Knob-billed duck in Sangareddy lake

[Subhash Shrivastava]

Canon SX60 HS, 1/160, f/6.5, 247 mm, ISO-250, Full frame.
Clicked on the shore of Sangareddy lake on 14-Dec-2014. My first image of a Knob-billed duck.

[Roopak Gangadharan]

nice one subhash. slightly off centered compo wud been good as well.

TFS
Roopak

[Roopak Gangadharan]

How many did u see ? how is the migrant season till now in those parts? it is kind of disappointing for waders till now here .. haven't been able to go out much as well. very few visits to wetlands and the ghats. Planning to make it up in Jan.
TFS
Roopak

[Mrudul Godbole]

Nice sighting. Good eye contact. agree about the off centered composition. Thanks for sharing.

[Subhash Shrivastava]

Dear Mrudul, Roopak; thanks for viewing and sharing your views. First I though of cropping to make it off-center then I looked at the v shape of the landline and left it like it is. And I did like the grasses. I am not sure I will be able to see such luxuriant grasses next year. The Juggernaut of the development is in full swing.

Roopak sir,
Thanks for writing back asking for the situation here. You know, I am so overwhelmed with what's happening around here that I can go on and on. The Migratory birds sightings this year are very meager. There are no common pochards, no flamingoes, and the birds that have come are in 1/5th of their usual numbers. The most surprising part is Ruddy shellducks are very rare this year, till last year you may stumble upon them at most unlikely places. Out of around 8 lakes where I used to go for Bird watching till last year, this year I am able to see migratory birds only in two of them.
The Hyd - Nadyal highway that cuts through the Srisailam, NSTR, is in full swing. It was the brain child of YSR just before he died, after his death this proposal was put on hold. Now the work is happening at such a lightening speed since last 5 months that I am awestruck and very depressed at the same time. It will surely ruin the NSTR and the biggest irony is that there is not a big enough town all along the highway ! May be the free timber is the motivation factor here. I have seen many roads that have been made wide double-laned inside the forests suitable of cruising, you came of the forest area same road is hardly drivable.