Shhh... Koi He

As story posted in Steppe Grey Shrike, we were in Little Rann of Kutch on 17/11/17.we had taken permit and entered for morning safari.
i was driving the Thar and after drive of 20+min,we entered in the Rann.our guide was Saddambhai and we had given Thar him to drive coz he knows the location.after drive of 10min,we got Steppe Eagle.Took 4-5shots, while tried for close shot,one another car came towards us but direct toward the eagle and it fly away.
Then we moved ahead and searching for Peregrine Falcon,as its a confirm location,we sighted there.we got good shots.Then we again moved inside and sighted Merlin but fly away even after we were far from it.we tried to locate it but failed and moved ahead. sighted Imperial Eagle.we got good shots of it and after 10min we again moved inside for Short-earled Owl.while we entered there we had sighted 20+ Short-eared Owl and it was amazing.
While we were searching a location for good shot of Owl,sighted this beauty,hiding and clicked 3shots.bit difficult coz we were far away and very difficult to focus.not good n sharp shot but loved the composition so sharing here.

Exifs :
Canon 7D Mark2
Manual Mode
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/1000 || ISO 640 || 600mm || White Balance : Daylight
LRK, Gujarat.

The Family in the Frame

My Close friend Dr.Pankaj Maheria always told to explore my coastal area and each time i went there when i was at my birth town.on 27 October 2017 i was at beach side of Udwada and walking for searching the new species,sudden i sighted many birds in the water of sea.from far i thought of Eurasian Curlew but tried to go closure and luckily sighted Bar-tailed Godwit,Whimbrel, Eurasian Oyestercatcher.
it was bit difficult to take shots of them coz they were fly away due to hunting of birds in that area.
once they fly away thought to waked again towards them but i sit there n waited.after 30min they again came there.very carefully approached towards them but it was very windy and i was noticed so started flying.in between i had clicked 4-5 shots and here is one of them.

Exifs :
Canon 7D Mark2
Manual Mode
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/1600 || ISO 1000 || 600mm || White Balance : Daylight
Udvada, Gujarat.

Steppe Grey Shrike

LRK mean Little Rann of Kutch, is a popular birding spot for raptors in winter.i daily talk with my Bestie Pankaj and he is planned to go LRK 2-3 times and decided to in November.1st time i thought to go in early winter and made an immediate plan of one full day birding on 17/11/17 with Pankaj.
To reach 6.30am at forest office of LRK and take a sleep of at least 2hour, we have to start our journey 6pm but we were delayed.i started my journey from my home at 6.30pm to pick a my friend Pragnesh but decided to go after dinner so we both took dinner at her sister's home.we left there around at 7.30pm and went to bardoli to pick another bestie Viren and reached there at 8.20pm.i parked my cheetah there and took viru's THAR 4 X 4.
we had decided to sleep one by one but we all were awake till Ahmadabad and finally reached Bajana around at 5.30am.after parking we took a sleep till 6.40am and Pankaj came from Patan.around 7am we took permit and did morning safari and got Steppe Eagle,Peregrine Falcon, Imperial Eagle,Merlin, Short-earled Owl in morning session. we ended our morning session timely and returned to forest office.
Took lunch at one of hotel and rested for 30min.After taking Permit of evening session we went another place and taken shots of male Pallid Harrier.then we decided to go inside the area.after drive of 5min, Viren see the the Shrike,it was more white color n i told its Steppe so we all laugh coz its rare n i thing not sighted in LRK till now. while we approached for good shot,it fly away.but we all were lucky to have good shots of rarity.
Forget to see the setting though came good result.

Exifs :
Canon 7D Mark2
Manual Mode
f /6.7 || Shutter speed 1/1600 || ISO 800 || 600mm || White Balance : 5200k
LRK, Gujarat.

Eurasian Oyestercatcher

Udvada is my birth town and each vacation i been there for at least 7days.this diwali vacation i was also there from 25 October to 5th November.
My close friend Dr.Pankaj Maheriya always told to explore the beach side of udvada and i went each time.This time i thought for different location and went there,parked my car and walked more than 2+km for new species and sighted this beauty.
i thought not to share all species but my another friend Dr.Pragnesh told to show n upload flight shot of Eurasian Oyestercatcher so sharing for him.

Exifs :
Canon 7D Mark2
Manual Mode
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/2000 || ISO 800 || 600mm || White Balance : 5200k
Udvada, Gujarat.

Ruddy Shelduck

i had taken position for 2+hour at one place at Tapi River bank,Dabholi,Surat.they were 10-20 in numbers. waited for landing shots of this beauty n got 2-3 shots.

 

 

Exifs :

Canon 600D

Aperture-Priority AE Mode

f /8 || Shutter speed 1/1000 || ISO 400 || 600mm

Surat, Gujarat

Painted Sandgrouse female

Since last year i was waiting for trip to kutch during September coz during this time,passage migratory birds come.so booked a guide Vikramsinh Sodha.why we choose him,just coz of he has exclusive and good locations so think to try.
Wake up at 4am and after getting ready driven from Surat to Kadodara cross road to pick my besties Viren Desai and Hiren Joshi,they came from Bardoli.after taking tea break,we reached Ahmadabad around at 10.30am as expected and pick my roomie  Pankaj Maheriya.then strted journey towards our destination.
Pankaj shoot our video during journey as a trip report and took our lunch break at Halvad.after lunch again we stared our journey and reached our destination,Kunj Birding Homestay at 5.15pm.
warm welcomed by Vikramsinh,we get fresh ourself and talked lil...sudden Vikramsinh told for tea but we told to go for Painted Sandgrouse as it was walking distance from there but we went there by car as much hot and humid weather.
After Parking of my XUV 500,Vikramsinh show us the Painted Sandgrouse and loved to watch them coz it was in my wish list of beautiful birds. Vikramsinh told that enter in cordoned area very carefully then crawl towards them so we did but terrible experience coz i did it after long time and many time feel a pain of spikes of dry wild babool but result was heavenly.

Exifs :
Canon 7D Mark2
Manual Mode
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/500 || ISO 1600 || 600mm || White Balance : 5200k
Kunj Birding Homestay, Nakhatrana,Kutch, Gujarat.