#i was running around with the normal raptor for a long while but the crane skin was on sale and i just had to cave. always need more birds

[thegreatyin]

no yeah precisely. peak mmo mount design will always be a shifty bird that looks vaguely homophobic a-la that one pikmin dog

oh yeah. for the uninitiated ive been completing my popular mmo trifecta by playing a bit of guild wars 2.

this is my absolutely edgy cunty plantgirl. she is 1 year old and a gatekeeper and a hater and god's favorite princess and the most beautiful and interesting girl in the world. her bird is named daisy

[artemis-entreri]

Entreri, flatly: "Where did you get that?" Jarlaxle, 'innocently': "I should think it would be obvious, abbil." "Put it back." "Don't be silly." *deploys wand, summons apparently nothing but a small raptor-shaped shadow on the ground.* Jarlaxle: "Hmm..." *looks disappointed.* Entreri: *looks up.* "Jarlaxle..." "I'm disappointed. ...Hmm?" *the shadow rapidly grows less and less small. Quite large, soon, in fact. Distressingly so.* "JARLAXLE." ((slightly too long -- to be continued))

“I still fail to see why you could not simply order your pet psionicist to make you a new one.” 

The diffuse light in the spiraling stair column was so scant that only the assassin’s furrowed brow and prominent cheekbones would’ve been seen by normal eyes. However, Artemis Entreri didn’t need light to clearly discern his feathered companion nestled snugly in his left palm, but he wondered if the transformed Jarlaxle could, in turn, see him just as well.

Not that the drow-turned-hummingbird seemed particularly interested in looking at the human. Those ruby eyes, clever even in their smaller incarnation, darted to and fro, and Entreri resisted the urge to clap his right hand over his left one, lest the troublesome mercenary spot something else “interesting”.

Troublesome indeed, the assassin thought with a scowl. His body was still taut from the earlier ordeal imposed upon him by his now feathery handful, and this was compounded due to his inability to employ his left arm thanks to it being the new home for the trouble’s originator. Finally, that inability to shed tension from his form only served to prolong his feeling of needing to sneeze.

Back in the room with the endless glassy pairs of beady eyes, Entreri had been at his wit’s end, keeping his legs underneath him in the wake of Jarlaxle’s relentless “onslaught”. Thankfully, the transformed drow had apparently overestimated the amount of energy that his tiny body possessed, suddenly falling onto his side, then rolling onto his back with his sprig-like feet stiffly clawing the air. When the bird didn’t respond to his pokes, Entreri had started back for the wand, and his fingers even brushed it before his keen eyes noticed the faint rise and fall of the iridescent chest. 

A tingling in his palm called the assassin back from the memory.

“Not again!” Entreri’s glare shot to his companion, and his mouth opened to berate him, but then noted that in lieu of the precise, deliberately measured strokes that the bird had performed before, now, Jarlaxle was flailing his wings and kicking his feet. The perplexed human wondered briefly if the transformed mercenary was attempting again to fly, but there was no buzzing. 

Realizing with a start the alternative possibility, Entreri hastily set the bird down on the next step, hopping back as soon as Jarlaxle rolled out of his palm. Even still, he wasn’t swift enough, for the drow reverted back with a loud “pop!”, then promptly vomited onto his companion’s boots.

“Seriously?” Entreri exclaimed, disgusted, but also surprised at the lack of rage in his own tone.

Jarlaxle was leaning heavily against the wall and retching. A stray ray of sunbeam caught his slender form as it convulsed, and the assassin wondered if the mercenary had always looked so delicate. 

Entreri eyed the puddle running down the stairs and plotted a way around it. He began moving towards his companion. “How fare you?”

Jarlaxle had drawn a handkerchief and was wiping his mouth with it. He’d begun to stagger to Entreri when his eyes bulged.

“Privy?!”

“What?”

To Entreri’s great astonishment, Jarlaxle charged past him back up the stairs, the abruptness of his rush forcing the assassin to reflexively jump aside. 

Unfortunately, the drow’s earlier discharge was directly in his chosen trajectory, and the poor man had to forego his usual grace in order to save his boots from being further coated by his companion’s ejecta. 

Although no stranger to tainted environments, the assassin reluctantly set off after his companion, preferring to draw his quickened inhales in cleaner air. His steps were slowed, however, by the painful moans echoing through the stone corridor. He wondered where to stop, to grant the drow proper privacy, and more importantly, not subject himself to a different but equally unappealing odor.

Thankfully, Entreri didn’t need to contemplate the matter too much, for Jarlaxle, a shaky, unsteady Jarlaxle but Jarlaxle nonetheless, awaited him around the stairwell’s next curvature. The mercenary’s usual obsidian-black skin looked ashen as spent charcoal. 

Entreri shook his head and sighed. Without a word, he firmly seized his companion’s left arm, threw it over his own shoulders while his right hand simultaneously caught the drow’s waist. He knew Jarlaxle’s weight well enough to discern that the mercenary was leaning heavily on him, the sensation heightening the uneasiness that’d been stirred by his recollection of the room full of lifeless stares.

Wordlessly, the assassin eased them both down the long, spiraling stairs. More than once, he wondered if the shallowness of his own breath was influenced by the drow’s soft panting.  

“Kimmuriel is preoccupied with other tasks,” Jarlaxle croaked.

Entreri flinched, the drow’s soft tones cutting through the rhythm of their shuffling steps. 

“Why didn’t you just use your portable hole?” 

Jarlaxle craned his neck up to regard his companion with a raised eyebrow. “Unthinkable! Surely, you know of how often I use it as a pass through!”

“So, before the next time you use it, clean it.”

The drow shook his head. “There might not be a chance to do so. Before our journey’s end, we might have need of it, employing it in its proper custom. Besides, I would not so mistreat that which I’d often use to store precious things.”

“Such as myself, I presume,” Entreri intoned sarcastically.

Jarlaxle hid a laugh in a cough. Entreri knew it to be fake, but still, he could feel the occasional shudder coursing through the body against his own, and knew through their proximity that those convulsions were involuntary.

“You’re fortunate that I haven’t dropped you,” the assassin nonetheless rebuked, scowling.

“I’d never doubt you, my abbil.”

“Which is why you held your tongue until after we’d long passed your earlier discharge, and all of its propagation.”

“If you ask me, this one might be beyond him,” Jarlaxle continued as though Entreri hadn’t responded. “I didn’t ask you.”

“Yes, because I asked you.”

“And I foolishly agreed to help you.” Entreri snorted. “Never do I seem to learn my lesson, although I hope that you’ve learned yours.”

Jarlaxle didn’t respond, and Entreri knew that he wouldn’t get an admission out of the prideful mercenary. They’d finally reached the bottom of the long and winding staircase anyway, and the assassin was more than a little eager to leave behind the eccentric wizard’s beady-eyed hoard.

The assassin wasn’t comfortable in the woods. Rather than the irregular alleys and rickety walls describing every city block, nature made its own maze following a logic that he did not fully understand. But his companion, who was now leading the way, seemed confident enough, and he was further galvanized with each step that separated them from the tower. 

By the time that they finally emerged, Selûne’s glory shone across the deep tapestry of the night, and the lack of any of her trailing tears allowed the assassin to judge the the hour to be not so late as the darkness implied. He frowned. Despite his ability to see perfectly without Selûne’s light, Entreri was more attuned to brighter circumstances at this hour, an effect of the conglomerate of light sources melded within a city’s walls. 

Jarlaxle, on the other hand, hadn’t bothered to look up at the moon or the sky at all, but had already made his way far enough out of the woods that he wouldn’t start a fire. As the drow bent to set down his obsidian figurine, the assassin saw, descending fast from the sky and headed right for Jarlaxle, a swarm of large birds. Entreri began to call out, but his words died in his throat, as each member of the flock gracefully circled his companion before beating their wings to retake their altitude again. 

The bewildered man couldn’t believe his eyes at first, but after blinking, even rubbing them with both hands, did he ascertain, even if his mind couldn’t quite understand it, that most, if not all, of the birds had pointedly turned their heads to study the drow.

Jarlaxle was patting the back of his neck, studying the airborne visitors as they resumed their journey when he felt Entreri’s hand land on his shoulder, heavier than a plate pauldron. His cheery countenance turned to meet a taut deadpan.

“Who was the wizard whom we’d just called on?” Entreri bit off every word.

“Ah, the bird enthusiast?” Jarlaxle raised both white eyebrows, his smile wide and innocent.

Entreri nodded, his unblinking stare locked upon his companion’s ruby gaze. “Yes. What did you call him? Something… thologist?”

Those ruby eyes wanted to dart out of that awful stare that captured them, but Jarlaxle knew that even the slightest shift would give him away. He held out both hands helplessly – slowly and out very far from his body, the assassin noted.

“…Ornithologist?”

[[ To be continued... ]]

[timespassiontrails]

Birds in my backyard……and elsewhere.

Recently, I had the honour and good fortune to participate in a “Wildlife and Bird Photography Expedition”, known as Times Passion Trail.  This was organised by the popular English daily newspaper, The Times of India.  This was from February 18th to February 24th 2018.  The expedition was across five dream destinations for wild life and birding enthusiasts;

Thol lake Bird Sanctuary

Little Rann of Kutch

Nalsarovar

Velavadar blackbuck sanctuary and

Gir lion sanctuary

Day 1: The Flag-off by the Honorable Chief Minister of Gujarat

The participants were addressed by the Honourable chief minister of Gujarat, Shri. Vijay Rupani.

The great thing about this expedition was that, it had the guidance of an “Experience Architect”, Shri. Sanat Shodhan, one of the most acclaimed wild-life photographers of India. He was with us throughout the expedition, giving us his invaluable advise on improving the quality of our photography, sharing his experiences about his encounters with the wildlife in different parts of the world.

Visit to Thol Bird Santuary

Our expedition was flagged off by the Hon ‘ble Chief Minister Shri. Vijay Rupani.

Our first stop was Thol lake, near Thol village in Kadi in Mehsana District.  It was constructed as an irrigation tank in 1912 by the Gayakwad regime.  This is a freshwater lake, which was declared the Thol Bird Sanctuary in 1988.  It is a habitat to 150 species of resident and migratory birds, more than half of which are water birds.

We climbed over a small ridge.  When we descended,  the beautiful vista of the lake lay before us. It was almost 4 o’clock in the afternoon when we arrived.   All of us spread out around the edge of this lake and started clicking away to glory. There were innumerable birds of various species swimming, wading, and diving in the lake; all feeding harmoniously as there was plenty of food for everyone! We could see various types of ducks, pintails, pond herons, Grey herons, stilts, Eurasian Spoonbills, Common cranes, Pelicans, Greylag geese, Common coots, Cormorants, Darter birds, Northern shovelers, Pied kingfishers, Ibises……. the list seemed to be endless.

 It was quite hot and humid around the lake. My glasses were constantly getting clouded by the water vapour rising up from the lake,  but I was too engrossed in my work to bother about such discomforts!   All the birds had some unique features; the cormorants and darters drying their wings; the still, stealthy walk of the pond herons; the way the Green bee-eaters return to the same perch repeatedly after a sally, etc.  Of particular interest was the way the Pied kingfishers hover high above the lake and dive very suddenly to catch the hapless fish!

As dusk approached and the sun was getting ready to call it a day, we were treated to a sight very unique to Thol…. innumerable flocks of birds returning in waves from their daily forages elsewhere…. like beautiful garlands in the pretty pink sky! It was a sight to behold!

And we too called it a day; a very happy, satisfied bunch of newly formed friends.

Day 2: Little Rann of Kutchchh,

Popularly known as LRK.

The second day began very early.  We left Ahmedabad downtown, around 5.30 am in our cavalcade of Innovas.  We had our packed breakfast on our way, so that we could reach as early as possible.  We reached our resort at Bajana at about 8 am, grabbed a quick cup of tea and were on our way to LRK.

We couldn’t travel in our Innovas here.  We clambered into off-roader Safaris.  The Little Rann of Kutchchh is famous as the world’s last refuge of the Indian Wild Ass (Equs hemionus khur), and has been declared as The Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary.  When I saw the the landscape, I realised why our normal vehicles would have been unsuitable here.  It is very barren, dry and harsh like a desert, but in reality, it is a salt marsh.  So, it is dry, hot and brown for most of the part, with very sparse, thorny vegetation, primarily Acacia, ; dotted with some small lakes.  Many resident and migratory water birds visit these water bodies.  Besides the wild ass, the Indian wolf, desert fox, striped hyenas and nilgai are also found here.

Our guide Munnabhai showed us the cumin fields on our way to LRK. This region is famous for cumin cultivation.

After entering the Sanctuary, we came across a water body and saw many water birds like egrets, greylag geese, herons, pelicans, pied kingfisher as well as the common cranes.

Our first exposure to raptors was when we saw what I believed to be a juvenile tawny eagle perched on a stone hidden in the grass. Moving on, we came across an Imperial eagle, majestically perched atop a thorny tree.

However, we were all impatient for the first sight of the wild ass by then.  Traversing over the large expanse of dry and dusty desert, we could even see mirages as it was approaching noon and the sun was beating down.

And then….we saw them…the wild ass. They were mostly in groups.  We kept our distance and didn’t go too close as they are a nervous, skittish breed, which starts bounding away at the first sight of danger.  Though they were bigger and stronger than the normal ass, they didn’t seem stronger than mules.

We saw some nilgais in the distance.  The local guides are very protective of the wild life, and are very careful. They don’t take the vehicles too close to the animals and caution the visitors not to make any noise.

We then drove to a water body which was larger than the previous one. We were thrilled to have our first sighting of the flamingos, lesser as well as greater.  We also saw large flocks of pelicans, egrets, pied avocets as well as common cranes.

By now we were starting to feel the pangs of hunger, so we returned to Bajana for lunch and a little rest. It was anyway too hot for the wildlife as well to venture out.

This Royal Forest resort was tastefully decorated with ethnic, antique, wooden handicrafts at the reception as well as the cottages.

In the afternoon, we took a different route.  We saw some more groups of wild asses, greylag geese, common cranes, greylag geese etc.  We caught sight of a short-eared owl, which was completely camouflaged in the brown earth and dry vegetation.  Then the guide showed us something very interesting…an abandoned den of a wolf.

We were told by our guides about a thicket,  where we could possibility of witnessing a hyena coming out.   As dusk was gathering, we went to this thicket.  We waited in complete silence, all 25 of us, for a glimpse of the hyena.  Can you imagine a group of 25 people waiting in complete silence, for almost half an hour? That is what wildlife photography teaches you – PATIENCE!   We finally got a glimpse, but it was too fleeting and by then, it was too dark to take a photograph.

By the time we started back, it was completely dark.  We saw a few Montague’s harriers roosting on open ground in our headlights!

My most rewarding sight was the view of the star-studded sky, which we rarely get to see in the city!

Day 3: Nal Sarovar

I had already been to Nal Sarovar about three years ago.  The earlier trip, spread over two sessions at Nal Sarovar and Vadla dam, fetched me wonderful pictures of several dozens of birds, almost 80% of which were lifers!  However, I was equally excited to visit the place once again.

Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary consists of a beautiful lake and ambient marshes, dotted with several small islands, called by the locals as “Tapu”.  It is frequented by various migratory birds in winter and spring.  It is the largest bird sanctuary in Gujarat, and one of the largest in India. It was declared as a bird sanctuary in April 1969.  Nal Sarovar has also been declared as  Ramsar Site on  September 24, 2012.

It is a very unique sanctuary.  The water in the lake is, on an average, four feet deep.  It is very still and clear…you can easily see the vegetation under the surface.  One can go in small boats seating 4-8 birders, which the local boatmen navigate with a bamboo pole, gliding silently between the marshes, facilitating observation of birds at leisure.  These boatmen are well informed about the birds, having been doing this job of steering boats, while doubling as guides, for a number of years.  You would think that as the lake is only four feet deep, a tall person could easily wade through it!  But this is not feasible, as he would get entangled in the submerged vegetation!

We reached Nal Sarovar well before sunrise, thanks to our early departure at 5 am from Bajana near LRK.  In fact, we were already in our boats and gently gliding in the waters, by the time the sun made an appearance.  What a beautiful sunrise it was!  The calm and still waters, gentle breeze, birds sailing around waiting for the sunlight to overcome the darkness and getting the first bites of their breakfast!  Beautiful and Serene…..!

The first birds we spotted were Eurasian coots in very large numbers. The coots have a very curious way of suddenly scooting over the water surface, half flying and half running.   It looks very hilarious.  The Gulls floating and taking off into the orange morning sky made a very pretty picture.  We noted several birds like purple swamphens, black-winged stilts, the ruddy shelduck, which were always seen in pairs; the noisy red-wattled lapwings, black-tailed godwits, common redshanks, red-naped, glossy and black-headed ibis, open-billed as well as painted storks, the phaesant-tailed jacanas…….the list seems endless!  Incidentally, the Phaesant-tailed jacana was without its famous long curved tail.  Our Boatman-cum-guide told us that the long tail appears only in the summer months… possibly their breeding season.

The flamingos and pelicans were also present, which we didn’t see in very large numbers.

The surprise treat of the morning was the “breakfast-on-boats”, thoughtfully arranged by our youthful, energetic, imaginative and caring organisers; Harshit Sharma and Manoj Joshi. We had Bataka-Poha (a local savory dish made from flattened rice and potatoes) and hot tea, right in the beautiful lake amidst those birds!

We visited a couple of islands too and witnessed a variety of wagtails, babblers, prinia, white-cheeked bulbuls, warblers, and rosy starlings.

When we came back to the shore, we were treated with hot “gota” Bhajjiyas (Chick-pea-fenugreek-green chilli dumplings) and tea.  Bird-watching and walking on the islands, does make you hungry!

On our way back, I was thrilled to find some  beautiful purple sunbirds hopping around merrily on the flowers of the bottle-brush tree near the Nal Sarovar cafeteria.

And then, it was time for us to bid good-bye to this paradise on water and begin our drive to Bhavnagar.

That evening our young organisers arranged for the projection of pictures clicked by the participants.   Our Guru Sanat ji gracefully and gently guided all of us on how our pictures could be better and more effective.  He gave us valuable advise us about the composition, lighting, aperture, shutter speed, ISO selection and all the dos and don’ts of wildlife photography.  He offered very valuable tips about our attire, while going on wildlife expeditions.

Day 4: Velavadar Blackbuck National park.

The next morning we drove to Velavadar national park.  This national park is located in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, about 42 KM from the district headquarter city of Bhavnagar. It originally belonged to the Maharaja of the erstwhile princely state of Bhavnagar. He used to hunt the blackbucks with his famous hunting cheetahs.

This wild life sanctuary covers an area of approx. 34 sq. km. It is mostly flat and covered with different types of dry grasses dotted with sparse thorny acacia trees or scrubs.  The sanctuary is dotted with a few water bodies. So the first impression it gives, is that of vast expanses of brown and beige.

The predominant population is that of the blackbucks! The other fauna includes the neel gai, the Indian wolf, hyenas, foxes, jackals, wild boars and jungle cats.  Among birds,  sandgrouse, larks, harriers, kestrels, drongos, hoopoes etc. are seen here along with water birds like spoonbills, painted storks, egrets and common cranes etc.

Once again, we drove along the dirt tracks under the guidance of the sanctuary guides.   The dry grass lands stretching out on both the sides.  The grass appeared to be of uniform height and colour.

The first sighting of the blackbuck was very exciting, particularly the male of the species.  It has a lovely, rich, dark brown coat along the back, sides, and the outsides of the legs.  It looks almost black, hence the name.   The underparts and insides of the legs are all white. The most interesting are the distinct white circles around the dark eyes, which gives a feeling that they were wearing some white-rimmed spectacles.  They have a white goatee as well!  The long ringed horns, give it a majestic and graceful look.   They graze peacefully in small groups or large herds.  If they sense danger, they bolt away really fast.  It is a beautiful sight to see them spring up and be airborne for the better part of several seconds, while crossing the mud tracks.

We saw quite a few nil gais, also called as blue bulls.  The word nil gai literally means blue cows. It is an antelope just like a blackbuck, even though they look totally different.  The males are distinctively bluish-grey, with short horns, while the females are a lighter, indistinct blue.

In the afternoon, we had a simple but sumptuous lunch, prepared by the locals.

Before the lunch, we had a very fruitful, interactive session with Mr. Mohan Ram Legha, IFS, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bhavnagar Division, and Mr. Mahesh Trivedi the Asstt. Conservator of Forests.  Mr Mohan Ram  gave us enlightening information about the measures taken to protect the animals as well as the grasslands; we were really impressed!  Utmost care is taken to see that the water supply is adequate for the fauna.  If the natural supply is depleted, it is re-charged by water-tankers.  For most part of the year, the grass is dry.  To prevent forest fires, large swathes of grass between the two plots are cut down.

Wildlife conservation in Gujarat, is safe in such good hands!

The blackbucks are very delicate.  If they are captured, they go into shock (like a cardiac arrest), which they can’t survive!  The blackbucks are protected not only by the forest authorities but also by the local people. If the wild animals occasionally destroy the standing crops belonging to the local farmers outside the sanctuary, they  refuse any compensation, leave alone asking for it!

In the later half of the day, we went near a waterbody and saw some spoonbills, painted storks, common kestrels, hoopoes etc.  As dusk was falling, we saw a couple of wolves in the distance, which were probably very young cubs.

All in all, it was a great day, well spent!

Day 5 & 6: Sasan Gir.

We left in the morning around 7.30 am after a buffet-breakfast.  We took a break in the outskirts of Amreli and munched on the famous Bhavnagari Ganthia (Light crisp fries made of chick-pea flour with local condiments), with three different types of chutneys and piping hot tea. We arrived at the resort around lunch.  Our stay was arranged in a beautiful resort “Woods at Sasan”, which was built in a mango orchard.  The décor was unique, the architecture and layout was stupendous, and hospitality was superb. The touch of rustic ambiance was complemented by use of coir-ropes winding around steel structural columns.

We started for the afternoon safari around 3.00 pm. The Gir Forest national Park and Wildlife Santuary, was originally in the territory ruled by the Nawabs of Junagadh.  They used to invite the British Sahibs, to hunt the lions.  More than a hundred years ago, during one such expedition, Nawab Mohammed Rasool Khan ji II, realised that there were hardly any lions left for his guests! He decided to declare Gir Forest as a protected area.  His son, Mahabat banned all kinds of hunting in Gir Forest.  The Government of India established this as a Asiatic Lion Sanctuary in 1965.

This region is the sole home for Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) in the wilderness. The ecosystem of Gir is protected as a result of persistent efforts of the forest department Government of Gujarat, to ensure education and inculcation of pride in the local folklore.  Their efforts have borne fruits, which was obvious from the passion and pride in the locals to preserve the ecosystem and ensure safety to the fauna.  The activists, NGOs and the Wild life enthusiasts have also played their role. We saw te local guides halting the safaris to pick up trash from the tracks, thrown by some of our previous tourists. What a commitment to the environment by these guys, whom we consider uneducated!

During monsoon, which coincides with the mating season of the lions, the sanctuary is closed to the public and visitors. When we asked our guide about the livelihood during the monsoon months, he replied the youngsters went to neighbouring towns to find work, but majority just stayed put in their villages. They don’t have any income.  The local folks are totally dependent on the tourists, guiding them thru’ this glorious forest and proudly demonstrating the wild-life.

The Gir sanctuary is very green as compared to the other places we had visited earlier this week. It is a deciduous forest, dotted with small lakes. Water tanks have been built in several places for the lions and the other wildlife to quench their thirst. The lions hunt during the night and rest during the day. They prefer to walk on the dirt tracks, to avoid making a noise walking on the dry leaves of the forest, as the prey would hear them easily and be warned of the imminent danger. We could see their pugmarks on the track.  Of course, they were brought to our notice by the guides.

The ‘flame-of-the-forest’ tree (also called as Palash in Hindi), were in full bloom, adding to the beauty of the forest.  We could see parrots, the oriental white eye and sunbirds among the blooms.

I was lucky to see so many birds- three species of owls, black redstart, peafowls, common buzzard, sand grouse etc.

We saw a good many “sambars” and the spotted deer or chitals.

Primarily, we had come here to see the majestic Asiatic lion! And, see him we did! In the first safari, we saw only one lioness, who was resting lazily in a clearing. But we went on two more safaris the next day, the early morning one at 6 am, and again at 3.30 pm.  We learnt quite a bit from our guides.  The male lion is basically a loner, and generally hunts on his own.  The lioness is the one, who looks after the cubs and hunts to feed the entire pride. The lions have their own territories, where they are the kings.  A rival lion attacks the male cub to decrease competition, leaving the female cub unharmed!

In the morning safari, we saw a pride of lionesses and their cubs. But we waited….

And there came the one we were eagerly waiting for – the lion king! He came walking majestically through the trees, crossed the dirt track in front of our vehicles to go towards the water tank and have his fill.  His whole bearing was regal, totally nonchalant and not at all bothered about the attention he was getting! And we, the mere humans were clicking away happily! Our day was made!!

Day 7: Way back

We started our journey back…. with heavy hearts, bidding adieu to each other, reminiscing the pleasant memories of the past one week.

While we were passing thru’ Junagadh, we saw these stupendous structures!  We never knew that such wonderful architecture existed in the town of Junagadh!

Apparently, the Nawab of Junagadh, Mahabat Khan created these wonderful structures as the Makbaras!

My take-away from this expedition:

I am more of a passionate birder than a photographer.  In fact, this was my first brush with wildlife photography as opposed to bird photography.  This expedition was a godsend for me, as an introduction to wildlife.  It was such a great mix of different eco-systems: wetland sanctuaries, Rann or salt desert, grasslands and deciduous forests etc. We got to see a wide variety of birds and animals.

Having Sanat sir on board was an unforgettable gift. I won’t be able to forget his energy and enthusiasm, which could put youngsters to shame. His vast experience of wildlife photography, all over the world, was shared by him for our benefit. He was open with his praise, at the same time he didn’t hesitate to tell us, where we went wrong. A very great teacher and motivator indeed! Thank you Sanat sir!

All the arrangements made by the Times of India team, were impeccable.

And above all, thank you dear friends for being a part of this beautiful experience……  I learnt a lot from all of you! I am sure our friendship will continue……

Thank you, Times Passion Trail, for igniting the love of ‘wildlife’ photography in me!

by Aditi Deshpande