YuGWoRLD: Raptor

Saker Falcon

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After much awaiting, finally i was at LRK aka Little Rann of Kutch on
 6th of Feb'16 with Dr.Pragnesh n Viren Desai,i was much late for 
birding as winter birds specially raptors might went even though i was 
there for Peregrine Falcon.its a wild ass sanctuary.<br />
Around 3pm we
 reached at Bhavna resort & Farm after morning session at Nal 
Sarovar. our guide Becharbhai was ready,after getting  refreshed we went
 for birding for evening session.we had 
finished our evening session at 7pm n returned at our hotel.took dinner n
 went for sleep early after recharge of battery of our camera coz we 
were very tired n have to wake up early in the morning.<br />
Get ready 
around at 5.30am, our guide Becharbhai came n told for took tea.approx 
6am we were on our exclusive safari,it was 12-15 degree cold, i forget 
to take my jacket n feel freezing sensation while we were in jeep coz 
our location was 40+km away n we were on speed of 50+.<br />
After drive
 of 1hr+ Becharbhai stopped at one point n sighted Montague's Harrier,we
 took shots after 5min again we were on search of raptors.after 30min of
 drive Becharbhai again stopped and looking in Binocular at one point 
where he sighted Greater spotted eagle n Imperial Eagle.we went there n 
took record shot.while we tried to approach for closer they fly away. i 
asked to go towards imperial eagle n game was on....we took shot n try 
to approach for closure,it fly away.this game continued for 40+min then 
we stopped chasing imperial eagle n went inside.<br />
while we were 
going towards perching site of  Peregrine Falcon after drive of 
10-15min,Virenbhai seen one bird flying and we went towards 
there,stopped far away n took record shot.Becharbhai came with book of 
indian birds n told to show for id n we all got shocked n happy coz its a
 Saker Falcon.<br />
Becharbhai 
told that we can try to get closure but this bird cant give good shot so we 
tried to approach towards this beauty.Mostly we stop n it fly away.we 
tried for 6-7times in 1+hr n didn't got good  shot but i got good 
flying shot from front n side.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Details from Google</span></b><br />
<dl class="facts">
<dt>Male length: 45 cm</dt>
<dt>Female length: 55 cm</dt>
<dt>Male wingspan: 100 - 110 cm</dt>
<dt>Female wingspan: 120 - 130 cm</dt>
<dt>Male weight: 730 - 990 g</dt>
<dt>Female weight: 970 - 1,300 g</dt>
<dt><br /></dt>
<dt>The saker falcon can be both highly agile and extremely fast as it 
hunts close to the ground , capable of diving for prey at 200 miles per 
hour.( <a href="http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/saker_falcon.htm" target="_blank">source</a> ) </dt>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKuMbnOk54BXUw6386f0xpot9ioez9p2jumgT-248TgcevmCjbZSiVThviyiuauqocpW5ssqkI7z8YuB5O0oiC8z0XzmJSQj7KzgoYsNCieJXKuLcUYk-XMl5sPwrGGtH8mgFCnhbI6gf/s1600/Saker+Falcon+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfKuMbnOk54BXUw6386f0xpot9ioez9p2jumgT-248TgcevmCjbZSiVThviyiuauqocpW5ssqkI7z8YuB5O0oiC8z0XzmJSQj7KzgoYsNCieJXKuLcUYk-XMl5sPwrGGtH8mgFCnhbI6gf/s640/Saker+Falcon+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
</dt>
</dl>
Exifs :<br />
Canon 7D Mark2<br />
Manual Mode<br />
07/02/16, 8:28AM <br />
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/2000 || ISO 1000 || 600mm || White Balance : 5200k<br />
Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.</div>

Saker Falcon

After much awaiting, finally i was at LRK aka Little Rann of Kutch on 6th of Feb'16 with Dr.Pragnesh n Viren Desai,i was much late for...

Brown Fish Owl

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Me and my close friends went so many places in Gujarat and don't know why many people are telling indirectly that, we are running for bird count.yes we run behind every new species,its not for us but its for Gujarat coz in past there were on paper record but no one have photos<span data-offset-key="5repl-0-0"><span data-text="true"> of all species, our moto is to make large photographic bird database for birds sighted only in Gujarat and nearby Union Territory in Gujarat.</span></span><br />
i had seen Brown Fish Owl in our website <a href="http://www.birdsofgujarat.co.in/">http://www.birdsofgujarat.co.in/</a> , uploaded by Dr.Gaurang Bagda, who is a Physician and tried to contact him on Facebook but his friend list was 5k so i cant send fb request.(even i too reached at this 5k fb friend list but realize that many had sent fb request to obtain "likes" so now removing them and reache at 2.2k...lol)<br />
we had made a trip to Sasan Gir wildlife sanctuary for birds and lion.one day i messaged in my group for wish list birds and one of my friend Abhay wrote for "Brown Fish Owl".so i replied, i will try for you.<br />
Again i tried to sent FB Request to Dr.Gaurang and luckily it sent....then he accepted it.while i got message of it,i sent a long message for "Brown Fish Owl" as he know me coz me and Pankaj had uploaded many birds of his as he is much busy person.so he replied that he will try to fulfill our wish list.i called Pankaj and told that talk with Dr.Gaurang regarding Brown Fish Owl as he told.<br />
Pankaj talked with Dr.Gaurang and asked to come aprx at 3pm so we can find this beauty.now we have to plan for reach timely at Junagadh around at 3pm.so made a plan to drive from Surat around at 5am and reach at ahmedabad at 10am then we reach junagadh at 3pm,and everyone was ready.<br />
On 3/5/17 i came from night shift and think for good sleep on 4/5/17 but dont know what happened,didnt took a sleep of 1minut so at 1am,i wrote a message in our whatsapp group for sasan trip...come as early... Abhay was also awake so told to go at Viren's home to start journey early as they had decided to drive at 3.30am.Abhay went at Viru's Home and Viru was also waiting of Abhay and Hiren.Viru called Hiren and surprisingly, Hiren was also awake we all were like owl,might be due to excitement of our trip.<br />
They went to DK(Dharmesh kadiwal)'s home to pick him and 4.30am at my home.we were on the way to Ahmedabad to pick Pankaj.we reached at 9.45 am and Pankaj came at Ringroad of ahmedbad,now e were on the way to Junagadh.we had took our lunch at limdi and started our journey again.due to traffic we reach junagadh at 3.30am.Gaurangbhai wa waiting for us at entrance of sanctuary since 3pm and we reached at 4pm,we all met him face to face 1st time then we were on the way to hill for "Brown Fish Owl".<br />
As Gaurangbhai knew the place,we parked the car after drive of 20min and now we have to walk aprx 1+km in between small to large stones with careful walk.temperature was about 42+c and humidity was high so everyone were soaked in perspiration was it was for wish list so we all ignored(except Pankaj and Gaurangbhai have clicks)<br />
After walking of 20+min Gaurangbhai told us to walk very carefully as we were in the area of "Brown Fish Owl" but our bad luck,it was not there so we walk ahead for 200+mtr and it fly away.now we had divided in group of 3 and walk for 300+mtr but we unable to locate this beauty.Abhay was with me and we see on each other with sad face coz we have to return.Gaurangbhai didnt lose hope for sighting and luckily he sighted with Pankaj,he waved his hand to walk fast and we had clicked this beauty for 10minutes.i saw towards Abahy and he was smiling coz it was his desired wish list,he had clicked only 5+ shot coz he just wanna see live and enjoyed it live.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4x5jC-mtj5l9eB0G1zXUl9KKIGIBmCHvK_xOL8CCEY7H0Rvy8f1lyrStJqH_yIc6SVG-EK6ADAQk6Nkz-nfcIuztonqQl5noRpuqeh0LkiFa1JJrDo6Z1pk11awSpbMCE2APiSDeXa1k6/s1600/Brown+Fish+Owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4x5jC-mtj5l9eB0G1zXUl9KKIGIBmCHvK_xOL8CCEY7H0Rvy8f1lyrStJqH_yIc6SVG-EK6ADAQk6Nkz-nfcIuztonqQl5noRpuqeh0LkiFa1JJrDo6Z1pk11awSpbMCE2APiSDeXa1k6/s640/Brown+Fish+Owl.jpg" width="436" /></a></div>
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Exifs :<br />
Canon 7D Mark2<br />
Manual Mode<br />
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/1600 || ISO 2000 || 600mm || White Balance : Daylight<br />
Girnar Wildlife Sanctuary,Junagadh, Gujarat</div>

Brown Fish Owl

Me and my close friends went so many places in Gujarat and don't know why many people are telling indirectly that, we are running for b...

Red-necked Falcon with Kill

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Tring-Tring...<br />
it was a call from my friend Pragnesh,picked a phone."m coming to Surat on midnight of 12/03/17 and get ready for this Sunday as we had went last year of Holi",i replied...yaar i have to go hospital in noon so not possible for long distance and our near by wetland was also dry so...where to go???<br />
He replied find place nearby and we.i called my close friend Viren and he told me to come Surat for Pragnesh.<br />
i messaged this to Pragnesh but he told "you have to come with me,we shud return till 12pm"so i replied "yes"<br />
i was ready around at 6.30am and went to pick Pragnesh.Viru was coming from Bardoli and he reached our desured Destination around at 7.20am but we are on the way so asked him to go inside n do birding.<br />
we reached there around at 7.35am nd going slowly at speed of 5-10kmph and sudden break my cheetah.i had sighted Red-necked Falcon with kill and asked Pragnesh to click.my camera was in the bag coz thought for Red Munia only and didn't want to click them.<br />
After clicking 3-4 shots by Pragnesh,i told him to hold on for ready my camera from my backpack.i also clicked 3-4shots and Viren came from our front side,i waved my hand and he stopped his elantra and showed this beauty.<br />
we were must be at a distance of  50+mtr and decided to go near without disturbing falcon so make a distance of  40-50mtr and enjoyed watching it and also click again some moments.<br />
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Exifs :<br />
Canon 7D Mark2<br />
Manual Mode<br />
f /8 || Shutter speed 1/500 || ISO 100 || 600mm || White Balance : Daylight<br />
Surat outskirt, Gujarat</div>

Red-necked Falcon with Kill

Tring-Tring... it was a call from my friend Pragnesh,picked a phone."m coming to Surat on midnight of 12/03/17 and get ready for this...

Brahminy Kite

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i didnt get more chance to click Raptors.on 28th August 2015 i was at tena wetland, Surat outskirt to find n clicking new birds.i had walked more then 3-4km circling the wetland but didnt find new birds.<br />
it was bright sunny day with clear blue sky n some birds were flying so i was looking in my camera, sudden i saw 2 birds were coming towards me as i thought they were Black kite, at first i ignored but when they are close to me i just focused n it was different. so sudden un-mount my camera from tripod n focused handheld n clicked continuously...it was a wow moment coz this was a new raptors for me.when i zoom in my camera display,it was a Brahminy Kite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbx2x2b8McIFiVNDypyBT0e_9XeQ8OZ98yHw7e8BE3oKPmwft5d-F98uWufEVSIZ0SH-zqxh03eF2TpD_2rk1h-R9X4NtUL6FuiHaYf3xwU60ftzT66SvN4K7cAYW_mR62RXJ2tmWgG7cf/s1600/Brahmini+Kite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbx2x2b8McIFiVNDypyBT0e_9XeQ8OZ98yHw7e8BE3oKPmwft5d-F98uWufEVSIZ0SH-zqxh03eF2TpD_2rk1h-R9X4NtUL6FuiHaYf3xwU60ftzT66SvN4K7cAYW_mR62RXJ2tmWgG7cf/s640/Brahmini+Kite.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Exifs :<br />
Canon 600D<br />
Aperture-Priority AE Mode<br />
f /6.3 || Shutter speed 1/2000 || ISO 400 || White Balance : Day Light <br />
Focal length : 600mm<br />
Surat Outskirt, Gujarat</div>

Brahminy Kite

i didnt get more chance to click Raptors.on 28th August 2015 i was at tena wetland, Surat outskirt to find n clicking new birds.i had walke...

Black-Shouldered Kite

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For birding you have to go out of your home.i was searching birds at walking speed in my car,suddenly see a kingfisher sitting on a electric pole,so stopped my car far away and come out for close up. with taking small steps and snaps,trying go closer but noticed my movement and fly away.i was disappointed coz cudnt get close up.still trying to focus for flying snaps.<br />
during this i was just below that electric pole and i heard a sound of wings.i stand there like frozen myself. without body movement slowly try my camera to move on that bird and when i see with clear focus, i am so happy to catch this raptor.<br />
taken many pics but this raptor is not coming in my screen properly due to it was sit on top most electric wire.then myself moved slowly to get best view and m succeed to catch.<br />
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here is the best shot<br />
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image is grainy coz i forget to change iso 800 to 100, while big cloud passed from sun.<br />
<br />
October'14<br />
Location : Surat Outskirt, Gujarat <br />
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