Longings of a Tytler’s Leaf Warbler (Phylloscopus tytleri)

It was a pleasure to see this Tytler’s Leaf Warbler, enjoy the Euphorbia pulcherrima flower. It looked at it longingly, made sure that people like me were at a safe distance and then jumped in. Hopped from one end to the other taking in the nectar. Finally it sat atop the flower itself and the then gave the flower and us a parting look and flew away.

These are quite small warblers, which winter in southern India but are known to breed in the Himalayas. They are classified as Near Threatened as per IUCN primarily due to loss of habitat.

This photograph is also memorable because I had a chance to click it in the company of some master birders and wildlife photographers, who were also present here. And one of the fallout of the experience was that I decided to buy myself a tripod! I had been clicking hand held since the time I had bought myself a DSLR. However, it became very evident to me, that day , that trying to click a small and frisky bird like this on a cloudy day, requires a level of steadiness that my bare hands could not support. Overall, it was a great learning experience.