19 May, 2013

2013 | 139 | 19May13 | Bannergattah & Hessergatta

1. Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) ventral - Bannergattah

2. Large Cuckoo Shrike - Bannergattah

3. White Browed Bulbul

4. Paddy Field Pippit

5. Female Pied Bushchat

6. White Browed Bulbul

7. Red Wattled Lapwing


8. Spotted Owlet

05 May, 2013

2013 | 125 | 05May13 | Hebbal Lake

1. Argiope Aurantia/ Black & Yellow Garden Spider
2. Red Whiskered Bulbul
3. Dragon Fly
4. Pond Heron
5.Purple Rumped Sunbird


Purple-rumped Sunbird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
01 Is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent.
02 Small in size, feeding mainly on nectar but sometimes take insects, particularly when feeding young.
03 Can hover for short durations but usually perch to feed.
04 They build a hanging pouch nest made up of cobwebs, lichens and plant material.
05 Males are brightly coloured but females are olive above and yellow to buff below.
06 Are tiny at less than 10 cm long.
07 They have medium-length thin down-curved bills and brush-tipped tubular tongues, both adaptations to their nectar feeding.
08 Purple-rumped Sunbirds are sexually dimorphic.
09 The males have a dark maroon upperside with a blue-green crown that glistens in some angles, bright green shoulder patch and violet/purple rump patch which is generally hidden.
10 The underparts are whitish with dark throat, maroon breast band and purple/violet patch in the throat which is visible in some angles.
11 The iris is generally reddish in color.
12 The female has a white throat followed by yellowish breast.
13 The upperside is olive or brownish.
14 The uppertail coverts are black and a weak supercilium is visible.
15 Their call is ptsiee ptsit, ptsiee ptsswit or a sharp twittering tityou, titou, trrrtit, tityou....
16 Is a common resident breeder in southern India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
17 Found in a variety of habitats with trees, including scrub and cultivation and is usually absent from dense forest.
18 Breed through the year and may have two broods, but mainly during the monsoons.
19 The nest is made up of fine plant fibres, cobwebs and is studded on the exterior with lichens, bark pieces, flying seeds and other materials.
20 The nest is constructed by the female alone although the male may fly alongside her.
21 The nest is lined with soft fibres
22 The nest is placed on the end of branch and the entrance usually faces a bush.
23 Nests may sometimes be built close to buildings or under open porches.
24 The female stays in the nest at night a couple of day before laying the eggs.
25 The clutch consists of two eggs which are generally oval, pale greenish and white with spots and streaks, becoming more dense at the broad end.
26 Sometimes, eggs may be plain grey without markings as well.
27 The eggs are laid mainly in the morning.
28 The eggs are incubated by both the male and female.
29 The incubation period varies from 14 to 16 days.
30 The chicks fledge in about 17 days and continue to be fed by the male for a few days.
31 Helpers, females or possibly juveniles from the previous brood may sometimes assist the parents in feeding the young.
32 Old nests are sometimes reused.
33 Cases of nests being parasitised by the Grey-bellied Cuckoo are known.
34 They pollinate the flowers of many plant.
35 They tend to perch while foraging for nectar
36 It has been noted that they maintain special scratching posts, where they get rid of pollen and nectar sticking to their head.
37 When the flowers are too deep to probe, they sometimes pierce the base of the flower and rob the nectar.
38 They sometimes visit open crop fields and take honeydew exuded by leafhoppers.
39 The may indulge in dew-bathing, or bathing by sliding in drops of rain collected on large leaves.

6. Ashy Prinia
7. Black Winged Stilt
8. Flower Pecker
9. Purple Rumped Sunbird
10. Flower pecker
11. Flower pecker
12. Black Winged Kite