Babblers, Bugs & More

That's quite an unusual title for my blog, isn't it? I've been clicking quite a few animal and bird spotting just around my house. Just wanted to share a few of those with you!

So, beginning with Squirrels! First I spotted just 1. Then came its mate. Now is the family of 4!!! This one is called the Indian Palm Squirrel or Three-Striped Palm Squirrel. By Hindu legends, the 3 stripes came onto it when Lord Rama stroked its back with his 3 fingers for its help in building the Sethu Dam! These squirrels usually diet on nuts & fruits. In my place, it eats cooked rice too! The cooked rice kept for crows is majorly finished of by Mr. & Mrs. Squirrel with their children!!! Mango peels are its favorite though!

I prefer guavas and mangoes...

...even the peels would do...

...but my bro prefers cooked rice - in chunks...

...or in bites, or even raw rice...

...ofcourse, for a drink our family prefers water.
[Once I spotted a chameleon drinking water in this. But couldn't manage to click it]

FAMILY TIME!

The Yellow Billed Babblers are a common sight. Scientifically Cossyphus Orientalis. These are also called Seven sisters, thanks to their public apperances in groups. A whole post dedicated to Yellow Billed Babblers in coming up next in here.... Wait n watch!!!

Indian Ring Necked Parrots/Parakeets at times to the guava fruits!

Rufous Tree Pie is another frequent visitor. However its one shy bird that can never be shot easily! The best thing about it is its unique call. Esp. during the nesting season, it keeps on calling its mate. Every time it calls, whether its mate responds or not, I respond with my camera. But haven't got a single decent shot of it. Recently spotted 2 of them and here's a blurry image...

Another frequent visitor is White Breasted Kingfisher. Once I spotted a pair of Black Rumped Flameback aka Lesser Golden Backed Woodpecker. Unfortunately I couldn't manage to click them! They came just once, and I'm waiting for them to come again!

Garden Lizards are pretty much common here. But when I spotted this one with its bright orange, reds & yellows, I loved it!!!

Once on the guava leaf I spotted this Oh-So-Beautiful Jewel Bug (Scutelleridae). Also called Shield Backed Bugs or Metallic Shield Bugs. No its not a beetle, its a bug. Its seen all across the world, in assorted amazing colors. Golden orange in some places, Glowing Midnight blue in some, Metallic Crimsons at places, etc. What I spotted was an exquisite Orangish Green with black dots!

This fly is called the Blue Bottle Fly (Protophormia Terranovae). Its whole body in black-brown except for its abdomen which is a metallic green with black stripes on it. Its found all over the world esp. in northern hemisphere. It prefers colder climate and its "the most cold tolerant of all calliphorid species"! Yet, I spotted this in the mid of April, when heat is too bad in my part of the world when is reaches more than 35 deg C. Its a very important insect when it comes to forensics and researches on using its skill wisely is on!!!

Still............. No Sparrows yet.........