Many may have heard chirping sounds from far and near but only the one ready to wait and watch can spot the makers of the sounds. Precisely why only a keen ornithologist can make a good bird photographer, says Girijan R., whose camera has captured several endemic species of birds in the Western Ghats.
For the past 20 years, Girijan’s collection is noted for the native bird species of rural Kerala apart from the birds in the Western Ghats. Most of his clicks are of birds found in his native place Karimban, which is close to the Idukki Wildlife Sanctuary.
Girijan says he likes to capture the bird in its natural surrounding and what he cares is to avoid taking pictures of birds while nesting. “If you are being noticed by the bird, there is a chance of its abandoning the nest and it might harm the breeding,” he says. Hundreds of photographs taken by Girijan include some of the rare bird species like Emerald dove, Gaulini bird, Malabar dragon, White belly woodpecker, Common hawk cuckoo, Crested serpent eagle, green barbet, Bhrahminy starling, heart spotted woodpecker, Indian frogmouth, snakebird, and a group of jungle fowl.
Girijan says taking pictures of native birds is difficult than that of the migratory ones. “Migratory birds come during the season and while nesting one gets enough time to photograph them,” However, getting a close view of a native bird is difficult, as they are so sensitive that even a mild disturbance will make them fly away.
The pictures are captured on their natural movements too. This is in addition to a large number of photographs of the migratory birds in his collection.
Girijan says he has spent three days for capturing a Malabar Whistling Thrush. One needs patience and luck to spot a bird in an undisturbed location.
As a wildlife photographer, he moves to the main forest and tiger reserves in south India and there are a large collection of wild animals taken from Nagarhole National Park, Periyar Tiger Reserve, Chinnar, and Idukki wildlife sanctuaries in addition to the birds from the Thattakkad Bird Sanctuary.
