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| Sarus Cranes' Courtship Ritual |
Today's trip had been planned well in time and I did inform members of CLICK about my plan to visit the Sultanpur National Park. Strangely enough, Tushar and his Dad were the only ones to reach before 7:00 a.m. and when I reached they had been waiting for me. We were eager to make an entry into the Park well in time to avoid the crowd. Tushar, incidentally, had been a member of the photography club some time back. An avid photographer, he has a very good eye for the unusual and a good zoom lens too!
Veer was next to drop in and we met at the viewing point close to the large trees where the Painted Storks seem to have taken permanent residence. Unfortunately, to leave early. If he had stayed around, he'd probably have gotten the opportunity to photograph Sarus Cranes serenading! Seeing a Sarus Crane in flight is great, but seeing two of them sing a duet is simply outstanding! And of course, when they sing, it can be heard literally miles away!
Now I am sure you'd call that amazing coordination in these rather graceful birds. It certainly takes two to tango, but then this was simply mesmerising. They were not only singing a duet but also ballet dancing! And there we were mesmerised by the birds, sitting on the ground, shooting away with bated breath.
And then just as they had finished singing, in came an interloper flying right through them, a duck that was probably jealous of the singing and dancing couple. In any case, I'd give them a standing ovation if only I could be given the opportunity!
Since this was meant to have given members of the school photography club CLICK an exposure into wildlife photography, I am adding below a few snaps of those who turned up for the event. I would like to thank Tushar's father, Mr Deepak Jain for taking the first four photographs I have added below.
Veer found time for the visit, and I found him as enthusiastic as ever. He is indeed one of the best!
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Excellent photos
ReplyDeleteExcellent photos
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
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