Birdsforever.in

Showcase on Wildlife of India

Aravind Venkatraman
With a passion for nature and a keen eye for detail, I love to photograph wildlife in India in their natural habitats. Through my lens, I bring you closer to the wonders of the natural world. Basically from chennai, India I have travelled across the country to photograph the wildlife. My work has been featured in some of the wildlife magazines and handbooks of birds across the World.
10Dec

Blog on why visualisation is important in photography and how to make the best use of the situations can help

This week's chosen topic for the blog is going to be about how situations change and what to do when what you see is different from what you had visualised and wanted to get? 

This is one situation a wildlife photographer and more so a bird photographer comes across quite a few times. What we had visualised and envisaged of how we want a shot either based on images of others or how we have imagined and with that expectations when we go in search of the targets we see that either the weather or the presence of some movements or in general our luck the bird chooses another perch or patch or area and we end up being disappointed.

I thought this image I am taking as the showcase is a perfect example of it. For many years  I have dreamt of this bird and images of this striking blue in snow. Every winter I wish to make it to get to see them and make the frames I wanted. However till now I have not been able to. 

The fine winter morning was a perfect day for me to finally get those kind of shots I will be happy with. As I started to trek towards the tree where the birds were feeding out of no where a raptor surged the sky and all those dreams vanished. The birds took to the skies and kept flying away and did not come back to land again to feed. Nevertheless it is easy to curse the luck and head back but what I saw was an opportunity to make some frames that would show the wider frame of how these birds flock together and how they appear against the mighty mountains. What as a photographer you need is this visualisation element and always look for opportunities. A different frame tells a different story and it is important to see what you can make in the given situation.

I had to quickly react and to gain that elevation  had to run to higher reach so  I can be at the near eye level. What is important technically is to ensure you change your settings for these situations on the aperture so that the whole frame is in focus and a wider perspective is created.  This is all about creating a visual story to the viewer and make them imagine how a scene is through the images or in simple terms make the image speak .

Do feel free to add in the comments of such situations you have been in.  

The bird in the picture is Grandala, a winter migrant to slightly lower reaches of the Himalayas whilst in summer they move further up. The best places in India to see them are Lachen and Lachung in Sikkim, Sela pass in Arunchala, Harshil in Uttarakhand. Brave the cold and you will be mesmerised by the sights. 

Image shot in Lachen, Sikkim in Dec 2022 . Thank you for taking time out to read this week's content and I hope these blogs are helpful 



03Dec

Himalayan Monal

Have you seen one?

One bird that catches the eye of every one is this most beautiful Himalayan Monal. A bird that is on the wish list of every bird photographer, birder and a tourist.  The metallic colours on the bird attracts and fascinates everyone. I am often asked when is the best time to see one and where can we find them. Felt it will be good to cover it in this week's blog.

Monals in general are high altitude dwellers. In India, there are mainly two different Monal species that are found. One is the Scalters Monal which is seen around Mishmi hills in the early weeks of Nov ( now dont ask me why only this particular period as I am always still figuring out) and the other is the more common Himalayan Monal. The range of the Himalayan Monal extends all the way from the western Himalayas to the eastern and across various states in India and even beyond including Bhutan and China. 

Two best places where the bird is more common is Chopta valley ( Tunganath Trek) in Uttarakhand and Zuluk (old silk route) in Sikkim.  The landscape in itself is beautiful and the bird adds the charm to the same. To be honest these are not rare and difficult birds to see but the terrain and weather makes it slightly challenging. I saw this bird in 2016 during my first trip to Chopta and ever since I have had numerous occasions where I have seen them. In 2022 I had the opportunity to explore the old silk route and magnificent Zuluk area and this is by far the best place to see the Monals.  Every hair pin bend provides an opportunity to spot one and what more can one ask for.

To see the bird in Uttarakhand the best way is to take the 3 km long Tunganth trek that leads you up from Chopta to the temple. As you start hiking up on the trail, there are large meadows that are home to these birds and early mornings are best time. I recommend Nov - Apr as the best time if you want to see the bird against the mighty snowy ranges of Himalayas as the temple is closed for winters and generally there is no crowd. But be ready to brave the cold and take it slow to acclimatise. The roads from Rishikesh has been well laid and makes it easier for people to reach Chopta these days.  

Zuluk on the other hand is accessible from Bagdogra / Siliguri and there is not much of trek required. The curvy Silk Road reaches all the way to the top and spotting the bird from the vehicle maximises chances . Zuluk has better chances mainly as each hairpin bend that you take allows you to see the wider area below and spotting one in that is easier. Even here the best time would be the winter months of Nov-Apr . Feel free to reach out to me if you need more details

For photographer friends - once you see the bird allow them to get accustomed to your presence. This increases chances of them coming closer as they continue to feed on those short grasses  and being around for a longer time allowing you to make your dream frames. 

Best time to see them would be early in the morning before human activity increases and its warm. So ensure you reach the place early.

Now let me add some background story behind the image above. This was taken in Nov in the Tunganath trek. We started the trek at 6 AM and after an hour of steady uphill trek we spotted the bird feeding in a fair distance. We waited for the sun to raise and as light got better the bird too felt more comfortable by our presence. I always wanted to have a frame where I can add a bit of the habitat and when the Bird started moving we felt a path that it might take be the best chance. We positioned ourselves and waited for some time to let the bird slowly come on this track. Luck to our side the bird moved in the exact path where we wanted it to and stopped at this small patch with lovely small flowers and grass . Such a myriad of colours in the frame is all I can expect and after almost two hours with the bird we left but not before some satisfying images. 

This image now is the centre of attraction at my home and the living room has a large size print right at the centre. Visitors home often repeat this question of is this bird really real and are they seen in India and now hope this blog answers it.

Happy Sunday Folks !!


 Wow! Aravind Venkatraman photo stream seems like the encyclopedia of Indian birds. His collection is beyond words, each and every image shows his effort and dedication. 

Imran Shah
Nature Lover
     

 Exceptional and inspiring work throughout your photostream Aravind. My best regards ... Martin 

Martin Pettinger
Photography Enthusiast
  • Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India