In the company of Ducks and Herons at a Forgotten Wetland

A Knob-billed duck flies across

I have always been fascinated with flying birds, and few can be more graceful than ducks and herons, some of the larger kinds of birds often seen in wetlands, rivers and lakes. India is blessed with quite a few wetlands that are home to a large number of resident as well as migratory birds. The Basai wetland in the city of Gurugram in Haryana is one of the best examples. Just a few kilometres from Bus stand abutting the Dwarka Expressway, the Basai Wetland, located on the Gurugram-Jajjhar highway is the favourite resting place for all kinds of migratory birds.

A Purple Heron passes by

The challenges of photographing flying birds means that you need to be prepared at all times. I carry a tripod with a quick-release head, a couple of zoom lenses and a couple of camera bodies. More often than not, the lighting conditions are often very bad, what with smog and fog blanketing the whole area. In such a case you might get a slim window of clear weather. For me, the best time to photograph flying birds is the early morning from 7:30 a.m. to about 10:00 a.m.

An Ibis sails across

Paradoxically enough, Gurugram is an example of nature and man fighting for space. It is, for this, reason I posted a photograph of an Ibis flying across the wetland with a residential building complex in the background. The effect, though is pleasing, what with the depth of field and blurring of the background coming up nicely!

A Spot-billed duck flies towards me

Most of the photographs were taken of the larger birds flying across the facades of buildings adding to a sense of how closely nature is fighting for space with human beings.

But then, the grace of flight and its fluidity of motion has been an inspiration for artists and engineers throughout the ages. Nothing can beat the beauty of a Heron lumbering across the horizon, or even a Duck taking evasive action. These sights are treasures to preserve and protect for our future generations so that they too can appreciate what Nature has given to us.

A Purple Heron spied through the branches

I used to think Knob-billed Ducks were really ugly with the so-called, 'knob' looking so out of place on their beaks, but then when I saw one flying across in the morning sun, I was struck by the beautiful colours of its feathers.

A Knob-billed Duck in all its colours