Indian Thick-knee: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — I posted a photo of one of these Indian Thick-knees while I was still in India in March. We spent, realively speaking, more time looking for this specific bird than for any other on our trip, as we hiked back into the brushy area to the side of the road between the first and second entrance gates many times before we found them. If they are hunkered down, like the bird on the right, it is very easy not to see them. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 160 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Brahminy Starling: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — I always say, of all the Starlings in the world that might have been introduced into North America, our common Starling is least attractive. Starlings would get more respect if they looked like this Brahminy Starling, especially when having a bad feather day as this one was. Pesky wind and bit of breeding territory excitement. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro. ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +1.3 EV.

Grey Heron: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — I have to admit that I do not get too excited about Grey Herons when I am traveling. They are so much like our Great-blue Herons, which are pretty much every where in the US…and the Grey is pretty much every where, well, ever where else. It ranges from Great Britain across Europe, most of Asia, and Africa south of the Sahara. In Australia they have the White-faced Heron, also a very similar bird. So, while I photograph every one I see…I don’t get overly excited. 🙂 Not that it is not a great bird. It is. The grayish herons are one of the birds I like to show to other’s, especially children, as it never fails to impress. And it has a great a range of feather textures as any bird alive…and they are very visible because the bird is so big. These birds were out on one of the side roads at the end of the access road in Keoladeo. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 640 and 800 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Painted Stork: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — We saw hundreds of Painted Storks at Keoladeo, and all but three of them were immatures. I asked our guide why, and he said the adults were all out in farm fields feeding during the day. We found these adults late in the day, as the sun was preparing to set. Perhaps they knocked off early for the day. 🙂 Sony Rx10iv. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. 526mm equivalent @ ISO 200 @ f4 @ 1/500th, +.7 EV. 600mm equivalent @ ISO 640 @ f4 @ 1/500th.

Plum-headed Parakeet: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — There are only two parrot species regularly seen in Rajasthan…or rather maybe I should say “there are” two parrot species that can be seen in Rajasthan. The Rose-ringed Parakeet is super common and super abundant…but I had to look at a lot of Rose-ringed before I saw my first Plum-headed! And the two of them, both females, turned out to be the only Plum-headed Parakeets we saw on the whole trip. These two were very far away…in the top of a very tall tree, and a good ways down the road the way we had already come. This is a deep crop…the bird is tiny in the full frame. Still, it is one of only three photos I managed of Plum-headed Parakeet. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f5 @ 1/1000th. +1EV

Green Bee-eaters: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, May 2023 — I might have mentioned that I throughly enjoyed watching this pair of Green Bee-eaters hunting around the canteen at the end of the Keoladeo access road. I like bee-eaters, and have had a chance to enjoy them on three continents now. I have seen them in Hungary, Uganda, Kenya and South Africa…and now in India. Always a treat. Sony Rx10iv at 591mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 100 @ f4 @ 1/500th

White-fronted Kingfisher: Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, March 2023 — A Kingfisher in the dappled light under a free standing tree in the picnic area behind the canteen at the end of the road at Keoladeo, showing off all its colors. Sony Rx10iv at 600mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Pixelmator Pro and Apple Photos. ISO 500 @ f4 @ 1/500th. +.7EV.