A visit to the zoo (Birds)...Part 3!

Towards the end of your walk in the zoo, you come to a clearing, a beautiful artificial water body providing a sanctuary for water birds. Just standing in there in silence and watching the birds go about their way, indifferent to our presence, could make you feel like you could be meditating with your eyes open! Ever had that feeling when you entered a sacred space, all the noise on the outside and inside your head suddenly seemed to evaporate, leaving you  peaceful and calm? Well that is exactly what it felt like to me!! Once inside, I simply didn't want to leave. But - "When a whiff of beauty enters your heart, it takes more than just the eyes to preserve it!"....

It was like a treat to my camera after it had strained to shoot my pictures through iron bars and flocking noisy crowds. What more could it ask for when you could stand as close as 2 feet and shoot? Well, except for a few ducks that would just keep wading too fast meaning you would need patience + a good shutter speed to get a decent shot!!!

 One of the prettiest geese - Still haven't figured out it's actual name!

Couldn't resist..it was too close and too surreal with the sun shining perfectly on it....:) 

Another pretty one...

 White goose??

Wood duck

This one called for a lot of patience! It looked more like an artificial mechanical duck that someone was operating with a remote control making it zoom past you with a whirrrrrrrr...... !!! It's not a very clear pic but i'm glad I managed to get it in one frame...

One of the babies of one of the ducks/geese (That's the closest caption I can give it for now!)..;)

Black Swan on one webbed foot..

They were a treat to capture..

The holy clearing..

 Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus)

Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivora)

It sort of breaks my heart to see these birds in cages. Have always felt a deep sense of regret whenever I pass by a shop selling love birds, parrots and the sort in those questionable tiny cages. They are birds for crying out loud...they are meant to fly...not used as a means of making money!! Well there was nothing much I could do here but stand and stare at the Bird Sanctuary which is one of the the first clearings you walk in on entering the zoo. At least they are well taken care of and are kept in decently huge cages. More like creating a world within a World!

Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)

 I know it's over exposed!!  But there is just something about this pic that makes you feel like the vulture's head is coming out of the iron bar. It could almost be free...

The pic below will give you a better idea of what it looks like!

Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) with a Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) in the background

Painted Storks in a nest

Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) 

 Peek-a-boo with nesting material

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)

Sun Conure (Aratinga solstitialis)

Brown Wood Owl (Strix leptogrammica)

 Golden Pheasant Female (Chrysolophus pictus)

Khaleej Pheasant 

Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)

Bonus click!