Wildlife photography is all about patience, skill and luck. If one masters the skill and inculcates patience, then luck favours. Bird and animal images look good, but when you capture action, it looks amazing.
We were in Keoladev Ghana National Park, Bharatpur (India) during the month of March, at the fag-end of winter. Water levels of the lake had receded considerably while most of the migratory birds had flown. However, national parks still hosted numerous resident birds and late migrants thus providing ample opportunities to bird photographers. The beauty of this sanctuary can only be experienced as it is difficult to put into words. Misty mornings, magnificent sunrises, glaring waters and picturesque vegetation make Keoladev Ghana National Park really a birder’s paradise. The birds here are fearless, accustomed to humans and hence one can get a closer shot.
It was 8 o’clock in the morning; the sun was already up and the birds has started their daily activities. The shallow water of the lake had so much to offer, ranging from insects to tadpoles, frogs and varieties of fish for all. I was trying to get some action shots of intermediate egrets and pond herons. Suddenly there appeared a beauty, the purple heron with its long necked and slaty-purple coloured body, gliding to a graceful landing. It surveyed the water before settling to a calm spot.
The heron stood still, focusing on the water for nearly 15 minutes. Suddenly something caught its eyes. To take a closer look it stretched its neck and stayed in the same position with minimal movement for another 10 minutes. At this moment I was sure, that I will get some good action shots. The more time you spend in the field watching birds, the more knowledge you gain about its behaviour. After a few minutes it plunged its neck into the water, but it was bad luck.
The bird stood motionless again, stretching its neck, but this time it was more focused and was closely stalking its prey. After another five minutes with lightning speed it striked into the water and caught a huge fish. The fish struggled in the water for some time, but the heron manipulated it.
The fish was speared, and lood was oozing out from the wound. When the prey did not show any resistance, it was washed in the water several times.
Well, we were not lucky enough to see the last act and the climax of this episode, as the bird moved away from our sight. This is such a great memory we have as we were fortunate to witness an episode of the heron catching a fish.
