Sunday Travel Pics: @Indiaves
Four major Sights of Tawang Town, Arunachal Pradesh
1. The 40 ft Giant Buddha Statue overlooking the Tawang Valley.
2. Tawang War Memorial of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
3. Historic Tawang Monastery, where the current 14th Dalai Lama first entered into while crossing over from China.
4. Tree with aromatic leaves grown from walking Stick of 6th Dalai Lama at Urgelling Temple.
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #arunachalpradesh #tawang
Sunday Travel Pics: @Indiaves
Have a look at pure Arunachali cuisine. We had a wonderful meal in which a wooden platter was served with a variety of unique and tasty dishes. The items here from bottom right clockwise are as follows:
Thuk Pa with Momo Soup (thuk -noodles, Pa - veggies)
Khazi Rice with local chilli chutney
Chur Pa with Cha (chur - local cheese, milk, pa - veggies & cha -Chicken)
Charmin - local chilli achar
Crispy Thuk
Yer ( salad)
Zan (local bread)
Bamboo Shoot Achar with King Chillies
Desi sweet Rice with Mar (Local Ghee) & dry fruits
The most interesting aspect of pure Arunachali Cuisine is the total absence of the use of Cooking Oil!
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #wildlifephotography #arunachalpradesh #vivantatawang
Sunday Travel Pics: @IndiAves
The striking Gold Finch is a beautiful bird, always a delight for bird photographers. Their vivid red and golden yellow along with light brown and black plumage makes it so attractive and easily identifiable, that it continues to be a favorite in the pet trade. However luckily, it is still not yet threatened as a species.
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #wildlifephotography
Sunday Travel Pics: @IndiAves
Desert Foxes found at the Desert National Park, Thar, are a different species from the Indian Foxes found all over the country. The identifying feature is that the Desert Foxes have white tail-tips vs the black tail-tip of Indian Foxes. Foxes have one of the thickest and bushiest tails among animals! They have very large Ears to hear minute underground sounds and also to dissipate Desert Heat. They build multi-entry deep underground dens to avoid very high desert temps over 50°C. Here’s are different individuals photo’d at DNP during early mornings and dusk, when they are most active.
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #travelphotography
Sunday Travel Pics: @IndiAves
Birds and animals were prominently depicted in the religious, social and daily activities of ancient kingdoms of Egyptian Pharaohs! All Egyptian Temples have birds and animals in decorative temple Reliefs dating back to 3 to 4000 years ago much before the Christian era. Infact Black-headed Ibis was regarded as a representative of God. Ancient Phariahs and Egyptian commoners were Polytheists and worshiped many forms of God. Here are some bird reliefs photo’d from inside Pharoah Tombs and Temples. Ibis as a God; Egrets, Swans and Ibis; duck hunting on the Nile; a herd of Great Egrets some with original pigments from 3000 years go! Expand and enjoy!
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #travelphotography
Sunday Travel Pics: @IndiAves
Village artisanry alongside the picturesque River Nile - local tradesmen with their shops. Brightly coloured, coiled ‘Khous’ trays & baskets made from date palm leaves; shops selling ‘Galabeya’s, the full length universal local attire worn by all in Egypt; local village bakery selling freshly baked ‘aish baladi’ (meaning life bread), a whole wheat flatbread, always a centrepiece of Egyptian meals and a unique local Garment pressing shop using feet for ironing!
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #travelphotography #streetphotography #villageartisans
Sunday Travel Pics: @IndiAves
Here is an unusual collection of 4 birds from the Nile River. The SQUACCO Heron, can be easily mistaken for the Pond Heron, difficult to sight as it remains well disguised in the undergrowth. The large HOODED Crows, widely seen in Middle Eastern Countries but not in South Asia. The ALBINO Rock Dove - wild & feral from possible interbreeding with pigeons, but has a striking appearance, with feathered feet, on dull rocky outgrowths of the famous Nile Cataracts. And the European GREAT Cormorant (subspecies-P. c. sinensis), a winter migrant to the Nile, with white filoplumes on their necks and a distinctive white thigh patch.
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography
Sunday Travel Pics: @IndiAves
Recently on our trip to Egypt, we were amazed at the stunning recoveries of more than 5000 items, found from the only Tomb of an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh that was not fully robbed at the Valley of the Kings. That of Tutankhamun, the Boy who became King at the age of 8 years and died at the age of 18! The Funerary solid Gold Mask, the solid gold sarcophagus, the Gold covered and embellished Throne shown with his beloved Queen on his side & enemies at his feet, are all displayed at the new GEM in Cairo. But his Mummy has been preserved at his own Tomb at the Valley of the Kings, 650 kms from Cairo near Luxor.
#travel #wildlife #animals #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape
Sunday Nature Pics: @IndiAves
The Wheatears of Desert National Park - during the winters the Wheatears migrate from the northern & central Asian countries to the Desert areas of Rajasthan & Gujarat. Here are the all the 4 Wheatears that we were lucky to shoot - the Variable Wheatear, the Desert Wheatear, The Persian Wheatear & the Isabelline Wheatear in one collection! The name has nothing to do with Wheat or Ears - it is modified from old colloquial name ’White Arse’ (rump or vent!).
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #dnp #jaisalmer #wheatears
Sunday Nature Pics: @IndiAves
Beautiful capture of the Trumpeter Finch, a small stocky bird of Middle East & Central Asia, which migrates to the Desert areas of Rajasthan’s Thar and Gujarat’s Kachchh, only during the winters. They arrive in a flock and make their nests in rocky, stony, semi-desert areas of the Deserts but not too far from some water source. They are monogamous and are mostly seen in pairs. The males have a beautiful light pink sheen on their plumage during mating months. Expand and see the pics!
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #dnp #jaisalmer #finch #trumpeterfinch
Sunday Nature Pics: @IndiAves
The flagship species of the grasslands of Desert National Park at Jaisalmer is on the brink of extinction - the Great Indian Bustard (GIB), critically endangered, of which only 120 or so remain in the wild in the 3000 sq KM of DNP.
We were extremely lucky to sight 6 individuals, including a female with a grown up chick! It is a huge conservation challenge to make these birds exist & thrive in the dwindling grasslands and numerous towering Windmills at DNP.
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #dnp #gib #jaisalmer #greatindianbustard
Sunday Nature Pics: @IndiAves
Desert National Park at Jaisalmer is at its welcoming best during the winter months. In the cold weather and with water around the wildlife thrives. Could get some interesting shots of animals and birds, which I will post over the next weeks.
Today I post a single beautiful photo - a frame worthy composition of the Indian Gazelle, a Chinkara trio. The residents of dry and arid desert land, these animals, are beautiful and fast and skittish.
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #dnp #gazelle #chinkara #jaisalmer
Sunday Nature Pics: @Indiaves
As I mentioned earlier in my posts, Bhitarkarnika NP is a Birder’s paradise. Not easy to sight the striking Short-toed Snake Eagle as they remain high in the sky or on nests in high trees. Lucky to get this beautiful individual in all details on the creek side one early morning. We could also hear its call as they are typically a silent species. These Eagles have a round owl like head and sharp bright yellow eyes, with visible short toes. They mostly hunt snakes and Lizards.
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #bhitarkanika #odisha #eagle #shorttoedsnakeeagle
Sunday Nature Pics: @Indiaves
Today I present the only beautifully RED coloured Crabs, both male & female - known as the Fiddler Crabs! The colour comes from Astaxanthin, a red coloured carotenoid. Flamingos also derive their colour from the same Astaxanthin! These crabs are well known for their extreme sexual dimorphism, where the male crabs have a major claw significantly larger than their minor claw, whilst females' claws are both the same size. These also have the longest eye-stalk among crabs! They are found along marshy mud banks of Rivers and Creeks conspicuously moving around in the drab muddy edges. These red Fiddler Crabs are found at Bhitarkanika Mangrove NP, Odisha.
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #bhitarkanika #odisha #crab #fiddlercrab
Sunday Nature Pics: @Indiaves
Extremely difficult to sight and especially tough to get clear photographs, the Black Bitterns are skittish and skulking, always moving hiding, nesting and feeding under the reed beds and dense waterside shrubs. They seldom reveal themselves during daytime being crepuscular and only fly out from under the bushes at times of imminent danger. The food consists of frogs, fish, insects and small crustaceans. An amazing encounter at Bhitarkanika, Odisha.
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #bhitarkanika #odisha #blackbittern #bittern
Sunday Nature Pics: @Indiaves
Apart from other rare wildlife, photographers visit the remote Bhitarkanika National Park, in Odisha, for its seven species of Kingfishers, all in one place. Top of the list is the Brown-winged Kingfisher found in very few mangroves and riverine creeks of India.
And to get to photograph the BWKF with a live catch is a delight. Here is a BWKF with a large Catfish, which it head-bangs on the branch to stun it before consuming! We saw the BWKF trying to swallow the catfish a number of times but the fish was huge and wasn’t getting subjugated before it flew off still holding the fish. Here is the sequence ….
#wildlife #wildlifephotography #travel #animals #animalphotography #nature #birds #birding #birdwatching #birdphotography #naturephotography #landscape #bhitarkanika #odisha #brownwingedkingfisher #kingfisher