Bird Watching @ Thandikudi: Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher

I have been to Thandikudi (on the lower Palani hills of Kodaikanal,) couple of time, and with a plan to go ahead tomorrow, I like to share one of the lovely birds I captured over there. Thandikudi is a wonderful place to enjoy bird watching and it is open to cute little birds alike the Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher.

Tickell's Blue Flycatcher is a small passerine bird in the flycatcher family and it is an insectivorous species which breeds in tropical Asia, from the Indian Subcontinent eastwards to Southeast Asia. Its range stretches across all the countries from India to Indonesia and they are found in dense scrub to forest habitats.

Measured about 11-12 cm in long, the bird has blue upper parts and the throat and breast are orange and the rest of the under parts are white. The bird sings in metallic tone includes a series of clicks followed by five or six notes that end abruptly. It is a wary bird and not always easily observed and it a forest-loving species which is found in thick cover and shade, and particularly haunts the banks of wooded streams.

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Signal Problem

After shifted to my current location and close to my native house in Adyar, Chennai, I chose to go to our family doctor for the check-ups in my wheelchair rather taking the car since the clinic is about a km from home. But the only difficult I face during this course was crossing the LB Road, the main road that connects Adyar and Thiruvanmiyur signals. Though there was a zebra crossing and separate signal for pedestrian to cross the road (near hotel Lakshmi Sagar), it wasn’t literally difficult, but until only the signal works.  

The signal i have pointed out here

The signals flashing orange (which means cross with caution) is a common one in the cities at night and it usually take place only after 10pm when the traffic comes down, but when it happens as early as 9 pm (which is also a peak hour in cities like Chennai) crossing the road is a challenge. Some vehicles stop to give way when seeing me in wheelchair to cross the road, but we can’t expect the same compassion from public buses and bikes. They kept moving even the signal turned red really scare me to cross and travel aside the road.  

My cousin brother used to come along with me and when the signal shut down he blocks the vehicles to let me cross the road. For me it shows the irresponsible and laziness of the traffic police to shut down the signal when there was still heavy traffic. Other day I was close to the signal and before I cross it turned flashing orange and vehicles started to cross from all directions turned to be difficult. I notice to amaze the signal next to this was working and regulating the traffic and here we are in trouble crossing the road. The traffic signals are automated and I don’t find there could be any difficult for the traffic cop to regulate but still switching off only sends frustration.

RGB Monday

Merry go round @ Marina Beach, Chennai  

The colorful merry-go-round is a hand cranked or motor driven produces fun and amusement to both adults and kids.

Little Cormorants, Underwater Swimmers

Like never before I saw number of Little Cormorants during my recent visit to Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, about 80 km from here. These birds are very commonly found in the water bodies around Chennai, but not in numbers that’s uncountable. Vedanthangal invites lot of birds from across the globe but this time little cormorants took large numbers into the account. 

The Little Cormorants are a member of the cormorant family of seabirds, slightly smaller than the Indian cormorant; it lacks a peaked head and has a shorter beak. The bird sized between 50 to 55 cm in length and weighing up to 530 grams is widely distributed across the Indian Subcontinents and extends east to Java, where it is sometimes called Javanese cormorant.

The bird looks entirely back in the breeding season but the plumage is brownish and the throat has a small whitish patch in the non-breeding season. It forages single or sometimes in loose groups in lowland freshwater bodies, including small ponds, large lakes, streams and sometimes coastal estuaries. Like other cormorants, it is often found perched on the waterside with its wings spread out after coming out of the water.

Little cormorants produce low roaring, grunting and groaning sounds comprising low pitched ah-ah-ah and kok-kok-kok’s. They swim underwater to capture fishes and propel themselves using their webbed feet. But the captured fishes are often brought up to the surface to swallow them and during that time others birds including their fellow cormorants, painted storks and egrets may attempt to steal them. 

Linking this post for Saturday Critters

It’s Summer

Sunset @ Muttukadu backwaters

Summer brings a sigh of relief
with schools enclosed for vacation
students chose to chase their passion
like gushing water in search of roots.

While summer curse to scorch
the compassion of sea breeze bless,
blissful moments to surpass
with flock of birds flag off to home.

Summer brings up the memories
that neither forgotten nor went down
with multiple layers adding on latterly
the calm afternoon winds up the dust.

Summer breaks the age barrier
where everyone likes to have ice creams,
fruit juices and tender coconuts
cool down our entire system.

Like every season that has an essence
summer delivers radiant sunshine,
where shoot, unripe fruits and flowers
regenerate under the natural hood sun. 

Though summer being a dry season
there isn't scarce for happiness,
and when the back itches for scratch
the urge for mountain's dew become firm.