Mini Series · Wildlife

Morning Walks at the Usha Kiran Palace

The birds that kept me company on morning walks through the palace gardens.

Morning walks at the Taj Usha Kiran Palace offered some beautiful sights. A red-wattled lapwing and its chick moved in unison, the little one mimicking its parent step for step. A white-throated kingfisher, its chestnut and blue plumage vivid against the lush greens of the gardens, surprised me by letting me approach for a close portrait.

The following morning, another kingfisher appeared with breakfast in its beak. And last but not least, a black drongo, pausing between dips in the fountain, posed gracefully on the grand lamp posts.

In collaboration with: Taj Usha Kiran Palace
Where: Gwalior, India
When: 2025

A red-wattled lapwing walks along the edge of a turquoise pool, its fluffy chick following close behind

A white-throated kingfisher with chestnut and blue plumage perched on a steel pole, beak open

A white-throated kingfisher on a weathered railing with a worm in its beak

A glossy black drongo perched on an ornate cast-iron lamp post

Some mornings bring an old saying to life: the early bird gets the worm.

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