Photographing Ducks in the Wild the right way

Well, I guess my go-to place for bird photography is not exactly in the wild, rather it is a hidden spot, more or less on the outskirts of Gurugram (Gurgaon) close to the Gurgaon-Jajjhar highway and next to the Water-treatment plant. Unfortunately, wild ducks are very nervous and they don't allow you to get close to them. Using a zoom lens having a minimum focal length of 500 to 600 mm might help, but then the trade-off includes its unwieldy character, requiring oftentimes a tripod. I don't personally like to carry a tripod and I use a Canon 70-300 mm IS USM lens which is compact and can be pointed swiftly at any swift moving bird. The Canon 70-300 mm lens is has a fast focus as it easily locks to the image without too much fuss! Having a fast enough shutter speed between 1250 of a second to 2000 of a second can help although lighting is a highly dynamic factor which can require frequent changes in the f-stop numbers and the shutter speed. I, however, prefer to set the ISO setting on automatic within the range of 100 to 800.

The photograph taken above is a photograph of a distant pair of Northern Pintails flying in tandem. The angle of the photograph has created a rather unique crossing of wings forming a rather interesting overlapping of wings thus creating an interesting geometric shape. My interest in bird photography forces me to look for interesting patterns and shapes made by Ducks flying in unison. The photographs I have posted below are those of Spot-billed Ducks that are native to the country but they migrate to warmer regions during the winter season for breeding and bringing up their fledgelings.

The photographs I am sharing are, unfortunately, compressed so that they don't take up too much space on the blog. However, if you really want to take a good look at them I would suggest that you click on them and zoom in so that they appear a bit larger than they are in the blog.

The patterns made by Ducks flying in unison can often follow a pecking order with the leader forming the point of the formation. Often it can be noticed that the leader forms the arrow-head of the formation. It is such exciting patterns that one would look for while photographing wild ducks and the Basai Wetland offers many such opportunities.

While paddling around on the water ducks often do stuff in pairs or sometimes even in troikas. However, one might also spot solitary ducks paddling around like the one whose photograph I have posted below. 

A mass exodus of ducks can be an amazing sight when you spot it. The sound of hundreds of wings beating together can be an experience of its kind!

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

What We Save Saves Us ! Reasons to Protect, Preserve and Conserve Biodiversity Hotspots like the Basai Wetlands in Gurugram

What We Save Saves Us!

I came across the above statement on a paper bag that went on to mention the need to reduce, reuse and recycle our natural resources. The statement, however, also fits in very well with the need to preserve our wetlands. In many ways, the disappearance of wetlands, forests and other biodiversity resources can only spell an environmental catastrophe that we will witness in our lifetimes. We need to protect and preserve our environment for the sake of our future generations. We simply cannot afford to be narrow-minded and greedy enough to consume everything leaving nothing for our children to cherish. What is happening at the Basai Wetland is a classic case of wanton destruction of an important biodiversity resource which also happens to be the pride of the state, a major magnet for wildlife photographers, naturalists, scientists and even those who appreciate nature in all its grace and beauty.

There is an urgent need for us to preserve, protect and nurture our wetlands before they disappear. Wetlands in rural areas should be preserved and developed as they would have great potential for tourism. Unfortunately, our greed for instant earning has made us destroy our wetlands in favour of the real estate sector. Our wetlands, forests and lakes are more precious than the amount that a few would gain from selling the land to build apartments.

I was literally amazed to see a large number of waterbirds at the Basai Wetland in Gurugram recently. The birds included Spot-billed ducks, Knob-billed ducks, Purple Herons, Darters, and numerous Grebes. The Basai wetland located on the outskirts of Gurugram on the Gurugram Jajjhar highway is a bird-watcher's paradise! Lying adjacent to the Gurugram water-treatment plant, the wetland which has been in existence ever since I have seen it is also a waypoint for migratory birds like the Bar-headed Geese and Starlings.

Recently when I visited the wetland I told a student of mine to expect the unexpected while at the wetland, upon which we spotted a huge flock of ducks, spot-billed, shovellers, gadwalls and the like. One might spot anything, from the tiniest exotic birds like a Red Adavat, the European Starling to the largest flying birds like the Sarus Cranes.

The Basai wetland is spread over a wide area and its waterbody has been cut into many slices thanks to the construction activity taking place in the area. Thankfully, there is a waterbody that is cut off from the entry point on the Jajjhar-Gurugram highway. Instead, one might enter from the under-construction Dwarka Expressway, which would require a good deal of off-roading as the mounds of fine sand and dust would swallow a normal vehicle up to its axles.

I used a Canon USM 70-300 mm lens on a Canon 1500D body for these photographs. Taking a zoom lens with you would be sensible. Some of the funnier photographs have been posted below. The first one is of Purple Heron using its long feet to scratch itself. The second one is of a Spot-billed duck that spent most of its time standing on one leg.

Of course one will find the White-throated Kingfisher flitting around with a piece of fish in its beak, or for that matter, even the Pied Kingfisher might be found hovering in the air aiming to strike at its prey luring in the water. The Purple Heron in the third photograph simply doesn't seem to know what to do. I saw it perch on a thorny Acacia tree moving around with uncertainty, though probably getting on the to the tree to get a better view of the fish.