Day 5: The final Song!

So....here we were, on the last day of the dream trip to Bharatpur! We had only few hours to spend before we start our journey further to Ranathambore...and I had some plans in my mind!


As the day started it was time for me to forget my tele lens and take up my wide angle and macro. My plan was to dedicate the moody morning for making some landscape images and then as the light improves head for the boating to explore some macro opportunity.

I was impressed by the cycling in Bharatpur and wanted to do cycling any one of 5 days and today was my opportunity. I hired a cycle and having my Lowepro on my back I headed behind the cycle rickshawallas to catch up my team.

We had a team photo session and after having finished the session we all headed onto our own ways!


When you enter the park just few hundred meters ahead on the left you will find a dead tree standing.On all the days I was glancing at the tree and wanted to make an image of it but had reserved the last day for doing the same.


The Sun was just begining to show up! It was another delightful morning. There was less mist compared to the last day and in fact I was a bit disappointed with that! Thank GOD that I had made some images the last day and that reduced my guilt feel a bit for not utilizing the misty day!


Spent quite a some time there around and slowly started stepping my cycle ahead. I was silently enjoying the cycle ride as well. Birender, my rickshawalla was hosting Ganesh that day!



As the sun slowly came up, I reached the boating point and hired a boat. Luckily the officer agreed to issue a complete boat to me and I was preparing for some macro in the water.

I knew it would be a great challenge to attempt the macro sitting inside a boat! You will have loads of challenges to face - the boat will not be rock steady and you cannot use your tripod inside the boat, it is not possible! The water is no calm and the ripples spoil the show many times. I knew it is going to be fun!

As we started slowly, the resident King Fisher took off signaling that we are coming! A small blue King fisher was quite close and made me re-think about my decision of leaving my tele back at room! But I tried some wide angles with that but with no great score....kept headed front...

The boatman was silent and I had already made him clear that I was not there for CSE or KFs. I was there to photograph some water plants and insects! That puzzled him a bit as he might not have encountered any specie doing this kind of activity! He kept silent! I knew its going to be a damn borrrring round for him as he also cannot talk anything with any birds or others and about what I wanted he dint have any knowledge except a stare at me! :)


We were in the middle of the waters and I started searching for some macro opportunity. After some 15 min of search I found some dead mosquitoes and started shooting them. As I had dead stopped the boat, the ripples were disappeared and probably the boatman had slept ;) ! So the life around me slowly getting unwrapped and the skaters dared to come close. As I was shooting one mosquito, a skater suddenly appeared in the frame to eat it! That poor guy might have thought that I might steal his breakfast!


Then the small plants on the water, bearing the morning mist slowly started coming nearer, thanks to the wind. Their color pattern and the misty drops attracted me and I turned my lens towards them and made some image. I had no idea what my boatman was doing!What I only noticed was he was cautious enough to not to shake the boat, he was rock steady!


After making some more images I looked at the boatman and he was having an expression - 'what a pathetic job u are doing there, when you have loads of birds flying around you were clicking that dirty mosquito and the skater!' :)



Finally decided not to make him bored more and decided to head back with a conclusion that one has loads and loads of opportunity for macros in the waters of Bharathpur! Its just the matter of exploring it!

When I was back it was already 10:30 and I decided to cycle till the Kevaladev Temple and only watch all the things on the way! I had decided to rest my photographic brain and wanted to enjoy the place as a normal tourist! :) (You do need change sometimes!:) )

On the way I had a fantastic time with a great Nature Photographer Dhritiman Mukharjee and tried his 400mm f/2.8 for some shots and man! what a lens! Brilliant piece of glass and I was dumbfounded after seeing the results! After saying bye to him and his sister Moushmi, I headed towards the Temple where Pramod and Shiv were planned to meet and we had decided to return from there.

At 12:00 we had a last Tea at the tea stall and after a long sigh I was back on my bicycle heading towards the gate...with a heavy heart and loads of memories to cherish in the months to come..... and with a pledge that I will come to Bharatpur again....and again....and again....

Returned the cycle, payed the rent and headed to the hotel on foot....


Long Live Bharatpur!

Day 4: Owlet's day out!

Previous day we had heard that there were as many as seven owlets sitting together in the morning Sun! Have seen only couple few days back we were very eager to catch this 'gang' in our camera.


According to our plan, today was the day to head towards their place via Rambandh! We had heard that Rambandh is a very nice route which may sometimes yield some fantastic opportunities. As the rickshawallas are not permitted to enter that area (!) they only showed us the way and directed us to how to go and where and what to look for!


Already the morning was very fruitful with some good opportunities with the Nilgai in the morning sun, I was on my toes and as we stepped into the area it looked very promising! The trail was very picturesque and I was expecting Jackal to come through the woods towards us!!! If you think its too much of an imagination (I also had thought the same initially! :)) then you will be shocked to know that the same thing has happened actually! A lone Jackal came just on the path and as we were far it kept coming with ease and disappeared into the grassland again before I could make couple of clicks!


The morning mist was slowly unwrapping the surroundings and the big guy Greater Spotted Eagle was already on the hunt for ducks, probably for a breakfast menu!


Had some good time watching him though couldn't make any good images! So we headed towards the center of attraction and we knew that Ganesh was already there to welcome them! :)


When we reached the place there was only one guy and was happily enjoying the morning Sun. As we all took positions to shoot (sounds like military language right??? ;)) ---


another guy joined and we now had a good company to pose for us!



The opportunity was nice to make some back lit images as well and I tried couple of tries.We had seen another fella nearby who was sitting quite far and looked as if he was not interested in joining the group!


After about half an hour, the third guy finally decided to pose for us with the group! The company was amazing and we all enjoyed a lot! The trio were there at the place for quite some time before one of them thought of moving to a lower branch.




The branch that they were sitting was also very artistic and it appeared to me as the Hand of Mother Nature asking is "Whats happening here??"


After spending about an hour, capturing various expressions and angles we were waiting for something interesting to happen!


Nature pays well for the people with patience. This time also it dint disappointed us! A pair of Squirrel came into the picture and they seem to be not happy with the place where the owlets have occupied currently! So they wanted them to flush them away. They started coming to very close to the comfort of the bird but still they held their ground! We were all very excited to see what happens next! After few failure attempts the Squirrel gave up the job and slowly went back accepting its defeat!


By that time, the light was already getting harsh and I have decided to move ahead.


My plan was to walk on the brick road where I had a fantastic encounter with the Jungle Cat the other day!
The Brick Road had become one of my favorite trails in the high noon which gives good shade and controlled light to photograph in the high noon as well. Hence I was stepping towards the Brick Road and the Sun was already soaring high! My plan was to sit quietly for about an hour just to try my luck again.

As I entered the brick road, I saw a female Nilgai was standing on the road with a treepie on its back! The rows of trees and the path together were giving a very nice opportunity to make an image. I sat immediately to make sure that the Nilgai doesn't notice me immediately. Made some images and sat quietly. Unfortunately there were some tourists who came and spoiled the show. The Nilgai disappeared in the woods and there I was, sitting alone on an empty path now!


Wait of about an hour dint yielded much apart from a flying flock of Common Cranes. As it was noon, I have decided to step ahead and join my team for lunch.


On the way, got some good company of Pied King Fisher! As Pramod and Shiv were treading a longer route I had to wait for them to join me for lunch. So decided to try some luck with the PKF!


After lunch, my plan was simple - to spend the last Sunset of the tour by sitting at a serene place! I had decided the place as well and just after the lunch I took all the gear and spent the whole evening on the banks of a marshy land from where I could see a vast area and in one corner the setting of the Sun.


The sunset that day was also very colorful as usual and it was hard on our part to realise that the sunset we were witnessing was the last sunset of the tour of Bharatpur!


We were left with only half a day more the next day, before we start towards Ranathambore!


-Ash

Day 3: The surreal Sunset!

So here I am...back after getting screwed up in the Mid-sem exams!;) As promised I will be continuing the report from Day 3 onwards....

After meeting with the elusive Jungle Cat previous day I wondered what will be there in store for me on Day 3! Apart from
the Jungle Cat encounter nothing was really great the previous day! So hoped for a better day ahead!

As planned initially we decided to try boat ride in the morning. We had been told that a Crested Serpent Eagle is a sure shot and if the stars shine for us then we will get the fella having breakfast! He enjoys snakes for the breakfast! For the matter of truth he enjoys snakes for everything - breakfast, lunch and dinner! ;) So we were dreaming of some action of that sort and praying for our stars to shine!
Sad news - Only one boat will be given and all the three people along with the boatman have to be accommodated in the same! - Shiv came back with this news! The wrong thing that happened was the ticket issuing person has saw us together and he was not ready to give separate boats for the individual even though there were free boats and boatmen were sitting lazily around a fire to beat the morning chill! Heck!! Even after little bit arguing nothing fruitful happened and we all ended up in jumping onto the same boat, struggling with 3 tripods, 2 big lenses and a medium one and 3 camera bags and a boatman to drive!
Morning was cold and all of were silent! After going for around 20-30 mtrs itself we saw the CSE sitting on a tough cut trunk and seems to be enjoying the morning Sun, who was struggling hard to knokoff the mist from the surroundings.Dammn!! strong backlight! even though the perch was good, the angle of light was bad for traditional photography! It opened up the opportunity for trying something different and we all were happy about that.

After making some images of that fella and as he took off (I swear we dint do anything! :)) we moved further....The water was deadly calm and the life underneath was very very colorful!As I was not in the mood to make any macro and as the conditions in the boat was also not favorable I decided to come another day for boating and that will be only for macro! Decided!....On the way forward we encountered some great views of WB Kingfisher and Darters and got some decent images as well....


Not very much activity around and hence decided to move back and try our luck with the CSE for the second time. We were not very optimistic though! But... He was there! This time on a branch of a green tree! But :( clutters...distracting branches and steep angle! But he allowed to go quite close and got some decent shots (though coudn't avoid the distracting background:( )


So...we finished our boating and planned for the rest of the session till afternoon. Ganesh and the rest of team were about to join us that day and they were planning to be on field in the afternoon.


As our search for the Longtailed Nightjar was pending, we decided to look for that during the afternoon. The Sun was up on the head and light was getting harsh! After a cycling of around 15 min we came to the spot. Our Rickshaw wallas got down and started to look for the nightjar.

There they go...found out the fella which was having a good nap in the bushes! If not for the local people, these Nightjars are real nightmeres to find in the field! Kudos to the locals who find them so easily!



After making some images of the Long Tailed Nightjar, I decided to spend some time in the Ghana Canal which dint have any water and the tree shades are providing very nice diffused light on the ground. Although I saw some species like Bluethroat, Lessar Coucal, Red throated Flycatcher, Indian Grey hornbill, WB King fisher and a Jackal, I couldn't make any decent images of the same.
It was time for lunch and we had to get ready for the afternoon session as well. We had decided to wait for Ganesh and Sudhir to join us for the lunch who were already on the field, after returning from Chambal!


While returning to the place where we regularly having our lunch, a hoopoe which was pretty regular around the area, was having a mudbath! It was fist time for me for having seen Hoopoe having mudbath.



After having waited for quite some time for Sudhir and Ganesh to join us for lunch, we decided to go ahead and have lunch. Later we came to know that they both were busy with a pair of Sarus Crane! Having known them in the field we strongly knew nothing will gonna get them here only to have lunch when they have struck a lottery with the Sarus! :)

When I met Ganesh and having some talks, my friend and reckshawalla Birender told me that Shiv and Pramod were very busy in shooting a raptor! Being lovers of Raptors they must be having a great time I guess! Birender and self rushed in hurry and I got down from the cycle rickshaw and saw that "Oh My God! So much in open! and Soooo close!!" I realised that both of my friends would have shot that till death! :) I clicked two frames and advanced a bit to get a closer one and.....here it went...leaving behind a smile on the faces of Pramod and Shiv! :) One could guess when one will smile if his subject flies away! Only when he has shot that to death!:) Yes they were! When I saw the LCD of their camera they showed almost all the angles possible and in various poses and not to say how many images! and there I was, satisfying myself 'I got atleast couple of shots atleast to identify it!' :)

After sometime we three joined the party and spent some time with this Sarus Pair as well! I tell you...being with Sarus is such a great pleasure! Their elegance, their gentleness, their beauty will make you go silent and you just couldnot resist yourself from falling in love with them.Even though I am strong opposer of 'Love at first sight' these made me to believe that :).[However only in their case :)]

It was already 5.15 and the Sun has said 'Pack Up'!
On the way back we all witnessed one of the most beautiful Sunsets till then! With the vast marshy land with loads of ducks and some trees in the middle and there was the Sun, glowing in various colors of Pink, Red, Yellow and many more showing up as a huge Fireball and about to go down the earth!

We all stopped our rickshaws and enjoyed the sight and I made some images but I was cursing myself for not being there at that place all these days to watch the Sunset!

So... the day was fine. Enjoyed the encounter with the CSE, some moments with the Hoopoe and Sarus and the fantastic Sunset was a Bonus!
Came back to hotel, transefered the images to my PhotoBank and closed my eyes...what I saw??


The surreal sunset again!!!


Cheers,
Ash

Day 2: A meet with the Jungle cat!

After an eventful first day in the wonderland of Bharatpur, we all ventured in again the next with loads of hope for that day as well. As we had deferred the plan of going for boating for another day we again ended up in having no fixed plan in place. Almost a kind of 'shoot at sight' methodology. For me, I was just recovering from last days extravaganza and for God sake not wanted any more yet again in the morning :).I wanted some time to settle the feeling that I had experienced the last day.

Morning was welcomed by the usual mist and as and when I say a first jackal, I jumped out from the cycle rickshaw and went into the grassland to better its image! Then realised that in fact there were 4 of them. After successful a stalking ended up in having 'none'! But in the mean time found a good flock of yellow footed green pigeons perched on a dead tree.I had never seen so many of them together. Very lovely birds.


When I was back on the cycle, just a few yards ahead Shiv and Pramod were busy in hunting for Spotted Owlet.The rickshaw walas told that there are three of them!

As my luck with these small owlets was not that great, I decided to try my luck again and joined the other two who were waiting for them to show up from the hole in a dead tree trunk. Enjoyed the company with them and as guests we had a Hoopoe and three black rumped flamebacks as well.



By the time the Sun came up on our head we had decided to explore the 'brick road'. As the name says this small pathway is made up using bricks and it forms a boundary between the marshy land and the open scrub forest with a patch of small grasslands as well. The trees grown on both sides of the path way makes it a very nice location.


When we were walking on this brick road we saw something very far coming on the path directly towards us! Initially I thought it could be a Jackal, then Shiv saw this through his 600mm (300mm+2x) and said - "hay...its a Jungle Cat". I was thrilled. All three became statue the next moment, not moving an inch. The handsome came for few feet in the same way and then decided to get away from the road and went towards the marshy land. All three waited for nearly 45 min for it to come back. The wait went in vein.


As Shiv and Pramod decided to explore other possibilities around they have decided to head back. I stayed there...sitting alone silently. After some 5 min, I heard the ducks in the marsh flying away making lot of noise. I thought the Cat might have attacked them. Then the chances of returning to the place where I was waiting for it started looking gloomy. I decided to wait further to try my luck and so kept on waiting....it was noon and was calm everywhere.


I was feeling the silence and just sitting quietly. Then I saw a mongoose coming in the same way the as the Cat had come. I thought something is better than nothing and kept looking at it through the viewfinder. It looked brave and came quite close before disappearing into the tall grass on my left side.


As it turned away, I just turned my lens view to my right just casually and what I saw made me thrilled.....two eyes....glowing eyes....which are starring at me.... It took me sometime to recover from that thrill and realize what I was seeing!! It was a Jungle Cat! First time in my life I am seeing that beauty...so close! What a charm!! I went full 'fidaa' on those eyes. It starred at me for some time before it started crawling to the other side of the road! God saved me from fainting after seeing that crawl!!


After having this prize for the day, I realised that it is already 1:30 and we had to get back to the cycle rickshaw where our food would arrive and we had decided to have food at the "Kevaladev Temple' premise. After a round of small rest we went to the watch tower to have a view.



Evening plan was not fixed. I was thinking to try some luck with 'Jackals with Sunset' kind of opportunity. So decided to stick to the main road which is quite good for witnessing the sunset from some points and if one is lucky he will get to see some mammals as well in the foreground.


As my luck was shining that day got some images which I wanted to make. Even though not perfect as I wanted but got some images which made me happy at the end of the day.

Many times I had tried making images with controlled out of focus of the subject either by deliberately focusing on something in the foreground or my manually out of focusing the subject. That evening, when the sun fully set and the light was dim, there were couple of Nilgais around in the grassland and the very soft light was tempting me to try experiment some images which may give a painting like feel. I tries several attempts and happy with some of them where I think it imparts some kind of canvas feel to the image. In the below image the focus on the grass was intentional to make the Nilgai behind it slightly out of focus which gave it a very unsharpen-soft feel. The trees and branches behind along with the grass are imparting a nice mood to me in the image.

All in all a very lucky day for me which gave some unique and rare experiences in the wild...and what made me even more happy was....it was yet again! :)

Cheers,
Ash