Birds Around Me

Lawn mowing was abruptly stopped today when all of a sudden my son jumped with the frog jumping around him. That was a funny scene. I wasn't expecting a Common Frog ( मेंढक /  Rana temporaria) in our front garden at all, bit unusual place, have seen them in the back garden in the bushes. These are masters of disguise and can be regularly seen around garden ponds, I don't have a pond in our garden. Chesham, UK Sept 2020 Chesham, UK Sept 2020

Due to COVID situation all throughout this year, we hardly went out with kids apart from walks, runs, and on bikes. One such outing was to a nearby lavender farm. It wasn't the best of the day, cold and windy but a good outing. The overwhelming fragrance of lavender and bright sunflower made our day good. I was dejected that I wasn't carrying my telephoto lens in my car boot; took it out to for maintenance. Saw Deer, Kestrels, tens of Goldfinches, and loads of beautiful Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina Americana); I don't have a proper macro lens so with my 35mm all-purpose lens captured beautiful Beetle. The Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina americana) originates from southern Europe, it has been widespread in Britain since the mid-1990s. The larvae and adults feed on the foliage of rosemary and related plants (src: RHS). Rosemary Beetle (Chrysolina Americana) Isn't it amazing that its name suggests Beetle is from the Americas but it isn't?   The Rosemary beetle eats the foli...

While driving through the south of Spain during the Christmas holidays, saw flashes of reds and whites flying alongside our car, and in the fields. 10s of them.   And then I saw just one White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) in St James Park when we came back to London, that too for literally one click.  They are very beautiful in flight, with red beak and feet, flapping their wings only occasionally.  Their nests are often very large and may be used for many years, you can see them on top of a lamppost, chimneys, treetops, etc.  White Stork (Ciconia ciconia)  St. James Park, London, UK

The Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) is one of six Buntings that breed in the UK. It is a common resident and can be seen in varying habitats reed beds, marshlands and lakeside shrubs, farmland, and often gardens (winter/spring).  Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)  Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), a sparrow-sized but slim and with a long, deeply notched tail, the male has a blackhead, white-collar, and a drooping moustache. Females and winter males have a streaked head. In-flight the tail looks black with broad, white edges.  Although the male is unmistakeable in the breeding season, males in winter plumage and females are harder to identify.  A shutosh Jhureley  @BirdsAroundMe My unfinished List of Birds (पक्षियों की अपूर्ण  सूची):  https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-birds-i-clicked-since.html Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)  Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)  Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)  Reed Buntin...

The most common bird of the British Isles, Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), in winters there is hardly any garden in Britain where these pretty little birds don't visit. BTO survey suggests 96-98% of British garden report Blue Tit in winter.  Interestingly, being so common across the UK, they are missing from northern Scottish isles of Orkney & Shetland.  Blue Tit is a small bird, weighing only 10-11g and is unmistakenly identified by blue plumage. Only Tit on the British Isles with blue plumage, both sexes look similar. Often seen in the garden, around bird feeders in the group as large as 20-25 with other tits, Robin and Dunnock below the feeder. Blue Tits are my favorite birds on the feeder. -- Ashutosh Jhureley @BirdsAroundMe Unfinished List (अपूर्ण सूची)  https://birds.rekabira.in/p/this-is-list-of-birds-i-clicked-since.html Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth UK 19-July-2020  Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)  Blue Tit (Cyanistes c...

Bird of many myths, civilizations, and the ancient world, Grey heron (अंजन, नरी, सैन) / Ardea cinerea is another bird that I had the opportunity to see and photograph in the UK and India (north, central & south). Grey heron अंजन, नरी, सैन, खैरा बगुला (Ardea cinerea) RSPB Rye Meads August 2022 Grey heron अंजन, नरी, सैन, खैरा बगुला (Ardea cinerea) Padariya, Jabalpur, MP, India October 2023 Grey heron अंजन, नरी, सैन, खैरा बगुला (Ardea cinerea) Padariya, Jabalpur, MP, India October 2023 Grey heron अंजन, नरी, सैन, खैरा बगुला (Ardea cinerea) Padariya, Jabalpur, MP, India October 2023 Grey heron (अंजन, नरी, सैन) / Ardea cinerea RSPB Rye Meads July 2022 Grey heron (अंजन, नरी, सैन) / Ardea cinerea RSPB Rye Meads July 2022 Grey heron (अंजन, नरी, सैन) / Ardea cinerea RSPB Rye Meads July 2022 Grey heron (अंजन, नरी, सैन) / Ardea cinerea Stocker's Lake, Rickmansworth, UK 15-Sept-2020 I cannot get over close-up experience with Grey Heron yesterday. It was less than 3 meters away from me and v...