Flight of passion

Mona

At the Sukhna and Dhanas lakes, or parks in the city, they are a rather familiar sight. Camouflaged, sitting motionless and voiceless, in their Zen-like state for hours, or walking silently in a file, they are ready to shoot the birds. Well, with a camera!

Chandigarh and surrounding area boasts of an abundance of birds, so how can passionate bird-watchers go missing? And how far would one go for a hobby? Well, sky is the limit for them.  As 2018 is being celebrated as the Year of Bird; marking the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; here’s checking out a few avid bird-watchers from the city.

Birds of paradise 

It was in class sixth or seventh that Simar Onkar Singh saw the birds of paradise in an issue of National Geographic and was hooked. Years on, he is still amazed at their beauty and grace. “Once you are hooked on to birding, you kind of get addicted to it. Observing, knowing more about the species, behaviours; it’s like a point of no return,” shares this psychologist-cum-photographer. 

Salim Ali figures high in his reading list and he equally enjoys David Attenborough’s documentary on birds of paradise. “Birds make me feel grateful for life and all the beauty they have to offer,” says Simar, who finds being connected with the like-minded very significant.

Peaceful note

Contentment and tranquillity are a few of the traits that Gurpreet Singh Randhawa connects birding with. “Chandigarh, with its lake, botanical garden and numerous parks, offers an excellent habitat for bird enthusiasts.” What bothers him though is that City Beautiful barely hosts house sparrows anymore.  Back home at Manjianwali, Batalam he enjoys these beauties and ensures they are preserved. 

Deep gratification

Rather aggressive, Kulbhushan Kanwar took up birding post retirement as a full-time hobby. He bought all the equipment and is now hooked on to his hobby. “Each day, three-four hours have to be spent with birds or else I feel incomplete,” says Kulbhushan, who is now a pro at camouflaging and sitting still for hours to catch one glimpse. Happy initiating young children into birding, he says, “There is a sense of deep gratification in observing birds.”  He has already taken trips to Bhutan, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana to pursue his hobby. 

One-woman Army

Relatively new in the world of birding, for Anupreet Kaur Mavi, an assistant professor at the Panjab University, it was a camera gifted by friends for her birthday that marked the onset of a new journey. In love with nature, she considers herself fortunate to live on campus, right next to Botanical Garden, which offers opportunities aplenty to indulge in her favourite pastime. “Bird photography is a great way to get peace of mind by bringing one close to nature,” she says. “If you are attentive and focused, the feathered friends ensure an amazing shot.”

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