The beautiful birds of Puttaparthi - 1
80Puttaparthi was a tiny hamlet in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, when Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba made it shine brilliantly on the world map. The village has experienced rapid growth and has developed into a township with an airport, a railway station, a bus stand, an international indoor sports stadium, a fully equipped cricket ground, a super specialties hospital, a general hospital, a University of higher learning, many museums and a fast growing population. The amazing thing is that this town also seems to be attracting a large variety of colourful feathered friends! I have personally taken pictures of at least 90 different species of birds in the past one year. Here I present 20 photographs as an ode to the beauty and majesty of the birds in and around Puttaparthi.
This is more of a small menu card which will present part of the great variety. A brief of each bird is also given but even as you read them, know that there is a whole world about each bird that is waiting to be discovered.
There are four large lakes around the town and they support a variety of rich bird life. The river Chitravati which flows through the town lends sustenance to many more. Among the most common sounds you will hear will be the kreeeeeee kreeeeee of kingfishers. It is a real joy to see these blue beauties in flight and at perch.
The house crow is considered as the most common bird in many parts of India. But not in Puttaparthi! More common is the Small Green Bee Eaters that keep gliding out of their perch to catch unwary bees in mid air. Their speed and agility is simply impressive and I have rarely sen them miss their target.
Many large water birds too, are at home here. Fishing in the shallow waters, the Grey Heron looks like a graceful ballerina practicing her steps. She is mostly a solitary bird but can sometimes be seen in pairs. The Painted Storks on the other hand, always feed in groups. They come together, eat together and fly away together, riding the high thermals in the sky.
How can any aquatic bird life be complete without the share of ducks? The Spot-Billed Ducks are very shy birds that always seem to wade away from you at great speeds. It is very difficult to get a picture of them from the front for I have never seen them come towards any observer. The Large Stone Plover on the other hand stands steady on the rocks. But don’t get fooled by its steady appearance. It can run and swim at real amazing speeds - and that is not mentioning its quick flight!
With the onset of rains, a lot of frog-breeding goes on and the croaks are heard throughout the nights. The Pond Heron population shoots up every year during the rains and they feed on these frogs. The Pond Heron also frequents the crop fields, catching rats, worms and insects. You can approach these birds from quite a close distance and they seem to have gotten used to the idea of living with humans. That however, cannot be said of the Purple Moorhen. It is a very shy bird that looks like a normal hen but transforms into an excellent and fast swimmer when alarmed. It’s beauty is so ethereal.
Occasionally, you will find a large, dark bird with a brilliant red cap of feathers. The Black Ibis has a loud and terrible shriek. However, you cannot help but admire its elegance as it goes about its business of feeding on marshy grounds.
The Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have adopted the beautiful and brilliantly blue Indian Roller as the state bird. One look at it and you will realize its ‘state’liness! It has more than five hues of blue when it opens up its wings. No wonder that it is also called the Blue Jay! Again, this is a very shy bird and you can see and photograph it only with stealth.
The Greater Coucal belongs to the cuckoo species. But it seems to be the noblest among them for it is no parasite and builds its own nest. It has a strange ‘Whoo whoo’ call which has it named as the ‘red ghost’ in the local languages.
We arrive now to the little ones! There are a host of tiny birds and they keep fluttering by, every now and then when you go for a morning walk. The Chitravati river is shallow and it forms tiny islets in-between the flowing waters. Reeds grow here and these reeds are home to may of these tiny birds. Mention must be made of the brightly colored Red Munia that is smaller than the common sparrow. The Streaked Weaver Bird builds amazing cup and helmet shaped nests in the reeds. It is slightly larger than the sparrow and has a crown of brilliant yellow feathers.
The tiniest of them all are the Sun Birds which present themselves in quite an abundance. They come in many varieties which can be distinguished by looking at the male bird. All the females look alike with a brown upper body and a white to yellowish lower body. They keep visiting flowers and drink deep with their slender and curved beaks.
You may be on a lookout for birds, but do not forget to look at the floor. The areas by the river have grasslands and many birds keep hopping about on the ground, pecking seeds and picking insects. The Sparrow Lark is one such grass ‘hopper’! And the most hyper active among them all is the ashy prinia which is found on the ground, in the air, on the trees and in the shrubs and bushes! The Ashy Prinia has a variety of calls and seems to be the most daring as far as proximity to humans is concerned. You can at times almost touch the bird before it flies away.
With such a rich bird life, predators are always lurking amidst the foliage. Puttaparthi has a fair share of Black-shouldered Kites, Brahminy Kites and Shikras. The Shikra is slightly larger than a crow and is very elegant and powerful. It swoops and picks up tiny mammals and birds with its powerful legs and talons.
On rare occasions, you will also stumble upon a male Laughing Dove making an impressive display to woo the love of his life. Incidentally, the dove has been so named because of its call which sounds like rippling laughter.The regions around the town are havens to study mating and nesting behaviour in birds.
To validate my point, I post a picture of a Night Heron family. The adult birds have a black and white (male) or brown and white (female) coloration. The juveniles and adolescents have a white spotted appearance. You could enjoy these family get-togethers along with your family!
With such a variety of bird-life, Puttaparthi should figure on any bird-lover's itinerary in India. This is especially true, if the visitor happens to be near the state of Andhra Pradesh.
If you enjoyed this, go ahead to the second part....
- The beautiful birds of Puttaparthi - 2
Puttaparthi, the abode of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is a haven for birds and therefore for bird lovers too! With more than a hundred species of birds being sighted within a few kilometers of the town, the surrounding forests and vegetation present
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Beautiful photos. Congrats
Thank you Rosika. Got the skills from my dad who is a photographer himself.
Thank you SilverGenes, Marin 55, Drax, amichael.
@Baileybear - you are right. There are some common birds between Australia and India.
@Lobobrandon - Felt very nice and special after reading your comment. Thank you lots
Wow being in India itself I haven't seen birds in such awesome backgrounds. Truly deserved a win!! Of all the photo hub winners this is the only one which I loved - it may be because I love nature - can't say..
Congrats!!
stunning pics. Some of the birds are very similar to Australian native birds eg Ibis, kingfisher...
These are awesome! Congrats on your win!
Congratulations... !! ..a fine collection of excellent photos...
Gorgeous pictures. The sunbird was my favorite. Congratulations on your win.
Amazing work! Your photography is excellent and the subject matter is fascinating.
These colorful and beautiful bird's has been well captured by you....Loved reading about them and observing your skill in taking photos via these pictures! Great job, voted up! And congratulation for being a winner!
I am thankful to everyone for their whole hearted and wonderful appreciation. Reading each comment makes me feel so wonderful and connected.
@Sarahredhead - Let me know if you need a higher resolution file of the bee eaters for making your oil painting! I felt honored!
These are so beautiful! I am inspired to do an oil painting of the Green Bee Eaters! Excellent hub all the way!
Gorgeous, lovely photos! When I saw the first photo of the Kingfisher, I smiled. The birds are so beautiful and what amazing images you have captured. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful hub, and congrats on your win in the contest!
Congrats, congrats, congrats - you take my breath away with your lovely pics of some of the things I try so hard at and fail in comparison. These are simply lovely pictures of one of my many passions. If you have the time, please email me directly and let me know what camera you use~
Quite lovely and could only hope and pray one of these days I get more closeups and personals of the birds that I so love to follow and photograph almost as much as I love to photograph my mals~
Congratulations! It's easy to see why you won with this entry. Your photography is magnificent! Glad I took a look. Goodnight, Mary
Congratulations on winning in The Patron of the Arts contest. This is a stunning hub!
These bird images have such clarity, they really come alive on the page, a well deserved win, congratulations aravindb1982. Regards, snakeslane
I loved the courtship dance of the laughing dove!
Congratulations for having won the photo contest!!!!!!
Congratulations on wining the Hubpages Contest a worthy winner indeed!
@ davenmidtown - Indeed it is! I have myself seen atleast 4-5 varieties. In fact, the birds have opened my eyes to the rich biosphere that exists at Puttaparthi. lpanning to start shooting butterflies soon. I shall add dragonflies too to my portfolio! thanks
aravindb1982, I would imagine Puttaparthi is blessed in dragonflies too?
Thank you ajayshah2005, writing frosh, mistifields and Cyndi10 for your appreciation.
@ Maren Morgan M-T – Water is definitely calming and Puttaparthi is blessed to have four lakes with many small pools and ponds around.
@JaneSawyer – If ever you execute your plan of packing your bags to come here, just let me know! I shall be your guide!
@ Ravi bhaiya – You are always an inspiration for me in all that I do! Thank you.
Thank you randomcreative, hhunterr, Keith Matyi, Senoritaa and Esmeowl12 for the appreciation and kind words.
@ Ruchira – Thank you for the vote. Trust me, life with nature is a real treat.
@ Pooja Digumarti – Come over here fast so that we can go bird watching together!
Beautiful pictures of birds. It's amazing that birds travel to all the best places in the world.
Loved your images; they are so crisp. You must be a professional photographer. What camera do you use?
Wow, the photography in this hub is top-of-the-line. Absolutely stunning! We are privileged to have this quality of work here at Hubpages. Gorgeous!
Wonderful photos! I especially enjoyed the Streaked Weaver bird with his bright yellow 'cap'. Your descriptions of the birds and their habits make me feel as if I've gone on this journey with you. Congratulations on Hub of the Day. Lovely.
Thank you for sharing your passion with us. It's clearly your sadhana and your seva. You obviously connect with the birds at a deep spiritual level, for them to allow you to photograph them so intimately! Your photos are amazing and your info about the birds is so rich! Both bring us right there! Actually, when I'm in Parti, I've often wished I knew more about the birds there. I would love to go on a birding tour with you sometime. Can't wait to see more. I've always wanted to see a koel bird. I love its haunting call, but have never seen one. keep up the good work! Sai Ram
Vivid photographs -- the birds are striking, and you've captured them in such clear images. Thank you for all the information on the birds.
Wow.. I hope you draft another hub about how many of them are endangered species. I wouldn't be suprised if most of the ones you've put up here are! I do not want to spoil the joyeous hub obviously, but let this act as a Wake-Up call for all of us!! The beauty of nature lies in all its species intact and untouched by human invasion. Sai Baba would have wanted the same from us. :)
Sairam Barru,
Amazing pics. Failed to notice these even though stayed there for 7 years. Just like us fail to recognise the God though HE is always with us
Beautiful Hub, as well as pictures are too beautiful.
@ Ardie – Thank you! You started off my day well with your appreciative note and the hub won in the end! ? Thank you.
@ Susan – Really! The kingfisher is magical and its sound too is so distinct.
@ tillsontitan – Exactly. But the wait for the birds is worthwhile and very rewarding. I have been lucky to stay in this place that has such an abundant variety….
Well Aravind... i guess this is just the beginning... Roll them all out for the world to catch a glimpse of the myriad and infinite colours that throng at parthi!
The other thing which i am sure you must engage everyone is the effort you have put in getting this flying friends!
Hello aravinb1982, your pictures are incredible and I thank you for giving me very interesting tidbits about each bird, thank you for sharing the world that surrounds you with me. Voted up and awesome!!!
Very happy for you, that this hub got voted as 'Hub of the day'! :) Great going, bro!
What an awesome hub! The photos were outstanding! this definitely deserves hub of the day! Congrats on being chosen! You definitely deserved it!
I wish we had more tropical birds like this where I lived!
No wonder this made Hub of the Day! Have you ever considered making a book of the 90 different birds you have photographed? It would be beautiful. The photos are simply spectacular...as if the birds posed personally for you...Congratulations on this Hub!
Beautiful photographs of beautiful birds. Informative text. Great Hub!
Absolutely beautiful photos! I'm sure you must have greatly enjoyed getting to take them. Your information on each bird was very interesting...the hub was quite enjoyable. Thank you for your hard work and for sharing!
Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing these lovely birds. I'll be forwarding this on to some bird lovers I know.
Congratulations on Hub of the Day! You certainly deserve accolades for these outstanding photographs and interesting and informative writing! I was surprised to see some familiar birds here among this exotic (to me) collection, but I absolutely loved them all!
These are AMAZING and a well deserved place in the Hub of the Day! Good luck in the contest. Thanks for sharing your incredible photos. :)
Excellent hub! Magnificent photographs! Truly great!
Absolutely stunning! Thanks for making my day! This is a hub that all Hubbers should strive for!
great job! fantastic pics!
Such beautiful birds...in this hustle bustle of LIFE. We have forgotten such beautiful nature surrounds us.
thank you for the reminder!
This hub has been voted up as awesome.
I have bookmarked this hub to show the beautiful pix to my kid who is awed by the beauty of nature.
Awesome is not the word! Just breathtaking!
Thanks for all the beautiful photos and info. What a delight for a birder like myself! Congrats on hub of the day!
How can you not comment? Winner!
Wow so many gorgeous photos and lots of great information! Wonderful hub. Congrats on getting Hub of the Day!
Barru, it is amazing. The whole write-up, the pics. All the good words you have got and will get are more than deserved. Way to go ...
I absolutely love this hub. Brilliant. Thank you for sharing.
amazing, awesome and stunning. I just want to pack my bags and stay in your beautiful place for years looking and watching at these wonderful birds. Where I live if I manage to see a few colorful winged creatures in a year I consider myself lucky. You are truly blessed.
Such GORGEOUS photos! And I liked all the water in the background, also. I gained a sense of peace just looking at them! Thanks!
Beautiful pictures! Beautiful birds! Thank you for creating such amazing photography.
Absolutely amazing hub! I find it very informative and interesting. Thanks for introducing to us the wonderful birds of Puttaparthi.
By the way, congratulations on being the hub of the day! :)
Wow, so beautiful photos! They are all so clear and tremendous! You really did a great work. Congratulations for achieving Hub Of The Day!
Great choice for hub of the day! Your photos are outstanding. I've tried to photograph a few birds here in New York and know the time and patience it takes to get a good one -- not only did you get good ones you got great ones! Really beautiful photos and interesting information. I would never have thought such beautiful birds lived in such a dry place. Again, congratulations on a truly excellent hub all around, not many hubs are awesome!
wow - my favourite bird - the Indian Kingfisher ...i can't believe the pics they're so gorgeous...
i have written a post on 'kingfisher, blue, so blue' on WP but without an image...:( coz i couldn't capture the wily bird, and im no photographer:)),so it's a pleasure to see these wonderful birds you have captured...absolutely super! Congrats!
Congrats on hub of the day, so deserving! Im proud to see you here with this beautiful hub :)
It is amazing…. I love the pics….
Thank you every body for your sweet and gracious wishes! I feel so overwhelmed and happy. Birds have become a sort of obsession for me ever since I discovered that my home town served as hometown to so many feathered friends too! Was waiting for a critical mass of photographs....Hope to publish part two of this hub very soon...
Once again, I am very grateful for all your encouraging words.
Thanks to Aarthi, Ajith, Hemanth, Shastry sir, Bhagawan Das, Poornima Srinath, Dummi and Kiran didi.
davenmidtown and Alternative Prime - I feel humbled with your words! Thank you! Hope to write more such hubs.
Simone Smith - I shall take them for a guided tour when they come!
punacoast - The reason for that is because the villagers here are very kind towards birds. They allow them to co exist.
LetitiaFT - hahahaha.....crows are the most common birds in India!
saisarannaga - It is all God's inspiration...
Thank you Thelma Alberts and carriethomson. The hub of the Day feels so good!
And yes! Thank you pstraubie48 and Sunshine625 for your very kind and encouraging words. I am grateful.
Outstanding hub! Beautiful photos of the birds! Thank you for sharing. Congrats on Hub of the Day, it was well earned:)
Congratulations on Hub of the Day...you deserve it. This was a lovely little journey to see these sweet birds. I love the shot of the little sunbird having some sippage. Thanks for capturing these images.
Hi aravindb1982, you have fabulous photographs here!! you are certainly a pro at it!! congratulations for being selected as the hub of the day
carrie
A vote up hub. Indeed, this is the result of days and months of watching. Excellent photographs.I being very close to Puttaparthi, know about it very well. But nobody has written about the birds in the locality so well. Thumb up!
Beautiful birds! Awesome. Thanks for sharing and congratulations for the hub of the day.
I wonder at your varied interests. I appreciate your hobby as a bird watcher. Really certain blessed souls in the form of birds enjoy the elevating atmosphere of Puttaparthi and the omnipresent Lord in the river banks and lake. It is natural that you are followed by many hubbers. May Swami bless you in all your endevours.
Beautiful, it certainly makes one want to visit Puttaparthi. We have bee eaters in France too, though not nearly as many as crows. In fact, it is so rare to see one that people catch them and take them to the zoo or customs office, thinking they're exotic birds that have escaped! I suppose that's because our other birds are not so bright and colorful. Thanks
Amazing photography, the beauty of the birds is doubled in those photos.Great work Aravind.
I loved the indian roller or blue jay....one word to describe this bird is "Pulchritudinous"!
Arvind, ur fotos r BRILLIANT ! U've got Balubhaiya's magic :-)
WOW!! This is sooooo good..
:):) wow Baru..
Simply superb ! :-)!! You are awesome brother !! :-)
Could not have imagined there were so many beautiful birds in the "arid" region. This is a fabulous collection with splendid and stunning photography. It shows how much of it we fail to notice until someone shows it to us. Thank you so much.
My morning is inspired because of the beauty you shared. Thanks
Awesome!
WHAT INCREDIBLE PHOTOS!!! And what beautiful birds!! There are two big bird-watching and photographing fans in my family that I will have to share this Hub with. And I'll have to encourage them to visit Puttaparthi, too!!
Hello aravindb 1982 -
I thoroughly enjoyed your superb display of several distinct species of birds, some of which most of us have probably never layed eyes on before - The different colors, hues, tones and natural backdrops along with their truly unique individual personalities & characteristics is a pleasure to behold -
Great Gallery & I personally look forward to viewing more in the future -
THX for sharing - Alternative Prime -
Beautiful birds! So interesting that Puttaparthi is a fast growing village but it still has such an amazing wildlife population. Thanks for sharing, I truly enjoyed your hub!
aravindb1982! What a beautiful (though the word is not strong enough) hub. Your photography makes me stop in awe and pause. This is perhaps one of the best hubs I have read this year! The information is amazingly brilliant... You have set a new bar for me to reach for! Thank you.
Btw, I loved the photo of the Blue Jay the best! What a royal blue on his wings! Amazing color! What a painter our dear Swami is!
Enthralling! :) Loved the photos! Must have been an amazing experience for you to see the birds live and to photograph them.
@ dinkan53 - That is an interesting insight! There are about 5 types of doves I have seen in this region. They are similar with slight differences! Thank you for your vote.
@ raakachi - Thank you for your very kind words. I have been in Puttaparthi from the past 14 years, having done my education here. Nature gives us the experience of God!
@ vasantha T k - Thank you. If has been God's blessings and people's good wishes that I have been able to photograph some of these flying beauties. Nothing compares with seeing them live!
Beautiful hub. superb pictures with content.I love birds and this is the first hub of birds I came across. Voted up beautiful and useful. Bee eaters and Ashy Wren are so cute.Wish you all the best.
Hello, Aravindb1982, where are you? why can't i not able to see you before in the 'Hubpages', so far? You have shown us the varieties of the flying beauties like the ornithologist, which i haven't ever seen before! What a stunning performance you had done. I am happy to follow you. Like the omnipresence of Bhaghawan Sri Satyasai baba in the holy land 'Puttaparthi', your hub also adds credit to his flower feet.voted up! Awesome and Beautiful.
Lovely hub with excellent photographs. My eyes stuck on the Laughing Dove, its beautiful and is otherwise called 'Rooiborsduifie' in Africa. voting up and beautiful
@ Ardie - The female of the Red Munia is equally stunning. It looks like a bird draped in a brown and red silk sari! I too am fascinated by birds and do some shooting daily. Just that I am allowed only 20 pictures per hub. Thank you for the appreciation...
Stunning hub. I love birds, they are so beautiful. I especially liked the Red Munia. We have red birds here in Ohio but they dont have spots :)
Mr. Happy Level 7 Commenter 4 months ago
You have some gorgeous photographs here Mr. Aravind!!
I was trying to see which one I liked most but it is pointless - they are all simply beautiful.
Although when I see crows/ravens (You did say there are some around), my heart flutters. I love ravens and they are a great Omen for me, when I see them. They guide/guard my path - I love them!
Many thanks for directing me to this article. Awesome! I love the colours too!