u/grumpydogfather

F2, one of the resident tigresses of Umred Karhandla Gothangaon Wildlife Sanctuary, pauses for a moment while scent-marking her territory during the golden hour.

Territory marking is a vital part of a tiger’s life. By spraying urine, rubbing scent glands, and leaving scratch marks, tigers create a chemical map that can persist for days or even weeks. These scent signals communicate identity, reproductive status, and territorial boundaries, helping neighbouring tigers avoid unnecessary conflict while advertising their presence to potential mates.

Often overshadowed by its more famous neighbours, Umred Gothangaon is a beautiful reserve of lakes, bamboo forests and mixed woodland. Its varied terrain and rich prey base make it an excellent place to witness authentic tiger behaviour away from the crowds.

Photographed in February 2026 using a Sony A7III with 200-600mm f5.6-6.3 GOSS

ISO 5000 | 200mm | 0ev | f5.6 | 1/200s

When I don’t need to use burst mode in camera and the Ibises do it for me.

River Terns during breeding season are almost impossible to stop watching.
I spent the morning watching a breeding colony of River Terns (Sterna aurantia) on Bhadra Lake.
For the adults, the routine never seemed to stop. Leave the island. Hunt. Return. Feed the chicks. Repeat.
The rocky islands scattered across Bhadra Lake may look barren, but they're carefully chosen nesting sites. Surrounded by water, they offer some protection from ground predators. Even so, breeding success depends on stable water levels, healthy fish populations and minimal disturbance during the nesting season.

River Terns fly low over the water, constantly scanning for movement beneath the surface. Every plunge is a calculated gamble, and during the breeding season, every attempt matters.

Elegant in flight and unmistakable with its bright orange-red bill and black cap, the River Tern is one of India's few freshwater terns.
Unlike many of its relatives that spend their lives along coastlines, this species depends on healthy inland rivers, lakes and reservoirs.

River Terns rarely wait for prey to come to them.
Instead, they patrol continuously over the water, using exceptional eyesight to locate fish just beneath the surface before making a rapid dive.

River Terns nest together on exposed islands, where dozens of breeding pairs raise their young side by side.
The colony offers many eyes to detect danger, but every pair still has to hunt, feed and protect its own chicks.

After each hunting trip, the adults return to the colony where hungry chicks are waiting.
During breeding season, these flights between lake and nest are repeated countless times every day.

Freshly hatched chicks are completely dependent on their parents. Their mottled down provides excellent camouflage among the rocks, while a constant supply of fish fuels the rapid growth they'll need before taking their first flight.

Watching this colony was a reminder that behind every fledgling is countless hours of hunting, vigilance and parental care.

Alright birders, settle this one: Legge’s Hawk-Eagle or Changeable Hawk-Eagle?

Spotted in the forests of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, Kerala, India, this magnificent raptor was perched high above the canopy, watching over one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the Western Ghats.

Parambikulam’s evergreen forests are home to an incredible variety of wildlife, from hornbills and giant squirrels to tigers, elephants and some of India’s most elusive birds of prey. These dense forests provide the perfect hunting grounds for hawk-eagles, powerful predators that prey on birds, mammals and reptiles hidden within the canopy.

This bird caught my attention with its pale head, yellow eye and white-tipped crest. Those features seem to point towards a Legge’s Hawk-Eagle, a species associated with the forests of Sri Lanka and the southern Western Ghats. But as many birders know, separating it from the closely related Changeable Hawk-Eagle isn’t always straightforward.

So here’s the challenge:

Legge’s Hawk-Eagle or Changeable Hawk-Eagle?

Tell me which way you’re leaning and, more importantly, why. What field marks are you using? Crest? Head pattern? Structure? Range?

The floor is yours. Let’s see if the experts can reach a consensus… or if the comments descend into the kind of taxonomic chaos that only raptor enthusiasts can create. 😄

Found only in the forests of India’s southern Western Ghats, these elegant leaf-eating monkeys spend most of their lives high in the canopy, moving through the treetops in close-knit groups. Their glossy black coats and golden-brown crowns make them unmistakable, though they can be surprisingly difficult to spot among the dense foliage of evergreen forests.

The Nilgiri Langur’s diet consists primarily of young leaves, shoots, fruits, flowers, and seeds. As they forage, they play an important role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds across the forest, helping maintain the diversity and regeneration of these ancient landscapes.

Unlike the boisterous chatter of macaques, Nilgiri Langurs are often announced by their deep, resonant calls that carry through the valleys and forested slopes of the Western Ghats. These vocalizations help groups maintain contact across dense vegetation where visibility is limited.

Photographed in the evergreen forests of Nelliyampathy, Kerala, where mist-covered mountains, towering trees, and rich biodiversity provide refuge for countless endemic species.

A flash of maroon, cream and black among the treetops means the magnificent Malabar Giant Squirrel is around.

Endemic to India, this striking arboreal mammal spends most of its life high in the forest canopy, rarely descending to the ground. Its diet includes fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers, tree bark, and occasionally insects, making it an important participant in the forest’s cycle of seed dispersal.

Unlike the familiar urban squirrel, the Malabar Giant Squirrel communicates with a variety of sharp chatter calls, alarm barks, and whistles that carry through the forest when danger is nearby.

The evergreen forests of Nelliyampathy offer the continuous canopy these squirrels need to move, forage, and build their leafy nests. Part of the biodiversity-rich Western Ghats, these forests support an extraordinary range of endemic plants and animals that have evolved in isolation over millions of years.

A faint rustle in the fallen dry leaves behind me made me turn around, expecting a bird or perhaps a squirrel. Slowly emerging from the undergrowth was this forest tortoise, perfectly camouflaged. Had it stayed still, I would have walked right past it.

While hornbills command attention high above the forest floor, tortoises like this play a very different role in the ecosystem below. Feeding on fallen fruits, flowers, fungi, and other organic matter, they help recycle nutrients and disperse seeds, contributing to the health and regeneration of the forest.

Its shell, patterned in earthy browns and dark blotches, is more than just protection. It’s camouflage, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the leaf litter of the Western Ghats’ evergreen forests. A reminder that some of the forest’s most remarkable residents are also its easiest to overlook.

Photographed in the misty high-elevation forests of Nelliyampathy, Kerala.

One of India’s largest forest birds, the Great Hornbill plays a crucial role as a seed disperser, earning it the nickname “farmer of the forest.” Its diet consists mainly of fruits, especially figs, but it will also occasionally feed on small reptiles, insects, and nestling birds.

The deep, resonant calls of the Great Hornbill are often heard echoing through the forest canopies of South India.

Nelliyampathy’s evergreen forests, part of the southern Western Ghats in Kerala provide the towering old-growth trees these birds depend on for nesting and feeding. These forests are among the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, harbouring countless endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.

A reminder that protecting forests isn’t just about saving trees but about preserving entire worlds suspended in the canopy.

It’s International Leopards’ Day. Here are moments from two different leopard encounters I’ve had, a month apart from each other, across continents. The first image is of an African leopard that I took in Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya. The second image is of an Indian leopard that I took in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Karnataka, India.

African leopards are generally more robust, with slightly sparser, larger rosettes on coats that range from golden to deep tawny. The Indian cousin tends to be a touch smaller in build, with denser markings. Both, however, share that same Houdini-level elusiveness that makes sightings feel like winning a lottery you didn’t know you’d entered.

Leopards aren’t the undisputed kings of their terrain. Lions and hyenas will happily steal their lunch in Africa, and tigers will turn them into their lunch in India. But in their preferred arena (trees, thick bush, and pure stealth), they are unmatched.

The frightened tiger here realising it’s about to get an ass-kicking like never before is the sub-adult male cub of the dynamic tigress, F2. The one about to strike is none other than F2 herself. I’ve posted a video of this encounter earlier, which you can find on my profile. This wasn’t a battle, but rather a mother showing her son some tough love. F2 had been the apple of every Indian wildlifer’s eye through the last couple of years because of her sizeable litter. Now her duties as a mother are complete. It’s time for dispersal - the stage when tiger cubs separate from their mother and go in pursuit of their own territories. But this guy isn’t leaving, still hanging around in mom’s home, living rent-free. Humorous as it may sound, the consequences of the cub staying are quite dire. F2 is ready to mate again and she will attract other males. When a full adult, strong male answers the call and enters her territory, he will almost certainly kill this cub. And at about 2 years of age, this cub will not stand a chance. So while F2 may be acting as per how nature has programmed her, it’s being done for the cub’s protection.