Birds of Lalbagh, Bangalore

Armed with our new Canon SX10, we set out to Lalbagh on a Sunday morning in April to shoot some birds. We reached Lalbagh at around 9am. It turned out to be a cloudy day, not great for photography. Once inside the garden, we headed straight to the lake.

We saw plenty of Black Kites roaming about on the ground, close to the pond.

Black Kite (Milvus migrans)

As we reached the pond, the scene looked promising. Lots of birds. There were several Purple Moorhen in the lotus pond and one on a close-by tree.

Purple Moorhen (Gallinula Chloropus) with a duck

Purple Moorhen (Gallinula Chloropus)

Purple Moorhen (Gallinula Chloropus)

Compared to the Moorhens, the Pond Herons were less active. One of them stood like a statue for several minutes, posing for a photograph.

Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)

Indian Pond Heron (Ardeola grayii)

I like the egrets, they are always majestic - in pure white. I wonder how they manage to maintain the colour.

Little Egret ( Egretta garzetta)

In contrast, Cormorants are the darkest black I have ever seen. I call them scuba divers as they dive deep into the water to hunt for fish. Here's one taking rest...

Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)

Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)

..and here's one just emerging out of a dive...

Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger)

There were a pair of geese wading in the water and were a delight to watch...


Of course, who doesn't like the squirrels, especially if they obligingly pose for a photograph?


Finally, here's a lotus to sign off.