Leucistic Black Buck

Spotted this at IIT Madras a few weeks back. This is a leucistic Black buck, commonly mistaken for Albino.
Albino black bucks have pinkish eyes, but the eyes of this one are black. Leucism is a disorder which results in reduction of skin pigmentation. While albinism affects only melanin pigment, Leucism affects all pigments.

Common Kestrel

The best part about Chennai winters is that we get to see a lot of birds which we don't during the rest of the year. Several birds migrate to South India during winter from North India and even from other countries. Winter has begun and several migrant birds have already been reported this year (http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/metroplus/article2609128.ece)

I got an opportunity to see and click the Common Kestrel at Theosophical Society today morning. There are several sub-species of Common Kestrels, spread over several countries. The one I spotted today, breeds in East Asia (Tibet, China, Korea, Japan and also in some parts of Himalayas). During winter months, they migrate to South India and other parts of South East Asia. 

When I set out today for birding, early in the morning, I saw several smaller and more common birds like Green Bee Eaters, Common Babblers, Pipits etc. But, the Common Kestrel was the special guest today.

From a distance I noticed this raptor perched majestically on a branch, but couldn't identify it immediately. On moving closer, I realised that this is a female Common Kestrel. The males have a much darker shade of brown and the striated patterns are not so prominent.

I kept clicking several photos as I kept moving towards it, fearing it may fly away any second. But, this one wasn't shy. For a couple of seconds, she stared right at me. I walked pretty close to her and clicked a few more pics before she flew away.

But, she hadn't flown away too far. Walking a few more feet, I found her again, this time giving a me clear view without being hidden by branches or leaves.

This was my first set of clear pics of any raptor, and was absolutely delighted!

Chennai's Green Lung - Semmozhi Poonga

After moving back to my hometown, Chennai, from Bangalore after my PG, one thing that I missed a lot was the greenery. There's a reason why Bangalore is referred to as the garden city. Lush green parks and gardens almost everywhere - I envied Bangalore for that! 

But, over the past 2-3 years, several new parks have been opened in Chennai, and the older parks have been renovated. Kudos also to the way the parks are being maintained. 

Of these new parks, Semmozhi poonga at the junction of Anna Salai and Cathedral Road, has to be the highlight! Though I had been there a few days after it was inaugurated, Harish (http://magixncurses.blogspot.com, @harishvsays) and I went there one fine evening 2 weeks back, for photography. And, we loved it!

The greenery starts right at the entrance, with a beautiful vertical garden forming the entry arch. Once inside, there's so much colour - flowers of various colours greet us amidst the greenery.  Spider lilies, balsams and several other exotic flowering plants adorn the garden. There are several species of cacti too.

As we further move into the beautifully landscaped garden, we come to a short cascade and a duck pond, with several geese and duck. They were not shy at all, and kept coming so close to the camera. We had to move a few steps back to be able to focus them!

As we were walking through the park, we kept hearing calls of parakeets, mynas and koels, which are very common. But, one call - a shrill trilling sound - made me jump in excitement. I identified the call immediately to be that of a Lesser Golden-back Woodpecker (or Black-rumped FlamebackWoodpecker). I've spotted these cute little birds at Theosophical Society and IIT Madras campus, but I didn't expect to see one here! So, we followed the sound and found not one, but four Lesser Golden-back woodpeckers. I couldn't get a decent shot of the bird, but Harish did.

As it started getting darker, we finished our walk in the park, enjoying the lovely bonsais (imported from China) and the superb fountains, which keep changing colours and patterns.

View more photos in my Flickr page and Harish's Flickr page.

If I've to pick one commendable aspect from things done during previous mayor M. Subramaniam's tenure, I'd pick the increase in greenery in Chennai. I hope the new mayor continues from where MS left off!

Spotted Owlets

Theosophical society campus in Adyar, Chennai is one of the best homes for birds. I guess it remains pure and uncorrupted as it is fully restricted - only 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evenings are designated as visiting hours for public - that too only for visiting the famous big Banyan Tree. Apart from this, special permissions for walking/photography/birding etc are granted only after much deliberation! In that sense, it has not become a tourist spot or a bird sanctuary.

Regular visitors will fondly narrate sightings of the very own spotted owlets of TS. A family of Spotted owlets had made their home in a hole in a dead tree trunk, at least a decade or two back, I've been told. And, their further generations continue to stay there. If you are lucky, you can spot them early in the mornings sitting in front of their home.

Or, if they are reluctant to get out from there, you can probably see them peeping from the hole like this ;) I was waiting for it to get out, but it took more than fifteen minutes for it to feel that it's safe and I wont harm them. Then, one owl flew out, followed by the next one.

Though it's easiest to spot them near their home, I've managed to spot them in the scrub forests inside the campus several times! Pretty hard to notice though, unless they move. The movement is what gives away the position ;)

I thought they were very shy and could see them only near their home or in the thick forest. But, once I managed to spot it right where all public visitors come to - the big banyan tree. There it was sitting calmly, right in front of the banyan. So, next time you go to visit the big banyan, keep a look out for birds there. Apart from this, I've seen other birds like woodpeckers, sunbirds at the big banyan.