We were pretty lucky with our sightings and observations on the Manchinabele trip on the 21st of November; apart from the

TAWNY EAGLE

I also got, thanks to Manju, a first-time-ever sighting, and observation, of the

WHITE-NAPED WOODPECKER

high up in a

TAMARIND tree

High up, along with the Tawny Eagle and the BLACK KITES, was a SHORT-TOED SNAKE EAGLE I thought this was a WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW but actually, some of our group said that some BARN SWALLOWS also have a short wire tail...so I don't know exactly which bird it is now! I assumed that the presence of the wire tail meant a Wire-Tailed Swallow...wrong as usual! I enjoyed watching the ROSE-RINGED PARAKEETS racketing about, trying to investigate likely holes in the trunk for their nests: We stopped at a pond where lots of BLACK-HEADED MUNIAS were flying about in the reeds; It was lovely watching them: In the paddy fields, a couple of WHITE-BREASTED WATERHENS were running around in a hectic way! We heard the "kook!kook!kook!" repetitive calls of the COPPERSMITH BARBETS and saw a couple of them on a tree rather far off: Even common birds like the PIED BUSHCHAT and the GREY HERON made off while we were far off.... I liked those going-away shots! We watched several BAYA WEAVERS entering and leaving their nests: Other creatures were also very interesting...first, the HUGE cloud of MIDGES were rather difficult to capture on camera: But Garima spotted this BRAHMINY SKINK and it allowed us to snap off a few quick shots: and there were plenty of ROCK AGAMAS around, basking on the rocks as the sun went up: Everywhere in the grass, the BLUES were flitting around, ceaselessly: It was hypnotic, watching the POND SKATES dart about on the surface of the water:

I compare my learning to this shoot, reaching beyond what’s old to something new and fresh:

Here’s a 360-degree view of the Manchinabele backwaters, with the beautiful

LITTLE EGRETS floating in to land…

A beautiful place, and an enjoyable outing…I took the train to Chennai feeling very happy indeed.