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Friday, March 31, 2006,7:46 PM
DARTER - Snake Bird - an update
This is an update of an old post with fresh pictures.

Snake bird because the neck looks like a snake. Darter because it flies very very fast and swims as fast, Can be called a water bird. Body is submerged but neck sticks out of water.

Zoom it goes. Fish eater. You see only the neck darting towards you, ploonk the head goes in, catches a fish and plink plink it flies off very fast. don't know anything else about it. Please add information and correct me if I am wrong. Please click to enlarge, you don't see much in a small picture.

Nancy has contributed the following details Water bird of genus Anhinga, related to the cormorant and pelican, forming the family Anhingidae, order Pelecaniformes. They swim in lakes, rivers, or seas with only the head on the long neck showing above water, moving sinuously, then darting forward to seize a fish, the neck vertebrae being specially adapted for flexibility. The snakebirds are widely distributed throughout Central and South America, South Asia, and Australia, and vary little in colour.

The following information is furnished by ezee123 thank you so much and thank you Nancy.

The most distracting behaviour of the Darter bird is the drop dead behaviour. you will normally see it on high perches and if it gets surprised by anything the automatic response is to drop straight down, even through branches of the tree, to the water as if dead. You would be puzzled by this and presume that the poor bird has met the Maker.

These two pictures were taken in Ranganathittu, and rest of the pictures were taken in Kumarakom, my friend Sallu was kind enough to take me there, actually he insisted that I visit Kumarakom, and the ride was really rewarding. Thanks you so much Sallu.

Look at that, sheer beauty and elegance
I updated the post with new pictures, the older post pictures were taken from a distance. Now with Panasonic Lumix, I could go closer with a 35-420mm Leica zoom, Hi Thanks Cherian, I have written about the camera in a previous post 'New Camera'
Daylight Again
 
posted by rauf
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17 Comments:


  • 12:14 AM, Blogger e2d

    Plonk!Hey I got a fish!!Oh! but its Nemo!!I cant eat Nemo!!(he is a movie star..u c).
    Plonk!drops it back.
    Me going...to look me up in google.Plink !plink!!
    thx for the pics Rauf!! U make me look pretty!

     

  • 7:11 AM, Blogger Patty

    Rauf, Is that a person in the background of the first photo?

    Sorry I haven't been commenting lately. There are so many things going on in my head. Tomorrow I'm going to take photos at a train track/railroad area for a couple hours. That should be fun.

     

  • 9:16 AM, Blogger rauf

    EEEEEEEEEEE, e2dees, you ARE pretty, I know what comes out of your keyboard, comes from your mind and it must be beautiful. Me not tokkeen about Russel Crowe.

     

  • 9:21 AM, Blogger rauf

    In the background is an out of focus Painted stork.

    Please take your break enjoy yourself Patty, please wear some heavy boots if you have, if you want to avoid a twisted ankle, walking on the rairoad tracks could be tricky. please take care.

     

  • 12:53 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

    Is this Rnganthittu?

    The most distracting behaviour of the Darter bird is the drop dead behaviour. you will normally see it on high perches and if it gets surprised by anything the automatic response is to drop straight down, even through branches of the tree, to the water as if dead. You would be puzzled by this and presume that the poor bird has met the Maker.
    You may want to shake your head and cluck in sympathy.

    A few minutes later, however, you will see it surfacing up several metres away safe and sound.

    http://ezee123.livejournal.com/

     

  • 5:27 PM, Blogger rauf

    Thank you ezee123, yes its Ranganthittu, This time I was lucky to get many, I have already posted River Tern earier in Daylight Again Blog. Blunt knife is for photograpy and travel, Daylight Again will have some message with pictures.

    Thank you so much for the information, I never knew about it, though I saw the drop dead act but I thought something was really wrong with the bird and it just disappeared. I was in the boat. No site has given this information, you seem to know a lot. Thanks once again, Many more pictures coming in next few weeks.

     

  • 6:19 PM, Blogger rauf

    Ezee123, I have added your information to the post, thank you for providing it.

    I tried to post a comment on your amazing sunset sky on your page but it was showing some error, tried as anonymous too but failed again so I am posting it here.

    How every day is different, every sunrise every sunset is different. I ask my friends how many sunrises sunsets you have seen in your life, the answer is always disappointing.
    I was lucky to watch a beautiful sunset at Agumbe' when the sun dramatically disappeared from the middle of the sky.
    Rauf

     

  • 9:26 PM, Blogger Patty

    Rauf, I took your advice & wore some good boots. I took photos(446 to be exact) all around, walking for 4 hours straight. I don't think my legs like me anymore. :)

    Ate oranges I'd packed. Very nice time. Tired though.

     

  • 9:36 PM, Blogger rauf

    Can't wait to see them Patty Light, I know they will be terrific, specially with your composition.
    I love railroad tracks. The sound of the tracks is music to me, I travel cheap, there are Airconditioned coaches which I can't afford, I don't like them anyway as the glass windows are tinted and sealed, you don't get to hear the track noise.

     

  • 8:23 AM, Blogger Leila

    Wow it really does have a neck like a snake, quite amazing!

    I love your blog Rauf, it really opens my eyes, thank you.

     

  • 8:43 AM, Blogger rauf

    Thank you
    Your eyes are already wide open Laila.
    you've changed your profile picture again ? looks enigmatic, looks nice.

     

  • 9:51 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

    Ranganthittu is a great place for the birds and for us who want to take their pictures.
    I will be looking up the River Tern post too.

    Thank you, You are welcome. Looking forward to see more pictures.

    I am posting a link of a photo of the Darter bird at my flickr warehouse.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/30742298@N00/100417394/
    Nothing special. A clean profile. Shot in January 2006 at Thekkady.

     

  • 9:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous

    Thank you for the visiting the sunset html in my LJ blog.
    Maybe they were in maintenance mode at that particular time.

    You are right. No one really has the time energy and the patience to see sunrises and sunsets. We are so totally taken up with existence in the material world that we miss out life.

    There is hope.

     

  • 7:54 PM, Blogger rauf

    There are lot more pictures coming ezee123, Ranganathittu is really a great place, please visit Kumarakom too, I cannot think of staying there as the stay and food is frightfully expensive, Couldn't even think of having a coffee there. On our way back my friend Sallu and I had lunch at a small cozy and homely atmosphere just outside Kumarakom. You can always stay in Kottayam or a couple of miles before Kumarakom.

     

  • 2:29 PM, Blogger Davoh

    Brilliant pics and commentary, Rauf. A refreshing opening in the window of a blighted world.

     

  • 9:06 PM, Blogger rauf

    Thank you Davo, Hope keeps us alive.

     

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