Wetlands II

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @280mm, f8, Nikon Z 6 Morning; some 14 minutes before the previous shot of eagle; anhinga, cormorants, egrets and lapwings in the setting. Wild Zebu, the descendant of feral cattle, the domestic form of the Indian aurochs that lived alongside their wild relatives in the past, can be often seen wading in this landscape. They radiate power and health. We could see they readopted some patterns of natural behaviour. I was first worried about meeting bulls on narrow strips of land passing from the opposite side, loaded with the gear and with the whole journey ahead. We were forced behind a fence in situations like this before. The numbers of cattle in the national park are very low and kept in check (a stray tiger is relocated, though the last one was I think four months here). Rajasthan

Greater Spotted Eagle

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @280mm, f8, Nikon Z 6 Morning, heavy haze (sings that the winter is not far away). Wetlands are the favourite wintering areas of this eagle that leaves its nesting sites in September (the next processing is this spot landscape). Even breeding has been reported in this national park and the surrounding region (unique in India). There are three closely related species; India has its own resident Indian spotted eagle, distinct in appearance. Rajasthan

Anhinga

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @600mm, f8, ISO 140, Nikon Z 6 Late morning by a periodic lake Rajasthan

Kalij Pheasant

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, high ISO image (8000, minus about 1 EV - exposed higher) Nikon Z 6 Twilight of the early morning jungle; the 8000 ISO usually is our ceiling, then we cut into the shutter speed. The luck held for this shot, the 1/200s came out pin-sharp (says something about the VR as well). Another time, a particular motion blur can add to the shot. Many times though you lose the shot. The colour output has improved with newer sensors at high ISOs a little. Every bit of improvement helps. The wildlife seems to be one of the most demanding applications for colour fidelity. A combination of the need for sufficient depth of field (or cropping), high shutter speed and typically poor light (the wildlife activity, shady cover) pushes towards the high ISO values. The Horsfield’s ssp. is also of the darkest colour. The glossy dark blue plumage (male) is stunning in more light. Some of the subspecies became very rare. Assam

Indian Peafowl; Sunset

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @280mm, f8 (1/25s), Nikon Z 6 Sunset; as almost always is the case, the picture matches the scene’s brightness (*on standard setting calibrated monitor). We routinely take a carefully matched sample, in a controlled process, for reference, sometimes checking with each other (besides writing the notes). Hyena and jackal calls are heard at night in this park. We saw the jackals regularly in the dense bush but that always at the peak of activity (didn’t get a good shot). The peafowl is the national bird of India. Rajasthan

The Tree

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @24mm, f2.8, ISO 110, Nikon Z 6 Siva Temple; the meaning of the place, also called Siva Lingam, goes beyond the living representation of the natural force. Although it’s the Diwali days, it is visited only on Saturdays. The cobra symbol at the front characterises the fundamentality of the force as a reference to the (hidden) dynamics of nature as the Whole. Varanasi

Ganges Temple II

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @32mm, f2.8, ISO 110, Nikon Z 6 A man praying; next to the Mother of Ganges Temple room (the previous photograph) is this temple illuminated by the Bhagavad Gita. Several shrines and temples can be part of one complex, like in Christianity. I am on the way to the room that has a tree crown as a roof. Openness stemming from genuine lack of pretence makes uncommon common in these parts of the world. Varanasi

Ganges Temple

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @32mm, f2.8, Nikon Z 6 Thanksgiving; a woman steps up to the sacred place in one of the rooms. The Indian art draws from underlying recognitions we lost soon after the earliest phase of our civilisation (European), and which we are only slowly regaining, and will one day regain. As you would guess, the sense isn’t confined only to art. And it also manifests endurance in the face of distracting processes that enter the genius loci of India’s transforming space. Varanasi

Indian Scops Owl

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @390mm, f8, light flash, Nikon Z 6 Getting late (for late October), especially in the thicket like this - the speedlight is used. A different genus of small owls, here slightly larger than the spotted owlet. The depth of field at f8 – a good example to see this again; it isn’t nearly enough to cover the ear-tufts and belly/tibial feathering (faster lens is handy for cropping, and ultimate versatility). Rajasthan bush

Spotted owlet

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 400, Nikon Z 6 In early morning sunrays; (sp. indica) regarded as superspecies, it’s closely related to our little owl (an early-stage subspecies). The population of our species declined about 65% during the last 25 years in the UK (BTO). Thorough studies from Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Switzerland reveal a decline in habitat productivity, caused by schematic opportunistic agricultural practices, is stressing the breeding birds (lack of systemwide regulations). The young get born, the pairs try to raise them, but the survival rate dropped to very low. The distinct characters that hunt a wide variety of insects and small vertebrates were once a much more common sight in Europe, where like in India, they have been part of our lives and folklore for millennia. We‘re among the lucky few who can still hear them from their windows. Rajasthan bush

The Resting Langurs

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 400, Nikon Z 6 Late morning, capped langur in the canopy; watching the mate’s back Hoollongapar Sanctuary jungle

Indian Hawk-cuckoo III

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 560, Nikon Z 6 Slight crop, morning; there are similarities between this and our Eurasian/African cuckoo, including the mimicry of hawks and distinct songs. Both are remarkable birds, our cuckoo is even more elusive, secretive and very hard to spot. We were helped by the fact that young birds (fending fully for themselves) were roaming the area, and so we had the luck to see two different individuals in separate locations. Rajasthan

Egyptian Vulture II

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 450, Nikon Z 6 Crop (APS-H), early morning light 5 min. later;. The 3rd winter plumage.; vultures are long-lived birds. Rajasthan

Egyptian Vulture

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 220, Nikon Z 6 Sunrise lit; red-vented bulbul perched on the left. The rare visitor to the UK drew a great interest of bird watchers when it appeared on the Isles of Scilly this June. This is the Indian subspecies that has a pale beak, compared to the black beak of the nominate ssp. Their numbers plummeted in the last few decades in India. That is very likely a result of excessive use of chemicals. It harms all of us in one way or the other; the vultures, raptors and owls are among the first indicators in the bird world as we know from Europe all too well. Rajasthan

Chatting

Sigma 100-400 OS C @100mm, f6.3, ISO 1000, Nikon D750 Morning light; old friends talking day-to-day matters Varanasi

Water Buffalo; The Floodplain

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f9, ISO 180, Nikon Z 6 Morning haze Assam

Rhesus Macaque V

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @480mm, f8, ISO 360 (+0.5 EV), Nikon Z 6 A male crossing an open space as the group moves on. He wasn’t overly keen on a portrait, to say at least, not to mention my clumsy approach (grumpy and certainly not in hurry - backing). Once, we walked late along a seldom-used path piercing the forest, looking through the vegetation to make fast progress (Bako NP). Passing a trunk ending somewhere at shoulder height, I glimpsed a movement. The unexpected rush through the undergrowth past a troop in the darkening forest triggered a response. A male long-tailed macaque shot along the trunk from the side and within a second I had the wildest screaming grimace less than a metre from my face. Flying on, I turned briefly back: “Did you see that?” Yea, came back, Zlatka nodding (why are you asking?). Some way further and I realised my grip on the tripod is still firm from the reflex. There’re many stories about the alpha males (of some macaque species) bites when provoked or encouraged so the screaming grimace jumping out of the shadow wasn’t unusual; it just came unexpectedly. I think the long-tailed macaque does this best. Rajasthan

Forest IV

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @24mm, f5, 6 exp/2.3 EV range (merged in Photomatix), Nikon Z 6 Morning sunlight, against bright background, semi-evergreen forest by the Manas river Assam

Crocodile V

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @380mm, f8, Nikon Z 6 Crop (APS-C), the old male entering the water (the third eyelid closed). Lit more directly, the colour is more saturated compared to the backlit images (as we both move, the angles change). Odisha mangroves

Blue-tailed Bee-eater

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 110, Nikon Z 6 Midday light cloud (haze); forest edge/grassland Rajasthan

Diwali II

Sigma 100-400 OS C @400mm, f6.3 (1/160s), ISO 2200, Nikon D750 An evening ritual by the Ganges (incense burner). Varanasi

Candle

Sigma 100-400 OS C @400mm, f6.3, ISO 2000, Nikon D750 Diwali, Varanasi

Forest-dwelling Calanthe

Nikkor 24-70/2.8 S @70mm, f13, speedlight/wide angle diffuser, Nikon Z 6 Light cloud, handheld; I found this beauty in all stages of flower development in Assam. I am sending it back to the whole subcontinent (the genus reads a beautiful flower in Greek). Widely distributed, though not seen often. Found also in Thailand, Borneo and Africa. Assam

Grey-headed Canary-flycatcher

Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 560 (+0.3 EV), Nikon Z 6 Afternoon; catching flying insects it loves to perch in the twilight of the canopy in tropical and subtropical forests (Ghats, Kerala area). Local birders observed some also come to winter to the park from the north from places like Himalayan valleys (interestingly, in other valleys, they migrate altitudinally or stay all year in the warm Bhutan valleys in the east). These moist forest little characters are an example of how molecular data as a new source of information in detailing evolutionary relations identify distinct groups for species previously placed in various other families. In this case, it’s a new family of fairy flycatchers with four genera (two species in this genus) and the data revealed the group is related to penduline tits/tits rather than to true flycatchers. Rajasthan forest