Spring Ends With New Friends

I wish everybody a belated happy holi! I had a lot of family snaps going on that day and as a result of which, my DSLR could not shed out bits of colours, and just like my ear lobes, I am still having those red tint around my camera corners too. Anyways, I brushed my DSLR and tripod well, and I'm ready for yet another shoot. Strangely, I didn’t see the roads in my neighbourhood filled with water colour marks everywhere, like I used to do in my childhood. Never mind that, because I found all these colours in this nature and I didn’t miss my very last chance at good wildlife clicks during this end of spring time!

Grey Langur

A travel to our past: Grey Langur

Hey, look what we have got here! The great langur, a species closely related to our forefather! Also known as the Hanuman langur, these old world monkeys find their habitat in and around the Indian subcontinent and mostly in countries like India, Pakistan Nepal. Langurs may raid crops, steal from houses, but anyways people consistently feed them in temples and often worship them. The males are generally larger than the females. This is a male langoor right here, I caught munching on a biscuit and then a guava! Of course it was me who fed it, or else I would have been badly hurt in my photo clicking endeavour!

Work for food: Grey Langur shows human tendency

Tilapia

Fins that swings: Tilapia

A Tilapia is fish very popular among the Bengali dishes! Of course, I love tilapia too, but these young ones are worth to be fed to my DSLR lens. It was clicked when I paid a visit in and around the Ganges. These bubbly little creatures are found in rivers, lakes, ponds, brackish water and almost in any aquatic body. I remember, I baited them with baked rice, otherwise I could not take a snap of it, this fast fish in even a lifetime! Having said that, I feel like I have not had fish in a very long time!

Crossing paths: Tilapia

Fishes in River Ganga

HELLOgens in waters

Can anybody please do me a favour and name me these fishes? I found it in river Ganga. Though not as notorious as I found that tilapia to be, this fishes were mostly found in a group, or at least in couples. Looking towards me with those glowing pair of eyes, it approached me quite fast when my rice bait was on loose. No disrespect to the foodie part in me, but I would not like to have this creepy looking fish on my plate!

The watery pursuit of love

Hoopoe

Lonely Spring: Hoopoe

Scientifically known as the Upupa Epops, the hoopoe seemed to come alive out of my 10th standard project book. Very close relative of the Kingfisher, the hoopoe is found across different regions of the world namely in America, Africa, Europe and also in Asia.

“She’s the one”

Hip-hip-hoopoe

And behold these perfect shots and the perfect time, I captured this bird feeding on insects and searching for mates; obviously because it is its mating season! 

A glance at past: Hoopoe

This bird had a valiant effort in searching for its soulmate, which gave me some of my all time favourite shots like these ones. And I heartily wish it all the very best for the mission it is in, as I know how difficult it is to search for a true partner nowadays. The best thing about this bird is its body language and the multi colours it possesses. Notice how the feathers are golden yellow on the upper half of the body and the lower consists of spiral black designs. The diet of this bird includes mostly pests thus, helping human being in the field of agriculture since times forgotten.

White wagtail found during Spring!( Motacilla alba )

Tale to tell: White Wagtail

Oh wait, am I seeing this correctly? Is this bird waiting all down the winter for me to click it? Is it posing for me? This is not the time for white wagtail to stay in this region, long after the winter has gone! I would rather see things like either the natural time of this bird is still here or summer is creeping in too early, thanks to climate change. What do you people say? This bird is still energetic and beautiful, just like I clicked it on my older blog. White breasted and dark headed, this bird leaves this region soon when the winter is over. But look how carefully it stays, and poses for me and makes it a rare sight to see around this time!

The race against season: White Wagtail

Argiope Pulchella

Dinner Awaits

ARACHNOPHOBIA ALERT!! Scientifically know as Argiope Pulchella, I prefer to simply call it ‘deadly spider’. Found mostly in regions between India and China, this creepy-crawly is seen to weave its web in a zigzag fashion! In this picture, the yellow leaf at its background makes the entire environment look like Halloween.

Eight feet of fury

It is found in different designs in zigzags, horizontal or vertical stripes on the abdomen portion. I tried really hard to make it move a bit by blowing some air, but it seemed to be accustomed to the natural wind and perhaps, only an insect on its web could make it move!

Weby cross

Orchard Spider

Webside Down: Orchard Spider

Weaver of death: Orchard Spider

And finally I got a spider that is playful enough to pose for me. The Orchard spider is otherwise a very venomous one. Any small insect on its spiral wave can guarantee its death. The spider was spinning its web, when I gracefully clicked this shot. And not to mention, I managed to find different colours of this spider species in one place. This spider seems to be of a distinct colour, however, their abdomens being the largest part of the body is generally a mixture of grey black and orange.

Venom in the orchard: Orchard Spider

Immature Black Drongo

Emperor of the woods: Immature Black Drongo

The black drongo is a bird, always pleasure to click! The black drongo finds is habitat around the Indian subcontinent and mainly feeds on insects, wasps. Classically known as the ‘king crow’, the black drongo is very fond of sunning and hunting. What is more interesting about this immature or a younger black drongo, is that during its tender years this bird resembles the white bellied drongo. But this white colour of the breast of this drongo, eventually gets dark black when it reaches its adulthood. The way this young creature seats on a broken piece of the tree wood, is something to watch out for!

Unbroken ambition: Immature Black Drongo

Coromandel Marsh Dart

Camouflaged to flee: Coromandel Marsh Dirt

This is an indigenous type of damselfly, which belongs to the Dragonfly family. This subtype, also known as Coromandel Marsh Dirt. is generally green in colour. They feed on other smaller insects and are sexually dimorphic. One interesting thing about this species is that the males and the females cling together long after the mating session, until the female has laid the eggs. The way this insect camouflages itself amidst the greenery, made it very tough for me to detect. It had been too notorious and that help me take a shot in the few seconds it rested its busy legs.

Pieris Canidia

Nectar Hunt

The Pieris Canidia is a beautiful butterfly which is also known as the ‘Indian cabbage white’ and also, the ‘garden butterfly’. It is found abundantly around the Indian subcontinent. I remember playing with this little thing in the garden of my house, when I was a kid. Most parts of his body is generally white and the edges may contain black, pink, grey or green tints. I guess this tiny thing in my frame best describes what spring is all about!

Pink Spring

Stay tuned for my next blog!

Photography: Riddhisattwa Bhattacharya

Content: Ivan Das

Camera: Canon EOS 600D

Lens: Canon 55-250mm lens

Locations: Eco park, around Eden Gardens and Behala