HSBC Bird Race 2009

I participated in an a bird race for the first time with Team Pittas comprising of Deepak Mallya, Rahul, Sandeep, Dr. Sriram and yours truly. For the uninitiated, a bird race is a contest wherein you identify as many species of birds as possible in a given time frame within a given area. Of course, the real goal is having fun spotting birds. (Yes, we didn't even win a consolation prize :))

I was real excited as it was the first time that I had set out of home with the explicit idea of spotting birds!! Deepak, Sandeep and I met on Saturday to discuss birding locations - University Campus, Byramangla, Valley School, and Bannerghatta National Park.

Yes, I did wake up at 4:30 A.M. in the morning to go birding. The first thing I spotted was the big dipper in the sky :) Sandeep picked all of us up and drove us to the university campus. We spotted around 15 species at the campus including the pea fowl (peacock).

On the way to Byramangla we spotted Drongos and Munias and stopped to take a few snaps. The farmers took serious offense that we were providing "more respect to the birds than to them"! I can understand where they are coming from - it doesn't pay to grow paddy any more!!






The highlight of birding at Byramangla was the elegant flight of the pelican. We also spotted the black ibis that is supposedly not so common in these areas. Sightings at Byramangala to the bird count to around 35.





We then headed to valley school - this place is awesome for birding. Spotting the paradise fly catcher made my day! By noon we had spotted close to 65 species.






Post 1 P.M. we were not successful in spotting too many birds as our strategy of visiting Bannerghatta didn't pay off as expected. Sandeep had a real bad time navigating the treacherous roads en route.

I must say that I was disappointed with my "bird pictures" - oh, they are avoid cameras like plague :) A slightly better picture was that of a dog and pup. Sandeep has much better pictures - you can visit:

http://howyoudoin.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/bangalore-bird-race-2009-report/




Apart from the bird race, it was really nice to meet folks with serious interest in birding and the amount of time and effort that they spend on it. Must appreciate HSBC for their thoughtfulness in honoring folks who have done a lot towards conservation and caring for birds.

One suggestion for the organizers would be to have penalties (lower scores) for teams who submit entries late - ensures fairness and discipline!!

Related Posts:
Bird Photography in Phoenix
Bird Photograhpy in Kumara Park West
Bird Watching in Nanjangud
Birding in Hebbal Lake

(c) Copyright 2008-2009

Birds of Phoenix, AZ

Birds of Phoenix, Arizona:



Pigeon


Canadian Goose












Sparrow

Birding in Hebbal Lake
Bird Watching in Nanjangud
HSBC Bird Race 2009 Bangalore
Bird Watching in Kumara Park

Birds of Kumara Park

Pictures of birds that I have spotted in Kumara Park West



Red Whiskered Bulbul



Seven Sisters


Myna


Black Kite


White Cheeked Barbet

Birding in Hebbal Lake
Bird Watching in Nanjangud
HSBC Bird Race 2009 Bangalore
Bird Watching in Phoenix

Copyright (c) 2008-2009

Evening Sky: Pictures

Here are some pictures of the evening and night sky. Couldn't capture the stars with low magnitude.










Copyright (c) 2008-2009

Getting Started on Star Gazing

In the GPS age, you don't need to look at the stars to navigate from one location to the other. However, you can look at the stars to admire their beauty.

I have captured sequence of steps that I followed in my quest to explore the universe.

Here is some very basic information and links that should help you get started!

Ingredients: Good observation skills, clear skies, sky map, patience and practice.

Getting Started:

Getting Familiar with Constellations

The best way to start is to star gaze on your PC - no hoping for clear skies or craning your neck to avoid obstacles. A great place to start is a website that teaches you to identify 3 constellations (Orion, Big Dipper, Cassiopeia), 2 stars (Betelgeuse, Polaris) and 1 planet (Jupiter).

Quietbay

After going thro' the exercise of identifying these constellations, stars and planet, you are ready to test your skills in the "real" world (uhm, universe). Going thro' the exercise does give you the confidence that you will be able to identify them from millions of stars staring at you. Also, it really helps to know what you are looking for :). I must add that these heavenly bodies must be visible from your location at that time (thank your stars). If for a start you can't spot what you are looking for go ahead and connect the dots and name your own constellation :)

Sky Chart

A sky chart gives you a view of the sky at an observing site at given time on a given day. Hence, it is best to obtain a sky chart/map for your point of observation. A couple of good resources on the web that provides sky charts for any location on the globe is provided below:

Heavens Above

Your Sky

John Walker's Your Sky is a detailed resource that offers horizon views in addition to the sky maps. To obtain a sky map for your observing site you will need to enter the latitude and longitude of your observing site. A number of resources that are based on Google Maps provide you with your co-ordinates once you have marked your observing site. For example if you are in Bangalore, latitude of your observing site will be ~ 13 degrees North and the longitude will be ~ 77 degrees East.

Satellite Signals

Generate a sky map for your observing site by entering your co-ordinates. The default sky map that is provided to you is for the current time and date, i.e. meant for immediate use. If you want a sky map for another day or time make sure you enter these values as well. It is handy to get a print out of the sky map to help you with your observations.

Start Spotting

Armed with an appropriate sky map, you are ready to spot your favorite constellations. The sky map is intended to be held above your head in manner that the north on the sky map is "above" the terrestrial north (north as shown by a compass :)), the south on the sky map is "above" the terrestrial south and so on .... At first, you may have a little trouble using the sky map and getting your orientation right, that perfectly normal! A sure fire way of getting to use the sky map is to spot the moon (that should be easy) and rotate the sky map over your head to match the moon's actual position.

Hope this information as helped you in getting started, happy spotting!

If you are residing in India you should have no trouble spotting the Orion.

Copyright (c) 2008-2009