Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Yellow-wattled Lapwing is permanent resident in our region. Here they found in open fields, scrubs and dry patches around riverbed or canals. They prefer deserted area as habitat thus called ‘વગડાઉ ટીટોડી‘ - Vagdau Titodi in Gujarati language. They are unmistakably stand out with their black cap and bright yellow fleshy lappets. Usually they are less noisy than Red-wattled Lapwing, so we mostly notice them during their breeding season- chiefly April to July. Like other lapwings and plovers, they are ground birds, laid eggs on ground. Although its nest is look like just a collection of tiny pebbles and scrape, but this lapwing disguise their nest so carefully that only experienced birder can hope to find it.

We observe this lapwing in one of the canal visit. Pair of them become instantly became alert when we stopped by. We understand presence of their chicks which are just beside the road highly camouflaged within scrub. There are two of them. Chicks looks too fragile and too cute. We wonder how they can following their parents to forage for food...! or maybe they came this far to drink water. We unable to stop ourselves from taking some quick shots.

14^th April 2017

Dharpur, Patan, Gujarat, India

Nikon D500

AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR

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One of the features of a civilized man is that he has hobbies, serious hobbies. From time immemorial man has invented and developed various hobbies ranging from stamp collection to feather collection. Though man has been a social animal for a long time, the primeval instinct in his has not died. We yearn and long to be close to nature. There are a few hobbies that give us an opportunity to do so. One such hobby is bird-watching. It might seem simple to read the word and guess that it is very easy to watch the birds. But it is not what it seems. It needs a lot of dedication, determination and consistency to master ‘the art of bird-watching.’ It takes years of patience and perseverance to be a good birdwatcher. What you choose as your hobby is not as important as to what hobby chooses you. You have to be the chosen one. Dr. Pankaj Maheria, a Professor at GMERS Medical College, Valsad (South Gujarat) is one such Chosen One. Birds have chosen him as a medium between their worl

Pied Cuckoo

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Escape into the wild

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