Blue tiger road kill
Date: 06/05/2010
Every monsoon, millions of butterflies migrate to escape the cold/rains of the ghats to the warmer plains. In the process thousands get road killed.
Malabar Whistling Trush
Date: 09/27/2009
The call of the Malabar Whistling Trush, is one of the most melodious pieces of music I've ever heard in nature. I've always wanted to photograph this bird for a long time. Photographing them can be quite challenging given that they make their homes in the deep forests of western ghats and that they are shy. Valparai is one of the best places to photograph them, as they are all around the town.
Head here for the call of whistling trush
Head here for the call of whistling trush
Leopard cub - portrait
Date: 08/16/2009
This 3 month old leopard cub was abandoned by the mother in a sugarcane field close to the nagarhole forest its now in the safe hands of the forest department. Since the cubs haven't learnt the way of the wild from their mother and survival on their own might be difficult, they might not be released in to the wild
Leopard cub - looking up
Date: 08/16/2009
This 3 month old leopard cub was abandoned by the mother in a sugarcane field close to the nagarhole forest its now in the safe hands of the forest department. Since the cubs haven't learnt the way of the wild from their mother and survival on their own might be difficult, they might not be released in to the wild
Baby King Cobra - vertical
Date: 08/10/2009
King Cobra babies are about 30cms when born and do have venom glands from birth. They are usually born during the months of august/september in the wild western ghats
Baby King Cobra - profile
Date: 08/10/2009
King Cobra babies are about 30cms when born and do have venom glands from birth. They are usually born during the months of august/september in the wild western ghats
Leopard - side profile
Date: 08/05/2009
Not many times in the wild does one come across an opportunity as this, read more here
Leopard - pan
Date: 08/05/2009
Not many times in the wild does one come across an opportunity as this, read more here
Leopard - face to face
Date: 08/05/2009
Not many times in the wild does one come across an opportunity as this, read more here
Leopard - Full body portrait
Date: 08/05/2009
Not many times in the wild does one come across an opportunity as this, read more here
Peacock profile
Date: 04/02/2009
The colors of the peacock are just mesmerizing and shine different in various angles of light
Elephant spraying water
Date: 03/10/2009
In the summers, elephants spend a lot of time close to water. When we came to a waterhole expecting a tiger, we saw this guy playing without a care in the world. He was no farther than 200ft.
Gold fronted leaf bird
Date: 02/02/2009
One of the most difficult birds to photograph because of the green foliage it roosts in and its own color which blends with the background. Lucky to have it sitting like this.
Freshwater jellyfish - Craspedusta Sowerbii
Date: 02/02/2009
These freshwater jellyfish were found in the cauvery river for the first time. These have been sighted in Indian in only three places so far.
Freshwater jellyfish - Craspedusta Sowerbii
Date: 02/02/2009
These freshwater jellyfish were found in the cauvery river for the first time. These have been sighted in Indian in only three places so far.
Ghost of darkness
Date: 12/18/2008
On the drive back from Daroji Bear sanctuary, we saw this guy in the fields. My friend Sanath was driving and providing the much needed light on the leopard from the car. One of the most amazing sightings and wildlifing experiences I've ever had.
Blue skies
Date: 05/29/2008
A cool blue evening and dramatic skies and in the distance you can see the really long jetty which jets out into the sea
Tigress - Bandipur
Date: 04/25/2008
After more then 2 and half years of wildlifing in the south indian forests this is my first and only shot of a tiger in the south.
Pratin cole - scape
Date: 05/03/2008
Pratin coles blend so well with their background that sometimes you don't spot them even when they are 10ft away from you.
River tern flying with fish
Date: 05/16/2008
The terns are aces at catching fish, the bhadra backwaters are a rich source of fish and these terns hunt through the day.
River tern - landing
Date: 05/16/2008
The River terns also feed their respective mates before the eggs hatch and they have to feed the young ones
Crested hawk eagle - Portrait
Date: 04/25/2008
We were quite close to this bird and it suddenly realized there was someone in the vicinity.
Yellow browed bulbul - Preening
Date: 03/23/2008
After the heavy showers the birds started coming out and preening themselves
Long billed vulture - Landing
Date: 01/19/2008
These vultures are the last few of its kind. They are very active in the evening and rest otherwise, this shot shows their extremely precise landing capabilities. As you can see at the right edge, there's another vulture sitting which is hardly bothered about the landing of another.
Slender loris in thicket
Date: 01/27/2008
This was my first sighting of this rare primate. They are timid, shy and very slow, and this one was found in the thickets of the jungle, making it very hard to sight and photograph
Tigress jumping
Date: 12/21/2007
One of my personal favorites, a pan shot of the tigress jumping and disappearing into the thicket
Tiger in shrubs
Date: 12/22/2007
This dominant male Bokha, gets its name from the local lingo for having a missing tooth, was relaxing in the shade of shrubs and wasn't too happy to see us.
Black buck - Air mate
Date: 11/25/2006
Well the title says it all, after secretly following this couple for more then 2 hrs, it was clear that the female was in no mood for this guy. But the guy kept trying. Eventually the female saw another male and started running to him when this guy got bewildered and tried to air-mate
Bhadra backwaters
Date: 11/04/2006
The Bhadra wildlife reserve is quite special in terms of vegetation compared to most others in Karnataka. Its a moist deciduous jungle which means, its got a lot more variety in terms of vegetation and lifeforms.
Gaur caravan
Date: 10/20/2007
It was late evening and the gaurs were on the move, probably heading to the woodlands on the other side of the grasslands.
Gaurs on the horizon
Date: 10/20/2007
The indian gaurs are most active during the early mornings and late evenings, it was late evening when this was shot and the herd was on the move.
Gaur diagonal
Date: 10/20/2007
The indian gaurs are the largest of all wild cattle in the world, they weigh more than a ton. In the wild, gaurs live in small herds of up to 40 individuals and graze on grass pastures.
Scarlet minivet - profile
Date: 09/23/2007
This was shot near a coffee estate, the coffee beans you see around the bird invite a lot of insects and such, to eat which was gathered a whole flock of these birds
Scarlet minivet - scape
Date: 09/22/2007
The background which is beyond the field of focus is the muthodi range, the Forest guest house provides an almost aerial view of the forest below.
Goudlu tribal
Date: 07/23/2006
Venkatappa is a Goudlu tribal. The Goudlu tribe is one of the last traces of pure Malnad culture in the Indian western ghats, farming is their primary occupation. The tribe is no longer protected from urbanization, the plastic sheet he wears has replaced the traditional rain blanket "KAMBLI". All is not lost, "MUTTALE" - the Arecanut leaf headgear still remains.
Indian Silverbills - Triplet
Date: 08/18/2007
Silverbills are mostly found in open areas, close to farm lands where it is easy to find seeds and grains which they predominantly feed on. They are always found in flocks and are known to be social with other birds of the same subspecies.
Malabar Pit Viper Wet
Date: 07/23/2006
The western ghats, are home to many endemic snakes. Vipers are venomous and rare to sight too, The pit vipers get their name from the pits (the holes that look like nose), which are heat sensing, which helps in detect warm-blooded animals like rodents & birds in absolute darkness.
Malabar Pit Viper Hiss
Date: 07/23/2006
The Malabar Pit Viper, like all vipers is venomous. These are nocturnal and hunt during the night, during the day they are usually basking. The pits (holes tha look like nose) are heat sensing and help hunt in the night. This guy apparently is not in the best of the moods.
Crested serpent eagle in the rain
Date: 06/18/2007
One of the most challenging photographs in my collection I'd say. It was raining heavily and we had no rain gear. But with all of nature's elements against us, we followed this eagle for quite sometime before we got a shot like this. You can see the rain in the background.
Wilddog (Dhole) - After a meal
Date: 06/18/2007
A pack of wilddogs were resting after a hearty meal. They had no signs of leaving the comfort of the soft grass, sprawling like a lawn. Though they were surprised at visitors, the surprise was just not enough to make this male get up.
Wilddog (Dhole) - Stare
Date: 06/18/2006
Wilddogs are the among the most fearless carnivores in the Indian jungles, They hunt in packs and with their jaws as the primary weapon, a pack can bring down a fully grown Indian gaur in seconds. They are so fearless they've been seen very close to humans without a daunt
Elephant calf
Date: 06/18/2007
Just after summers, a lot of these mother-child pairs of elephants can be seen in most jungle in South India, the mothers are very protective about their calves and venturing close to them could prove lethal
Thattekad hut
Date: 06/02/2006
Thattekad, the bird diversity hotspot of India, is a thick evergreen forest patch which is spread over an area of 25sq kms, and houses 300 odd species of birds, that's almost 1/4th of India's species and snuggly fitted is this small view place just on the fringe of the forest
Kannan devan tea gardens
Date: 06/02/2006
The TATA tea gardens in Munnar are a sight, they are like smooth blankets of green over the mountain ranges, and trimmed so well, looks like water which has settled down and is calm.
Pond Terrapin on road
Date: 05/27/2006
The pond terrapins are usually found basking on the rocks near water bodies in the South Indian jungles, this was a rare sight to see it cross the road on the safari track, We were lucky enough to see this guy and stop and wait till he crossed the road at his own pace
Eye of the Tahr
Date: 06/02/2007
The Nilgiri Tahrs are endemic to the high altitude grasslands of Western ghats, And the best place to shoot them is the Eravikulam National park, though they are also found in the thekkady forest ranges. No photographer ever comes dissappointed from here.
Nilgiri Tahr - Portrait
Date: 06/02/2007
Known also as the Nilgiri Ibex or simply ibex, The tahrs inhabit the open grassland habitat of the South Western Ghats. At elevations from 1200 to 2600 m (generally above 2000 m), the forests open into grasslands interspersed with pockets of stunted forests, known as sholas.
Langur - Fight
Date: 05/27/2007
Since langurs stay in groups and are social, fights are quite common. These 2 guys fought for a while, nothing serious. But after a while they got bored and retired to whatever they were doing.
Fawn
Date: 05/26/2006
Spotted deers are the most common mammals in South India, and are very curious, though they know someone's around, if they are not sure of what it is, they wait look until they are sure. This kid was particularly curious about huge big pipes staring at him
Crested serpent eagle stare
Date: 05/26/2007
The crested serpent eagle is one of the most common raptors in the South india jungles. This was shot on a rainy and hence bad light, but it was only due to the rain that the crest is so prominent
Brown fish owl scape
Date: 05/19/2007
A very common resident at one of the water holes in BR hills, Most photographers I know who've visited BR hills have a shot of this guy.
Elephant scape
Date: 04/06/2007
This was a hundred strong herd. Almost unbelievable. Due to the summer, elephants congregate on the kabini backwaters, as one can see the backdrop is green bamboo followed by the parched forest, Anything beyond the green bamboo is dry inside the forest. Which is why all elephants come down for a drink and some greens.
Elephants on the move
Date: 04/08/2007
During the summers, hundreds of elephants congregate on the kabini backwaters, as they have almost no water anywhere else in the forest. They walk tens of kilometers everyday to congregate near the backwaters in the evening. Here they have some green grass to feed on along with the water
Eye of the elephant
Date: 04/06/2007
This is one of the camp elephant's at the kabini forest office. The elephants at the camp are very peaceful and well taken care of by their mahouts. The mahouts and the elephants are like a single family.
Shaumee and Tanisha
Date: 02/18/2007
These were kids of Rakesh, a wildlife photographer that I met at INW, We were around 10 photographers shooting a Blue capped Rock Thrush and I saw these kids playing in the morning light and my focus shifted!
Bronze Drongo
Date: 02/17/2007
This drongo never moved an inch from this location for a long time. Though drongos are quite restless, this was surprising. The fact that it was on a tree which was in the river and there was water to separate us from the bird could have been a reason of comfort
Little green bee eater
Date: 02/16/2007
One of the cutest birds found in South India. To find these birds, one has to just drive half and hour out of Bangalore or even less. They earn their name from their eating habits as is obvious
Malabar giant squirrel
Date: 02/03/2007
The Malabar Giant Squirrel, Ratufa indica, is a large forest squirrel found in South Asia. The size of just the body is about a meter. These are pretty shy animals and are found mostly on high fruit bearing trees with thick foliage, making them a tough subject for photography
Burning Bright
Date: 02/04/2007
This was shot at the Tyavarekoppa (10km from Shivamogga), this is one of my very few shots in captivity. I usually don't shoot captive animals. But the animals at this sanctuary were really looking wild and well nourished. So did want to capture them. This tiger especially was quite ferocious. And also shooting through an inch wide mesh can be quite an adventure
sunset
Date: 10/11/2006
On the day of jungle lodges bird group inauguration, Vijay took us on a bird walk in the herbivore park. We saw this lone sambar stag on a rock gazing into the sunset. It was a sight to see all the photographers crouch, bend, sleep etc. to get a picture.
Crimson sketch
Date: 10/11/2006
On the day of jungle lodges bird group inauguration, Vijay took us on a bird walk in the herbivore park. We saw this lone sambar stag on a rock gazing into the sunset. It was a sight to see all the photographers crouch, bend, sleep etc. to get a picture.
Butterfly - Peking Opera
Date: 01/04/2006
The costumes in Beijing Opera impress the audience with their bright colors and magnificent embroidery. Some of the costumes used in modern performances have a resemblance to the fashion of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). More on this here
Wheel - Peking Opera
Date: 01/04/2006
The roles in Beijing Opera are divided into four main types according to the sex, age, social status, and profession of the character. Read more here
Ribbons - Peking Opera
Date: 01/04/2006
Peking opera is a kind of Chinese opera which arose in the mid-19th century and was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court. It is widely regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. Beijing and Tianjin are respected as the base cities of Peking opera in the north while Shanghai is the base in the south. I was lucky enough to catch their only performance in India (Bangalore). More here
