Backyard photography

Black-browed Reed Warbler (Ko-yoshikiri)

Early summer days ideal for trekking. The seasonal flowers seem to be at their best. Cloudy sunday afternoon pulled my self out of my den to shoot the flora, when I came across this pleasant pond the warble of the birds drew my attention. Switched the lenses and started hunting the birds. All the reads on birding ethics & tips (INP) for the past year and the lessons from the failure to launch on my maiden birdphotography trip early this year turned handy. Spent an hour or so birding and it was a kind of experience that I enjoy the most.

Black-browed Reed Warbler (Ko-yoshikiri)

The compound 400mm lens turned pretty heavy on me. Lesson learnt never get lazy, tripod is a mandatory. Unable to ID the bird dot on I gave myself to guestimation : warbles a lot + its on the reads for majority of time = how about a reed warbler.

Back home, googled on the name and the best match was Oriental Great Reed Warbler. As usual the excitement gave into the conclusion leaving the detail. Later threw my watson hat and dropped a mail to Setsuko Watanabe-san. A couple of days later I get a reply from this warm hearted Japanese birder that they have identified it as Black-browed Reed Warbler (Ko-yoshikiri).

Sir David Attenborough`s documentary "BBC : The Life of Birds" a 10 part series is a must watch for avid birders.


Location : Hirooka-Nomura, Shiojiri-shi,Nagano-ken, Japan.
Date : 21st May 2006, 1600 Hrs - 1900 Hrs.

Pollen & Pollen.

Yesterday evening I just wanted to shoot macro. Bi-cycled around the fields of Hirooka-yoshida. An bee flew into the frame which resulted in the above capture.

Now, whats the flower ID ?

Another macro shot. So what`s this ?

Guess Me II

Macro Shot.

In recent past I was a bit rusty with the camera and it shows no signs of bettering. With work in balance and spring on the offset its time I hit the road.

Kamisuwa Shrine

Almost a year back I attended the Onbashira (Kotoshi) at shimo-suwa along with Otsuki-san. Incidentally this weekend I went along with him for ice-skating to Okaya. After having a maiden ice-skating experience , we went to the Kami-suwa shrine.

I was rather pleased to find those logs installed at the entrance of the shrine and these logs stand here for another 6 years.

Vizag : Rushikonda Beach

My last memory of this place doesnt concur with what it turned out.The only think that ever came to my mind about this place is that my college GITAM is opposite to it and secondly its one of those standard picnic spots of Vizag.

I was pleasantly surprised to find a mela kind of atmosphere, all said and done I got down to my business of photography.

An anchor taking some timeoff.

A fishermen mending his net.

Finally the AP Tourism guys are in action.

Fisherman

D70 + 70-200mm VR f2.8 : 1/320 Sec, F4, 160mm

Rushikonda Beach, Visakhapatnam, India.

The old man was busy lost in his job. I positioned myself,took a couple of shots, not pleased I started correcting the camera settings when the old man acknowledged my presence. He was rather pleased by his facial expression and giving his best to pose for the shot, the end resulted in a rather over exposed frame but an acute expression captured.

HNY 06

2005 : goodbye, 2006 : welcome

Visakhapatnam,Andhra Pradesh,India.

Wish you a happy and prosperous new year 2006.