Buildings & Architecture

BIRDS

SPARROW

The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names used for a genusof the family, Passer, as well. They are distinct from the American sparrows, which although similar in appearance are placed in the family Emberizidae, and from a few other birds sharing their name, such as the Java Sparrow. As eight or more species nest in or near buildings, and the House Sparrow and Eurasian Tree Sparrow in particular inhabit cities in large numbers, sparrows may be the most familiar of all wild birds. They are primarily seed-eaters, though they also consume small insects. A few species scavenge for food around cities and, like gulls or pigeons, will happily eat virtually anything in small quantities.A common sparrow immediately after taking a leap to fly. Felt good seeing a sparrow after a long time...The common sparrow is no longer so common, seen one after a long time.

LITTLE GREEN BARBET

Small Green Barbet or White Cheeked Barbet(Megalaima viridis) small bird about the size of a Myna with grass green colour and brown head with a white cheek stripe.It's breast is white streaked with brown. Both male and female look alike. It is extremely difficult to spot this bird because of its colour. It is commonly seen in the evergreen and moist deciduous forests of the hills and plains of southern India.They are usually seen in pairs or parties.They eat fruits, figs,and berries.They also take flying termites in mid-air. Like Wood peckers, the Small Green Barbet also has the first and third fingers bending backwards and the second and third bending frontwards. It helps them to have a better grip while holding on to the trunk of a tree. But unlike woodpeckers they don't like clinging to the bark of the tree , but prefer to perch crosswise in typical passerine manner.The only time it clings to the bark of the tree is when it excavates a hole in the rotten branch . Nesting season is mainly December to June.They lay usually three or sometimes four eggs. Both parents share the parental duties. The call of the bird is very peculiar.It is a monotonous Krrrr- kutroo, kutroo, kutroo, calling incessantly from dawn to dusk.

RED VENTED BULBUL

The Red-vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus cafer) is a member of the bulbul family of passerines. It is resident breeder across the Indian Subcontinent, including Sri Lanka extending east to Burma and parts of Tibet. It has been introduced in many other parts of the world and has established itself in the wild on several Pacific islands including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Hawaii. It has also established itself in parts of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand. It is included in the list of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species.

DRAGONFLY

GREEN PARROT

MAGPIE ROBIN

The Oriental Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis) is a small passerine bird that was formerly classed as a member of the thrush family Turdidae, but now considered an Old World flycatcher. They are distinctive black and white birds with a long tail that is held upright as they forage on the ground or perch conspicuously. Distributed in most of the Indian Subcontinent and parts of Southeast Asia, they are common birds in urban gardens as well as forests. They are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds.

HORNBILL

Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly-colored and sometimes has a casque on the upper mandible. Both the common English and the scientific name of the family refer to the shape of the bill, "buceros" being "cow horn" in Greek. In addition, they possess a two-lobed kidney. Hornbills are the only birds in which the first twoneck vertebrae (the axis and atlas) are fused together; this probably provides a more stable platform for carrying the bill.^[1] The family is omnivorous, feeding on fruit and small animals. They are monogamous breeders nesting in natural cavities in trees and sometimes cliffs. A number of species of hornbill arethreatened with extinction, mostly insular species with small ranges.

OWL

EGRET

An egret ( /ˈiːɡrət/) is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and "brush," referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.Several of the egrets have been moved around from one genus to another in recent years: the Great Egret, for example, has been classified as a member of either Casmerodius, Egretta or Ardea.In the 19th and early part of the 20th century, some of the world's egret species were endangered by relentless hunting, since hat makers in Europe and the United States demanded massive numbers of egret plumes and breeding birds were killed in locations all around the world. Several Egretta species, including the Eastern Reef Egret, the Reddish Egret and the Western Reef Egret have two distinct colours, one of which is entirely white. Little Blue Heron has all-white juvenile plumage.

OWL

Sikkim Sojourn

A SNOWMAN - YETI

A frozen water of small stream gives an impression of a standing Yeti(Yeti or Abominable Snowman is an ape-like cryptid said to inhabit the Himalayan region of Nepal, and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region, and are part of their history and mythology. Stories of the Yeti first emerged as a facet of Western popular culture in the 19th century. The scientific community generally regards the Yeti as a legend, given the lack of conclusive evidence, yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology. The Yeti may be considered a sort of parallel to the Bigfoot of North America. 

Water seeping through rocks in a cave froze to give a beautiful icy formation.

Icicles against the backdrop of the afternoon sun gives a beautiful view.

A wall created by icicles

A view of the Harbhajan Baba Mandir(14,600 ft) throught the hanging icicles.

A lone Yak standing next to the frozen Changu lake(13,500 ft), Sikkim.

A deserted lone hut next to the frozen Manju lake, near Baba Mandir(14,400 ft), Sikkim.

The frozen Changu lake(13,500 ft), Sikkim.

A small foot bridge over a dried up nala downstream of frozen Changu lake.

An unoccupied trade building at Serathang(14,200 ft), Sikkim.

More Icicles

In this image and the next one i tried a macro shot of a melting icicle, trying to get the water droplet as it falls, i hope i succeeded...what do you think?