Urban Nomads in Search of Exotic Wildlife

Photograph courtesy my brother, Sanjay Lal

It is often said that one should find joy in all the things of life, even the smaller ones. One cannot beat the sensation of hearing the wind whistle in one's ears as you rush past trees along narrow paths abutted by huge expanses of water—yes, and you get all of those as you drive out of Gurugram! And then you stop, excited, even as you spot a greater Flamingo, or possibly, an Egret, a Cormorant with a fish in its beak, or even a rare visitor from far away. The possibilities are unlimited!

Spotting a Grey Heron, or perhaps even a Pond Heron, can be a joy if you can get close enough without disturbing them. They are commonly spotted native species of birds but can be eye-catching. Moreover capturing an image of a Yellow-backed Woodpecker playing peek-a-boo can be most fulfilling! The bright red crest contrasts with the golden back making the bird particularly distinct from the Hoopoe.

Baya Weaver birds are cute! It can be engrossing to spot parents feeding an infant. I was able to spot Baya Weaver birds feeding their offspring. Baya Weaver birds look like house sparrows, but few people in Gurgaon have seen sparrows. Sparrows have disappeared from Gurgaon completely.

Pied Bush chats have the sweetest songs, almost plaintive in nature. They are also difficult to photograph because of the dark colour of their feathers.

The Indian Black-winged Kite is an impressive bird that looks particularly distinctive. It is a predatory bird that feeds on rodents and other small creatures. It is a diurnal bird of prey native to Eurasia, Africa, and India.

My partner in crime is often my brother, Sanjay Irwin Lal. He is a very discerning fellow who clicks photographs that speak volumes about our nomadic excursions to the Sultanpur National Park and the numerous journeys we make on my bike, craters and bumps notwithstanding. He tells me to avoid the bumps and craters that appear without announcement. 

Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might spot Greater Flamingos at the Najfgarh Lake. I have been following three of them for quite some time. This time however, I was able to spot only one. Greater Flamingos are a common sight at the Najafgarh Lake. They could be spotted in the now defunct Basai Wetland.

Of course, during our wanderings, we encounter some scenes that amaze us. The dog in the photograph my brothers took exemplifies our relationship with animals.

Photograph courtesy Sanjay Lal my brother.

The fact is that all of our game reserves and national parks have been taken over by domesticated animals. Ramsar sites are now full of domesticated animals allowed access to these dedicated sites.

In Appreciation of Honest and Sincere Traffic personnel of Gurgaon and a Lesser known Security Supervisor

Standing Tall with Pride, Constable Vikas Kumar

I am writing this post to appreciate the kind actions of three people who revived my trust in strangers, and the personnel of the Gurugram Traffic police manning the Palam Vihar crossing after sector 23-21. I was rushing up from school after the finale of the Annual Day Function of the school where I work, it was getting late in the night, at around 8:30 p.m. on the 22nd of October, and when I reached my home at 9:00 p.m. I realized to my dismay that I had dropped my wallet on the way! It had hopped out of my back pocket and fallen on the road somewhere on the way home. That day I was riding my bike owing to the traffic conditions and one of the bumps on the road might have nudged the wallet a wee bit over the lip of my pocket.

At first, I tried to retrace my route but then thought better. How would I find my purse in the middle of the road at night? Resigned to the inevitable, I returned home and informed my family that I had dropped my purse on the way. Everyone was stunned. My purse contained a good amount of cash and also my driving license, registration certificate for my car and bike, and various other identification documents. I was contemplating the tedium of getting duplicates made of all the documents when I suddenly got a call from an unknown number. The person on the other side introduced himself as Constable Vikas Kumar, Traffic Inspector West 1st (operator) of the Gurugram Traffic Police and he asked me if I had lost my purse. When I told him I had, he told me not to worry as all the documents and the cash were intact! He then told me to meet him at the cabin at the old Delhi Gurgaon Road-Palam Vihar junction.

Tejpal, HKRN Staff, Haryana Police

When I reached the cabin Constable Vikas Kumar told me that my purse had been found by Vimlesh Kumar, a Security Supervisor working for Secure India at the Shyam Sweets shop at sector 14. It seems another person tried to snatch Vimlesh's purse, but Vimlesh went to the traffic police booth at the Old Delhi Road-Palam Vihar junction. There, both Constable Vikas and Tejpal HKRN Staff, Haryana Police racked their brains wondering how to contact me. They both hit on the idea of using the POS machine to track my details by entering my driving license number. They hit the jackpot when they were able to connect with me finally!

The good Samaritan, Vimlesh Kumar

I came to know that Vimlesh had been studying for a B.Sc. Degree in Agricultural Sciences from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, but since he had a compartment in one of the papers, he could not pursue his M.Sc. Vimlesh aspires to be an Agricultural expert. He had to take a job as a Security Supervisor to make both ends meet.

The moral of this incident is that miracles do happen in life. However, what is more important is that our impression about people can be way off the mark. We regard Traffic personnel as people who are after our lives, people who are aggressive, harsh, and unreasonable, but then the actions of Constable Vikas Kumar and HKRN Staff, Haryana Police, Tejpal prove that we have some very good people working for the Police department. The least I could do in appreciation was to write about them. When I reached the cabin I was treated with great respect and offered tea and biscuits.

As for Vimlesh Kumar, I wonder how he managed to overcome the temptation of keeping the money with him and throwing my purse away. However, all I can say is that there are good people around us and we need to appreciate good deeds.

In a world that is full of deceit, corruption, dishonesty, and falsehood, it is good to know that there are people who can be trusted and depended upon. A tribute to the Haryana Police for inducted personnel who are honest. A prayer and blessings for honest and sincere people like Vimlesh Kumar. Good deeds beget success. Good Karma leads to good rewards. Both Constable Vikas Kumar and Tejpal told me that their parents had strictly told them to be honest in life, and not to take advantage of anyone as members of the Police department.

A Kitchen with a View

To Scratch is a fundamental right!

I am lucky to have a kitchen with a view, where I spot quite a few rarely-seen birds in the mornings! Among the most unique photographs are those of a Barbet bird enjoying its early morning scratch! Its closed eyes suggest a great sense of relief, a pleasure in scratching itself! There have been times when I cleared the slab of all the accoutrements and sat on it photographing some of the unique birds that frequent the huge tree right next to my flat in Palam Vihar, Gurgaon. However, spotting a Honey-buzzard can be understandingly amazing, trust me!

A Crested Honey Buzzard looks Terrific!

For a self-acclaimed wildlife photographer, it is a joy to be able to photograph birds that are rarely seen. To spot a raptor, or even a Crested honey buzzard provides great happiness and satisfaction. Green Pigeons are frugivores and they feast on fruits that grow on trees. To spot a single Green Pigeon is amazing to spot a pair can be most rewarding! Green Pigeons are frugivores and they feed on fruits. 

A Pair of Green Pigeons warm up in the sun.

 

A Raptor, or a Shikra is a hunter; spotting it is a joy that speaks volumes! In the early times, Shikras were used to capture small rodents to be fed to the larger falcons.

A Shikra scans the sky for food.

Sometimes, it seems like nature has its own way, and when one looks at birds, one learns a lesson for life: Everything connects, in small ways and big ways! I would like to share a few more photographs that I could take from my kitchen window! The Green pigeons look so great. They afforded me some time to photograph them.

Barbets are amongst the most attractive birds I have photographed. To spot one, that too from one's kitchen window is so satisfying! The bird would have wanted a better image of it rather than one in which it is scratching itself. Thus I have shared a photograph that flatters its amazing beauty.

A Barbet Bird in all its colours

Photography Reveals a World of Beauty Rarely Seen Before!

Nothing can beat the joy of seeing a Yellow Wagtail sing its heart out celebrating the Autumn season, the end of rains and the ushering in of cooler times. Or, for that effect, it is a wonderful moment when you can capture a Mongoose running towards you even as you keep pressing the shutter-release button to know you have captured a unique moment! Sure, the Mongoose did not know you were there because you were perfectly still, and not greedy about getting closer to it. The moral? Let the animals and birds come close to you, not the other way round!

Apart from getting that perfect pose, it sometimes pays to be proactive! Walk an extra mile, and who knows you might get that perfect landing! Cormorants are ideal birds to photograph while taking off and lading. And so a short walk took me to a spot where Greater Cormorants were eagerly feeding on small fry and sure they were hungry! Photographing Animal or bird behaviour can sometimes be most satisfying.

Sometimes it is amazing to see how tolerant birds belonging to different species can be to each other, like a little Egret standing close to a Pond Heron, waiting patiently for breakfast! But then the little Egret can be as friendly with a greater Cormorant too!

When I am not looking for flying birds or landing birds, I love to photograph reflections and this Sandpiper makes for an amazing shot!

And with that, I'll take my leave, happy birdwatching!