My village pond on 27 Sep 09

Water Lily flower, Pond Heron, Golden Oriole.

I do not know the name of the insect who made this. But this looks wonderful, gluing the thorns around.

A village boy collecting Water Lily flowers on the request of Dr Sudhir Oswal who wants to plant them in the water pond of his farm house near Badkhal Lake, Faridabad.

Lily Pond and birds

House Sparrow (hen) collecting meals on a cow dung heap.
Not sure, looks like an African Geranium, growing along the canal banks.

Lily Pond - the best physician for a sick soul.

Indian Grey Hornbill - there was a pair on this Acacia nilotica tree, along the countryside road.

An Indian Roller to the left and an Indian Grey Hornbill to the right.

Openbill Stork, Brahminy Starling, European Roller, Eurasian Ring Dove and an Indian Pond Heron (probably electrocuted).

Spent morning hours looking for birds at my regular lily pond. Loverly white flowers, half a dozen Openbill Storks vigorously feeding by probing deep in the mud. A Shikra trying to chase away a noisy Rufous Treepie, two Red-rumped and several Streak-throated Swallows in the sky, a pair of Ring Dove peacefully sunning on a bush surrounded by water, grating call of a Blyth's Reed Warbler in the thorny trees, Spot-billed Ducks, two Shovelers, Indian Moorhens, White-breasted Waterhen crossing the dirt track, a pair of Grey Hornbills sharing a perch with an Indian Roller on a tree, 4 Brahminy Starlings + one Indian Robin + one female House Sparrow + one Pied Starling feeding on a cow duck heap near the village. Heard a Golden Oriole in the neem tree. European Roller obliged me with a long and close view.