Red Vented Bulbul

What d'yu think you're doing?

I spy...

Common name: Red-vented bulbul

Scientific name: Pycnonotus cafer

Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia
                                             Phylum: Chordata
                                             Class: Aves
                                             Order: Passeriformes
                                             Family: Pycnonotidae
                                             Genus: Pycnonotus
                                             Species: Cafer

Type of species: Indigenous

Habitat: Dry scrub, open forest, plains, cultivated areas.

Conservation status: Least Concern
 
 Sound recording: http://www.xeno-canto.org/319790

Distribution: Widely distributed in India, this bird is a common sight. It has been introduced in other countries and areas (Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand).

Source: hbw.com

Note: Difference between male and female shown below.

Source: indiannaturewatch

Oriental Mole Cricket

Common name: Oriental mole cricket

Scientific name: Gryllotalpa orientalis

Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia
                                             Phylum: Arthropoda
                                             Class: Insecta
                                             Order: Orthoptera
                                             Sub-order: Ensifera
                                             Family: Gryllotalpidae
                                             Genus: Gryllotalpa
                                             Species: G.orientalis

Type of species: Indigenous

Habitat: These crickets burrow in damp soil creating a network of passages. An oriental mole cricket's natural habitat includes rich soils as well as arable land and gardens.

Conservation status: Least Concern
 
Sound recording: africana sp.

Distribution: The oriental mole cricket is found in Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, and Hawaii.

Source: wikipedia

Weird bug

Indian Owl Moth

Beautiful moth

A picture at an angle

The scale

Common name: Indian owl moth

Scientific name: Erebus macrops

Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia
                                             Phylum: Arthropoda
                                             Class: Insecta
                                             Order: Lepidoptera
                                             Super-family: Noctuoidea
                                             Family: Erebida
                                             Tribe: Erebini
                                             Genus: Erebus
                                             Species: E. macrops

Type of species: Indigenous

Habitat: Found where there are Acacia and Entanada species, which is what they feed on.

Conservation status: Least Concern

Distribution: Found in the sub-tropical regions of Africa and Asia

Source: wikipedia

Olive Keelback

Me: Look what my cat dragged in! Very beautiful, badly injured... I really wanted a few photographs and so I rescued it. Capturing it was a bit tricky. I used a broomstick and a biriyani dabba (container for awesome food). It isn't worth mentioning that I was scared and squeal-ish. I mean, a bad tempered snake is something you should let alone. But I needed the post! 

I thought the snake was a goner for sure. So ( don't judge) I planned  to take it to my biology lab the next day and pickle it in a jar using formaldehyde. However, it pulled through, which was great! So a few hours later, we released it and watched it disappear.

Beautiful, no?

A close up

Belly up

Common name: Olive keelback; split keelback

Scientific name: Atretium schistosum

Scientific classification: Kingdom: Animalia
                                             Phylum: Chordata
                                             Class: Reptilia
                                             Order: Squamata
                                             Sub-order: Serpentes
                                             Family: Colubridae
                                             Genus: Atretium
                                             Species: A.schistosum

Type of species: Indigenous

Habitat: The olive keelback is a water snake. Hence, it is found near water bodies in forested areas or in those regions that have a good amount of vegetation.
 
Conservation status: Least Concern
 
Distribution: Found in Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Mosquitoes on neem

Me: I came across a large aggregation of mosquitoes on a neem tree one evening when I was mucking about. Having heard of the effectiveness of neem as a mosquito repellent I was surprised. Maybe even a little tickled at the tens of mosquitoes just sitting on the leaves, enjoying themselves. 

I decided right then and there to photograph the pests. It was an obviously risky venture. There was no chance of not getting bitten. I was glad that I lived in a relatively isolated area. The chance of catching a disease would be quite small. It took a long while. The camera was doing its best to be un-helpful, focussing on the leaves instead of the mosquitoes. 

Here are those pictures, which I took great pains to take.