Birding in South India
Our first time birding
I don’t think the birding world has seen bigger misfits than Pankaja & I! We finally bought a decent Sigma telephoto lens the spring of 2018, & promptly signed up for a Saturday morning “walk” with a local bird club to test it out.
We stuck out like sore thumbs – we’ve never stumbled upon a group that was so interested in sparrows; and I don’t think the group ever chanced upon anyone that was as incurious & utterly illiterate about birds as the both of us! Every few yards, we would hear someone excitedly announce a new bird they just saw – “Flicker” “Goldfinch” “Titmouse” “Nuthatch” …“Bluebird”. They made this out just by bird call, and we didn’t know even if it hit us in the face. I was mostly clicking away randomly until some exalted soul pointed to the direction of the damn bird. We were thankful, however, that they were mostly tolerant of us.
This experience left me in new found admiration for wildlife photography. Random photos *do not* happen. Most wildlife photographers are intimately aware of their subjects, & are supremely patient.
Where we are now
Cut to Jan 2020, and I am still nowhere near my goal of being a decent bird photographer. But I can definitely see a slow evolution in myself. I do not fly anywhere nowadays without my telephoto lens; even at the cost of fewer clothes. I am starting to see birds everywhere and recognizing quite a few of them. Especially when I am not driving, I keep constantly looking out at overhead power lines and utility poles for signs of birds. We constantly keep adding birding locations to our trips.
Our most recent trip to South India is one such trip. With 1,300+ species of birds, India is a treasure trove for any bird photographer. The pleasant December weather brings all the migratory birds back again to Chennai – nowhere is this more evident than Vedanthangal bird sanctuary, Pulicat Lake & the entire drive to Mahabalipuram. We were also quite surprised at how much of a birding hotspot Munnar was – our mornings were just filled with beautiful bird calls & sounds. Birds were also plentiful at the idyllic scene & paddy fields of Hampi. Here’s a collection of some of the photos from our trip.
Clockwise from Top Left: Red Whiskered Bulbul @ Munnar, Rufous Treepies @ Munnar, Malabar Whistling Thrush @ Munnar, Green Bee-Eater @ Mahabalipuram, Black-rumped flameback woodpecker @ Munnar, Indian Roller (Neelkanth) @ Mahabalipuram
Clockwise from Top Left: Racket-tailed Drongo @ Munnar, Crested Kingfisher @ Hampi, Pied Kingfishers @ Mahabalipuram, Grey Mallard duck with blue wing @ Hampi, Green Bee-Eaters @ Mahabalipuram, Turkey @Hampi
Clockwise from Top Left: Spot-billed Pelicans, Indian Cormorants & Asian Openbill Storks @ Vedanthangal bird sanctuary
Clockwise from Top Left: Indian Roller (Neelkanth) @ Mahabalipuram, Brahminy Kite @ Fort Kochi, Pond Heron @ Fort Kochi
Clockwise from Top Left: Greater Racket-tailed Drongo @ Munnar, Red Vented Bulbul @ Munnar, Pied Kingfisher @ Kelambakkam backwaters, Oriental Magpie Robin @ Munnar, Shikra @ Mandavelli
Clockwise from Top Left: Jungle Babbler @ Munnar, Great Egret @ Fort Kochi, White Throated Kingfisher @ Hampi, Scaly Breasted Munia @ Mahabalipuram, Great Cormorant @ Hampi
Clockwise from Top Left: Rose-ringed Parakeet @ Hampi, Indian Shags @ Kelambakkam backwaters