A short note on the Indian Palm Squirrel

It was a Saturday morning, no one else know the importance of a Saturday morning sleep more than a software professional, there was a loud and prolonged "Chip Chip Chip Chip" call from the back yard garden as if a bird was calling for help..Got out of bed and peeped out to see a pair of squirrels screaming as if they were to make a symphony! Opened mouth, wags its tail with every call of "Chip Chip", it seems as if its coughing with every call and they acknowledged each others call by responding with a louder "Chip Chip" :) This went on for about 10 minutes but it was too late when I realized that i should get my camera! Though it spoiled my weekend morning sleep, it has become my favorite subject of study and photography for over 2 months now...

I was sure I would get some good photographs if I start stalking them for a while and so it began, I used to sit beside the window for hours to sight them. These are very quick, they jump and run in wink of an eye! Observing them for a while and making notes of their behavior lead me to study about them more.

Some casual poses!

The Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) also known as three-striped palm squirrel because of it's prominent white three-strips on its back. The middle strip runs from its head to the tail and the other two outer strip runs from the fore limbs to the hind limbs. It has a light brownish-grey colored furry body with a bushy tail which it can move independent of it's body. Probably it uses the tail for the balance like other big mammals. Its chest and the abdomen region till the tail is white fur. It has five digits on the fore limbs and the hind limbs like other mammals, with small sharp claws which helps them to clinch on the barks and hold on to its food. It probably has a 2 long sharp teeth in the front to bite on the nuts and fruits.It has a long tongue and a pink short nose which keeps sniffing around. Plain round black eyes and a small ear keeps them alert to its environment.

It seemed as if the male (left) is trying to impress the female(right) by its stunts.

Made for each other! I have spotted them together many a times. They hang around each other all the time. Each one is very affectionate on the other. They both play around the tree and rest together. It is not just humans who show affection on his/her partner!

Always together

 

The kiss

As I started my observation, I saw more than 3 to 4 squirrels in the surrounding. But these two were like the native of this tree(sapota tree, commonly known as the 'chikku' tree). I have seen them chasing around the third squirrel to defend their food and territory. Though some references say the squirrels are omnivorous, i have not seen them  feeding on anything else apart the sapota fruit. Once they feed on it, they try to wipe off the gluey substance which comes from the fruit on the rough bark.

Feasting on the Sapota fruit

The secret!

Weekend laziness

Though these creatures stay alert all the time, the predator always keeps an eye on these. One day I noticed an eagle(probably) had hunted one of those neighboring squirrel. The squirrel was "Chip-ing" loudly for the help. I was a helpless viewer..All part of the food chain!

I wish them happy life.I wish I see their offspring sometime sooner. If they are able to hear me "It was a total pleasure watching you both fight, love and share your lives with each other"

Pecking out small insects from their furry body

Checking its bushy fancy tail!

We somehow forget about these small creatures around us.These are the most common animals we see around and so the interest on them are not as much as the big mammals. This blog post is an attempt to portray their life lives and to put down my notes so far. I look forward to record their calls, a small video to depict their lives and record their life happenings.

References :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_palm_squirrel

http://a-z-animals.com/animals/indian-palm-squirrel/ : Tells recent accidental introduction of the Indian palm squirrel into western Australia has made them a pest as the Indian palm squirrel has no real natural predators which has made the population of Indian palm squirrels in Australia thrive. 

http://www.daff.qld.gov.au/plants/weeds-pest-animals-ants/pest-animals/a-z-listing-of-pest-animals/photo-guide-to-pest-animals/indian-palm-squirrel An Australian website list the 3-stripped squirrel as a major rodent and class 1 pest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVRzRAJL3MI A sample of the squirrel call.

I have also referred some of the papers on the Squirrel and its calls. I might have to check for the permission before referring from this blog.

So here is the Squirrel call, which i wanted to record.. Had to do a early morning drill to record it. Recorded on 8th July 2014.

My journey As a photographer

"You don't take photographs, you make it" 

                                                                    -Ansel Adams

"My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport." 

                                                                      -Steve McCurry

This is just a brief dairy of my experiences, my learning. This note is a open book, I have tried to put down whatever I have felt throughout this journey. This note would be a bookmark to see back from a future day!

I remember, I probably would have scrolled through hundreds of amazing photographs that day on a website. I was awestruck, amazed and thrilled. That was the day I decided, I should at least start learning the art of photography and i was very sure that it would take decades for one perfect photograph. It should be a year now, since i bought my BIG camera, Nikon D5100. But the photography interest grew way long before it, with my simple and humble Nikon L810.

Few photographs from my initial days of photography!

There are masters whose photographs and thoughts have inspired all the times. Those ultimate frames, jaw dropping photographs, the hidden world in every shot and the thought process behind every shutter release, hats off... More than their photographs, the story behind it would be worth listening, their travel experiences, small incidents which led them click a brilliant frame, photographs out of coincidences, their mistakes and their big success... I am not just talking about those national / international award winning photographers or the NatGeo photographers, i have seen few around, just like me but with a great passion about photography. Many a times i tend to imitate their work, follow their path and blindly say "He did it, so do I"! I agree, photography should be a reflection of individual creativity, but we tend to learn a lot of things when we imitate / follow few good work.

The Garlic - Something which I tried to imitate from a fellow photographer

I am no expert now, I still do the same mistakes which I used to do with those first few frames, the only difference is that, I now know exactly what is the mistake. Now having found the mistake, it is time to correct it. And I believe that during this process is when good photographs come out. I always tell myself, there is a lot to learn, a diligent learning would always lead me to good photographs. I still do not have one "Woooow" kind of photo, but there is a level of satisfaction with few my photographs. Over the months i have become more restless, you can find me in a very unusual place wandering like a headless chicken for one good photograph. I keep enchanting " Anything for a good photograph"!

One of such photograph, which was a satisfaction

I was depressed, it was disappointing, I was disheartened, there were days when i just came back empty handed, with bad experiences... It was very recently that I understood that i should take all these as my learning. I was super happy, jumped around assuming a photograph was brilliant, but only later realized it was no extraordinary! I have stuck an emotional face to my photography, I am very much attached to it!

While i see a lot of great photographs around, on the other side there are some people with the DSLRs, roaming around in the parties and get together, clicking the weird faces, tagging them on the social media and boasting themselves as "photographers", I am sorry I do not buy it! Except for few constructive groups / forums / pages, good contacts and good repository of photographs, the social media will not help much to grow as a photographer. The solid websites with loads of knowledge, constant review by better photographers and good interaction with the fellow photographers are few means which has resulted in improvement.

Mysore Streets - Chamaraja circle

One from my spider series

Streets of Mangalore - Krishna Janmashtami Procession

Markets

A portraiture from Yakshagana

Kambala

After Life

The sand plover

It is still a long way to go to call myself as a "Photographer", I am just a hobbyist. I just go around clicking whatever I like. Landscapes, portraits, bird photography, still life and street photography are few genres I have tried, but yet to figure out what I am good at! I have also tried my hand in making photo-stories, but utterly failed, it needs little more time I guess.

There is still a lot of things to learn, a long way to pursue. Photography so far has thought me many things, it has changed my point of view and the perspective of seeing things in a more positive way. Those times at work, its like meditation, sit hours for just 1 photograph. There aren't a perfect photograph, it is the context, the perspective and the story behind them make it perfect!

Singing off with a lot of hopes to make some great photographs ahead!
Anything for a good photograph!
-Arun

Nikon L810 was my first digital camera.
Couple of my photographs are from my Samsung Galaxy Note.
And most of the photographs are from my Nikon D5100 + 18-55 + 55-300 Nikkor lens

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams - See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/11531/22-quotes-by-photographer-ansel-adams/#sthash.s0rpPXhf.dpuf

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams - See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/11531/22-quotes-by-photographer-ansel-adams/#sthash.s0rpPXhf.dpuf

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams - See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/11531/22-quotes-by-photographer-ansel-adams/#sthash.s0rpPXhf.dpuf

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams - See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/11531/22-quotes-by-photographer-ansel-adams/#sthash.s0rpPXhf.dpuf

“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” – Ansel Adams - See more at: http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/blog/11531/22-quotes-by-photographer-ansel-adams/#sthash.s0rpPXhf.dpuf