An irrigation tank in Madanapalle

Madanapalle has numerous wetlands in the form of irrigation tanks, some of which are centuries old, and are traditionally managed by the village communities. These tanks provide habitat for a variety of life forms. Such as frogs, waders, snakes, bird of prays, insect larvae etc. wetland flora is also very rich. I visited one such tank in November and I saw birds, insects, plants, frogs... 

My friend Raghu observes water birds of an irrigation tank in a November morning

A panoramic view of Madanapalle town.

This hilly and undulating semi-arid landscape has mostly thorny scrub with patches of dry deciduous forests. The hills form the broken ranges of the lower Eastern Ghats that connect to the Western Ghats. Most of the water tanks are home to a variety of waders.

A short-toed snake eagle soars above a man made tank on a sunny day in November.

A short-toed snake eagle perches on the ground in Madanaplle

A short-toed snake eagle gazes into the photographer's lens. This bird of prey, a resident about the height of a small goat is very common in the open scrub lands. Looking for a snake and the snake was…

The Green Sandpiper in Madanapalle.

Green sandpiper is a small wader. It breeds across Europe and Asia and is a migratory bird. Feeds on small invertebrate items picked off the mud as this species works steadily around the edges of its chosen pond.

A wood sandpiper (Juvenile) in Madanapalle

The sweeping color of sea and sky, blue is a common thread in nature. This juvenile wood sandpiper forages by probing in shallow water or on wet mud, and mainly eat insects and similar small prey. This bird is usually found on freshwater during migration and wintering.

Black winged stilt and a coot

A flock of black-winged stilt's (adults and juveniles) rest and a coot swims in an irrigation tank in Madanapalle.

Red-wattled lapwing.

The did-he-do-it bird ! The red-wattled lapwing is a lapwing or large plover, a wader.

A lark behind the grass

A bird trying to conceal from me. Their dull appearance camouflages them on the ground, especially when on the nest. They feed on insects and seeds.

A tiny, narrow-mouthed Frog frog, microhyla ornata.

Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians. I saw this stout-bodied one on the bank of a irrigation tank in Madanapalle. Don’t know the name of this frog- need help!

Green Pond Frog, euphyctis hexadactyla

Green may be the most common color found in nature—it's everywhere from leaves, grass, and moss to snakes, butterflies, and even the northern lights. Green represents life, vitality, nature, and, of course, environmentalism.