often a chief component of mixed-species feeding flocks. Adult is a powdery gray-blue overall with blue highlights on the wings and tail. The face and sides are tinged soft gray-brown. Varies considerably over range; birds in southern Southeast Asian portion of range are very gray, lacking bright colors. Sexes alike. Acrobatic, often hanging upside down on branches to probe for invertebrates and fruit hidden by foliage.   Image Location -  Sattal , Uttrakhand , India . 

We all have urbanized, we all have embraced urbanisation but at what cost ?  This beautiful bird is known as The Oriental White Eye . In 2014 when I was still learning the basics of photography , I would often spot this bird in my garden hopping from tree to tree and basking in the morning summer sun . But today in 2020 this bird has disappeared from our gardens , our homes and our cities . Recently I had visited a reserved bird habitat where after 3 years I saw an oriental white eye . We all have destroyed the habitats of these birds and now not many places are left for them to take refuge . Today I leave you with this thought to ponder over , we often in a joking manner ask - " Why did the chicken cross the road ?" Well I think the poor creature had to cross a road because we barged into it's home and destroyed it's habitat .