Some of my best Wildlife Photography Moments

A Sarus Crane Dances for his Mate

Some of my best wildlife photography moments have mostly taken place unexpectedly. They happened when I was packing up my gear to return home or looking elsewhere and was least prepared! A sudden movement in the bushes to spot a monitor lizard scuttling off, perhaps a warning honk by a male Sarus Crane meant to warn his mate and offspring that I was around. Perhaps even more uncommon would be to spot a Francolin scuttling into the bushes and still be able to photograph it!

A furtive Francolin scurries for cover

The best wildlife photography moments happen on the spur of the moment and you can capture them for you to revisit later on. Wildlife photography requires a lot of persistence, hard work and the ability to accept the possibility of not being able to take a single good photograph worth sharing. I have been photographing Sarus Cranes at the Sultanpur National Park for quite a few years now and I have only been able to photograph them dancing thrice!

Sarus Cranes dancing with each other

One step at a time

The legwork leads to the denouement.

Spotting a Shikra sitting on the boundary wall of my old house at 7:20 a.m. one cold January morning, and being able to get not one but quite a few photographs of it was a moment to relive. What could it have wanted so early in the morning? What if I had not had my camera handy? I guess, some of the best things in life happen for a good reason, and some of them happen by chance! The best of it all is that you were able to witness a moment of magic and you were part of it!

A Shikra Visited me one winter morning!

Who was more surprised, the Shikra, or me?

Spotting Cattle Egrets is not a big deal, but when you spot them all looking in one direction, then you do wonder if the crowd mentality might not just be limited to us human beings! Egrets are gregarious in nature and they do display the herd mentality, rather, the 'flock mentality'. The adage 'safety lies in numbers' or perhaps, 'birds of the same feather flock together' could be edited to read, 'birds of the same feather look in one direction!

These cattle egrets look confused!

The 'One Direction' birds

Of course, spotting Asian Golden Jackals can be a rare one, however, spotting them in close proximity to Asian Antelopes, themselves, herbivorous animals, almost as one unit can be absolutely amazing! I have been noticing a large number of these Jackals at the Sultanpur National Park Post the COVID-19 pandemic.

Asian Golden Jackals and Asian Antelopes in close proximity

Jackals and Antelopes feel comfortable with each other!

A lone Jackal looks at me.

But then it is not just Jackals and Antelopes that are comfortable with each other, in fact, Sarus Cranes are comfortable in the company of Painted Storks, and Cormorants are comfortable in the company of Pond Herons, this is what made some of my best wildlife moments!

A Sarus Crane and a few juvenile Painted Storks tolerate each other.

A colourful combination, indeed!

And finally, of course, a little more about me. I don't usually post my photographs on the blog, however, this time I am sharing a selfie of myself that I took while visiting the now-almost vanished Basai Wetland. In the background, you can see a flock of Bar-headed Geese that head to the wetland in the region during the winter months. The birds are not very clear because I was using a mobile phone for the same.

That is me wrapped up for a cold winter morning!