I prefer to move around on a bicycle as it gives you the liberty to stop and observe things. Like I halted at this bridge to take in the nature and the activities around it.
That is when I saw this great Egret trying his hand at fishing. He did try a couple of times and the success rate was something like one in five.
There is this big park with a water body and an excellent cycling/jogging track around it. (Volkening Lake)
Suits me fine as one lap around the lake adds a km to my daily target of pedalling.
You get to see many activities over here, like this man trying his hand at fishing.
He must be good at it as I did see his catch on my third lap.
You keep meeting joggers and fast walkers who are regulars over here.
I saw these young cycle enthusiasts who were trying to help each other in fixing a stuck bike
There is some exercise equipment fixed over there and at times one gets to see it in use.
It may be someone performing solo or maybe a group of students from the school nearby.
There are some who like to paint and the pretty flowers get transferred to their canvas
The thrill of maneuvering a sailboat with a remote is something different. I stopped to capture a bunch of enthusiasts having a gala time.
Spoke to one of them and he confirmed that there are no motors on them to propel them forward. It was just wind power and how you flip the sails that gives it direction. I was really fascinated by their skill, and their dedication to meet on a daily basis to enjoy the sport.
I had enough footage to make it into a ten minute video.
If you are lucky you get to see a variety of birds, like this blue heron was flying very close for a good shot
or this black bird in the bulrushes daring me to come any more close to him (probably he has a nest somewhere close by)
While pedalling alongside the main road, I observed these postal delivery vans zipping past, the only vehicles I noticed in the US with right hand drive.
They were perhaps so designed so as to allow the driver to get in and out without the fear of the oncoming traffic (where there are no road dividers) It also gives access to the postmen to reach the roadside postbox without alighting.
All that is mentioned above is capsuled into a short video so that you can see some of the action.
Then there are things that make you think from the design point of view, like why do some benches have only one armrest ?
It is a nice
feeling to know that you have completed three fourth of the journey before the
sun rises.
Had been to
Bhigwan for bird watching. Being there early had its advantages. I could shoot
some good silhouettes.
You had to point your camera in
any direction and you are sure to catch two or three birds in one frame. Long
beak, short beak, curved beak, gap in between beak. Asian Open bill stork is identified by the gap
in between the beak.
It was just coincidence that the nostrils of this
open bill stork was in line with my camera by which I could see the light
passing through and through.
The
eyes of this Night Heron is very mesmerizing.
The painted stork breeds on trees either in mixed colonies along with other water birds or by themselves. Here this one has come down for fishing.
The Grey
headed swamphen (Purple swamphen) has an elaborate courtship display holding
water weeds in his bill and bowing to the female with loud chuckles. I noticed that they have huge feet.
Purple swamphen
I saw one of them pulling out a weed. He uses
a lot of energy to pull out that weed which is almost six feet deep underground.
After all the trouble he just leaves it and goes, perhaps not happy with the
roots to be presented to a prospective bride. (you can see it in the video)
The black headed Ibis had its beak open.
It was fun
to see a pair of the Spoonbill wading in the water, hunting for fish.
Spoonbill
Looks like this pair of Black Winged Stilt birds were out for a synchronized walk.
Clicked some
birds sitting on a wire like this Black Drongo and the Pied Bushcat
Black Drongo
Pied Bushcat (male)
Pied Bushcat (female)
The black bandit mask is very prominent in this Bay Backed Shrike.
Bay Backed Shrike
These
wagtails were busy trying to catch some insects in the field. They were agile
and quick. You can see the insects against the rising sun.
Eastern Yellow Wagtail
The green Bee Eater sort of blended well with all the greenery around him.
Green Bee Eater
The Grey Heron scanning the sky line while the black winged stilt trying to locate a fish.
Saw a pair of Ruddy Shelduck (also known as Brahmini Duck) lazing in the water.
The nest of the Glossy Ibis is a platform of twigs and vegetation positioned one to seven meters above water level.
Glossy Ibis
The Painted
Stork kept walking, meeting new friends along the way. While wading, he stirs the bottom with one leg, while the beak is ready to catch the
fish.
The
bullock carts were busy going into the fields to pick up the sugar cane
These are later transferred to the tractors or trucks.
Each tractor had a
good sound system with huge speakers on either side. So you can hear a variety
of songs blaring out when you pass a convoy of tractors.
People usually
go to Bhigwan to see Flamingos but as per this local guide none of them made a landing
as the water level was too high.
The local fishermen made the most of it by using their boats to catch fish.
The exact location where I clicked these pictures.
