Saturday 16 April 2016

Photographing Wildlife at a Bird Sanctuary


Photographing wildlife can often be a challenge for those who wake up late and start late. We were told by the ticket seller at the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, about 23 kilometers from Gurgaon that the ideal time for birdwatching is seven in the morning. The Sultanpur Bird sanctuary is home to a large number of migratory birds that fly in from all over the world during the winter season. The birds begin leaving the bird sanctuary by the middle of February. The Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is also home to native species of birds and animals like the Peacock, Neel Gai or the Asian Deer, and the spotted owl.



Sights such as these are common during the winter season especially when the birds lay their eggs and wait for their hatchlings to grow strong enough for the flight back home. A large number of birds-species lay their eggs in nests built on the ground itself. The park employes workers to pile mounds of grass so that the birds can lay their eggs on them.



The painted stork is a regular visitor to the bird sanctuary, and although it is a graceful bird in flight, I couldn't help taking this snap which makes it look ungainly!


My cousin brother, Ernest and my brother Sanjay would certainly agree that the offsprings of the Neelgai look rather cute during the winter season!


A lot of the wildlife species at the bird sanctuary have to however vye with their domesticated relatives for food and space. Thus domesticated cattle can be found grazing in the bird sanctuary too!


The roller bird might often be confused with the kinfisher, but then unlike the kingfisher it as a thinner and narrower beak and unlike the kingfisher, it is not red!



The best gear for taking snaps of birds and animals at the bird sancuary would include a decent DSLR with a 55-250 mm lens. The 250 mm lens is handy and you will not require a tripod. Often haveing a larger zoom lens might hamper your movements, and what matters so much is alertness, presence of mind and a total connect with the place!





















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