Flowers — Clipahoy

Tota-keet? Rose-ringed Parakeet or Psittacula krameri relishes spring flower buds of Dhak tree

birds · flowers

Spring is in full swing in North India and this parakeet is having the time of its life. Flame of the Forest buds and Lantana berries surround the bird and its food, food, food everywhere after the dry winters.

Electric blue on orange: Purple Sunbird male and female mating calls from Flame of Forest flowers, in Delhi

birds · flowers

What lovely sharp colour contrasts as the male electric blue iridescent Purple Sunbird visits orange Flame of the Forest or dhak / Tesu / teshu / palas / palash flowers at the Wilderness Orchard in the ephemeral New Delhi spring.Spring is d…

Stunning in its breeding plumage, a male Purple Sunbird sits on a Dhak tree in full flower

flowers · birds

A male Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) sucks nectar from the inviting blossoms of a Flame-of-the-Forest tree in late spring.

Black Bulbuls feast on Rhododendron nectar and flower petals, even insects attracted to the nectar

flowers · wildlife

When a Rhododendron tree is in flower in the Himalayan spring, it become a veritable feasting site for local birds! They hop from flowering head to flowering head, partaking of the nectar and insects...

Rose-ringed Parakeet attacking Silk Cotton tree buds at springtime

flowers · birds

A Rose-ringed Parakeet or Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) sits on the branch of a Semal tree, eating the buds of the Silk Cotton flowers.

Probing Rhododendron blooms for nectar: estate Rusty cheeked Scimitar Babbler at work, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·birds · flowers

It's time for a Rhododendron floral nectar feast for this lovely, reclusive and rarely seen bird - the Rusty cheeked Scimitar Babbler is a lovely Himalayan bird with a scimitar shaped beak.

Orange-billed Blue Magpie ravages Rhododendron flowers in spring season, for nectar and petals

flowers · river

A Red-billed Blue Magpie ravages Rhododendron flowers in spring season, for nectar and petals.

Maroon Oriole calls melodiously while Grey-winged Blackbird gets Rhododendron pollen on its face, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·flowers · hills

A mellifluous Maroon Oriole calls melodiously while a Grey-winged Blackbird gets Rhododendron pollen on its face at a Rhododendron arboreum tree at our wildfilmsindia estate at Motidhar in Mussoorie.

Himalayan Pied Woodpecker has a diet change, from insects to Rhododendron nectar and petals, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·flowers · hills

This Himalayan Pied Woodpecker has decided to go in for a dietary change, from insects to Rhododendron nectar and petals! It consumes the nectar from deep within the flowers at our Pari Tibba Estate in Motidhar, Mussoorie.

Red-billed Blue Magpie ravishes Rhododendron flower heads, sucking nectar and eating flower petals

flowers · river

A Maroon Oriole calls out aloud as this Magpie demolishes flower head after flower head of Rhododendron arboreum, at our wildfilmsindia Himalayan forests.

Grey winged Blackbird partakes of Rhododendron flower heads at Motidhar Estate of, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·flowers · hills

With a Hill Barbet and a Blue-throated Barbet calling, and a Rufous Sibia too, a Grey-winged Blackbird takes full advantage of the display of Rhododendron flower heads before it, above our Bindal stream at Motidhar Estate in Mussoorie.

Scaly-bellied Woodpecker reflects the colours of the rhododendron tree it sits and feeds on

flowers · birds

Scaly-bellied Woodpecker or the Scaly-bellied Green Woodpecker (Picus squamatus) has the same colours as the Rhododendron arboreum tree it is sitting on.

Slaty-headed Parakeet tota demolishes Rhododendron flowering heads, in search of petals and nectar, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·birds · flowers

When walking among the tree's branches, this tota actually uses its beak as a fifth leg, using it to locomote and feed alike! Eat some, ruin some, drop the rest to the ground...

Purple Sunbird female has a beat up time getting nectar and insects from Dhak tree flowers

flowers · birds

This female Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) seems to have hit the jackpot by getting to the flowers of a Flame-of-the-Forest or Palash tree (Butea monosperma) in full bloom.

Shy and retiring treat for birders: Rusty cheeked Scimitar Babbler has long beak to probe flowers, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·birds · flowers

As a Maroon Oriole calls - or rather whistles - out aloud and a Verditer Flycatcher trills nearby, it's time for a Rhododendron floral nectar feast for this lovely, reclusive and rarely seen bird - the Rusty cheeked Scimitar Babbler is a lo…

Black Bulbul feasts on nectar and insects during flowering of rhododendron trees

flowers · birds

Springtime in the Himalaya is a season of plenty for all creatures after the harsh Himalayan winters.

Crows sitting pretty on the branch of a Silk Cotton tree full of large red flowers

flowers

Common House Crows or the regular kauwas sit on the branch of a Silk Cotton tree in full flower. The Semal or Malabar Silk-cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba) is quite a stunning tree when full of its large red blooms at springtime.

Try to spot the male Purple Sunbird in non-breeding plumage on this shrub

birds · flowers

The small red flowers of the Hamelia patens shrub are full of nectar and thus attracts a lot of bees and nectar-eating birds.

Purple Sunbirds, both male and female, gorge on nectar from the red flowers of a shrub

flowers · birds

A male Purple Sunbird in full breeding plumage as well as a female feed on nectar from the red flowers of a Hamlia Patens shrub. Purple Sunbirds (Cinnyris asiaticus) primarily feed on nectar but also eat small insects.

A pair of Rose-ringed Parakeets look down at traffic from a Gulmohar tree

highway · flowers

Sitting on the branches of a flowering Gulmohar tree (Delonix regia), this Rose-ringed Parakeet or Ring-necked Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) couple seems to be looking down at the traffic passing below from its high vantage point.

Male Rose-ringed Parakeet hangs around as the female checks out possible new digs

flowers · birds

While the female Rose-ringed Parakeet inspects a nest hole for possible nesting space in a Gulmohar tree, the male parakeet waits on a branch nearby for the approval of its mate.

Grey-winged Blackbird is a smart well dressed thrush-like bird, with the nicest most melodious calls, in Mussoorie

Uttarakhand·birds · hills

With a Hill Barbet and a Blue-throated Barbet calling, and a Rufous Sibia too, a Grey-winged Blackbird takes full advantage of the display of Rhododendron flower heads before it, above our Bindal stream at Motidhar Estate in Mussoorie.

Spotted Munia is a fine grassland bird that turned up in our Delhi garden one day - don't cage them!

wildlife · birds

We spotted this Spotted Munia in our Delhi garden one monsoon day this week, as a surprise. They don't normally venture our way, but the monsoon weather and tall grasses have undoubtedly made it attractive for them to visit us now...