Paradise flycatcher

[Prajwal J Ullal]

I had a vivid experience of sighting this beauty back in 2007-08 during my college days when i had spotted it at my department's backyard. It was a small beauty with really long tail and would fly along the branches of the lushgreen post monsoon trees of IIT Bombay's campus. Unfortunately that time I hadnt yet been beaten by the bird spotting bug and didnt record it nor appreciated the rarity of the moment. Finally after close to 7 years, and continuous search for it, I got the rare opportunity to the experience this beauty in the wild, in the open spaces of Sanjay Gandhi national park, but due to the early morning low light couldnt manage to get a clear and sharp image of it, but luckily could enjoy the whole brief moment of the encounter. This beauty was very swift and busy feasting on few flies and butterflies. It came in too close to me, but by the time I could get a clear capture it got aware about my presence and flew off to a higher branch, while catching a striped tiger butterfly. This frame was just after it had enjoyed its early catch

EXIF:
Canon EOS 550D
Canon 55-250 IS
F/5.6
shutterspeed: 1/200 (Shutter priority)
ISO 400
Handheld
Location: Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai

[Mrudul Godbole]

A very beautiful bird. Its a pleasure to see it fly with the long tail feathers. Its good you managed to get the eye in clear. It can be difficult to compose to get the tail feathers in full. If this is a crop, you can keep a bit more space at the bottom to include the tail feathers in full. I too have sighted it a couple of times, but still not got a good photograph :(. Thanks for sharing.

[Prajwal J Ullal]

Unfortunately I couldnot get the complete tail of the bird in the frame :(

[Roopak Gangadharan]

Nice eye contact. Agree its streamers pose a challenge in composition.
Tfs
Roopak