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Comment: Ceylon Frogmouth, Batrachostomus moniliger in its camouflaging environment.
great_cormorant_thekkady_001 * Silhouette of the Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo against a murky sky. Each bird in its own mood. @ Periyar National Park, Thekkady.

great_cormorant_thekkady_002 * Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo. @ Periyar National Park, Thekkady.

great_cormorant_thekkady_003 * Orchestrated nest building. Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo parents in a coordinated effort to build their nest.

great_cormorant_thekkady_004 * Great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo nest building

ceylon_frogmouth_thattekkad_001 * Ceylon Frogmouth, Batrachostomus moniliger, also known as Sri Lanka Frogmouth at the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Thattekkad. They are nocturnal in nature, and are found in the Western Ghats of India and in Sri Lanka. Their elusive nature kept their existence under the veil of the dense tropical forests for a long time until Dr. Salim Ali found it at the Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary (which has since been named after him) in circa 1930. Later it was rediscovered in circa 1990 by ornithologist K. V. Eldhose, at the same sanctuary. Its occurrence, ethology, nesting, etc. have been documented since. The bird is still elusive, due to its adherence to roosting on surroundings with dried leaves which resembles its color tone and camouflages it well. My first sighting of the Frogmouth was in December 1999, when the nature group Warblers & Waders organized a bird survey at the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary, Thattekkad and the near by regions including Bhoothathankettu. The first night we listened to the exchange of the distinctive calls between the male and the female (which could be easily recorded and mimicked) and we saw one of them at a different location later. The pictured one here is my second sighting, along with Sarah, in September 2007. The location is adjacent to the watch tower inside the sanctuary.
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ceylon_frogmouth_thattekkad_002.jpg - 2007.09.27 08:02:37
red_whiskered_bulbul_egg_001 * Nest of a Red whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus. Nesting is known to take place from August to March, probably the period of the year excluding the wettest months (June and July) southwest monsoon and the hottest months of April and May. There are 2 nests taken at different periods in this album and this one was taken around mid January while the other was taken around end of September. A typical clutch consists of two to four (I've seen mostly three) pale pink eggs, streaked and spotted with shades of red. Two or three broods may be reared in a season. Both birds incubate the eggs and care for the nsetlings. Red whiskered Bulbuls build an open cup nest of rootlets, twigs, bark and leaves, lined with soft fibre. The nest is usually placed in a low tree fork, which is usually covered by overlying bush or leaves. Making of a nest is an interesting period to watch. I have once put a few colorful cotton threads near the nesting area and later found that the bulbuls have incorporated the threads with the nest. Though they guard and defend their nest aggressively, many of the nests I have watched have been ransacked by predating indian koels and sometimes the crow pheasants. Some bulbuls have a wonderful tactic of misleading the predators or humans. If it senses a predator near the nest, the bulbul flies up and then all of a sudden it falls down, almost as if it was shot by a gun! It then crawls on the ground and makes a cry as if it is hurt. The unsuspecting predator moves on to the parent bulbul and as soon as it gets nearby, the bulbul flies off, having its purpose accomplished succesfully! @ home, kerala.

red_whiskered_bulbul_egg_002 * Nest of a Red whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus. @ home, kerala.

red_whiskered_bulbul_egg_003 * A close-up view of the eggs of a Red whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus. Pale pink eggs, streaked and spotted with shades of red. @ home, kerala.

red_whiskered_bulbul_nestling_001 * Nestling of a Red whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus. The nestlings are fed with highly nutritious food comprising of insects and worms and they grow up very fast, and within a few days one can see them flying off! This photograph was taken in September 2007 @ home, kerala.

red_whiskered_bulbul_nesting_001 * Red whiskered Bulbul Pycnonotus jocosus nesting. See the beauty of the red whiskers! Adult bulbuls are around 20-22cm long. A few studies show that males have slightly longer wing length and whiskers with respect to their female counterparts. @ home, kerala.
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Album last updated on 2011.09.07 21:12:11
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