Getting Started

The first step is, as they say, the most difficult. So I will just skip it and go for a little explanation and flashback.

What exactly is photobirding? Frankly this term just popped into my head when I asked myself as to what I was upto. I am neither a photographer nor a birder. I just managed purchase a digital camera with a good zoom and happen to live in an area where birds are abundant. The whole thing started with me idly using the birds as target practice for my new camera when suddenly it occurred to me that I could atleast record the different birds in and around my house.

The fact that I lived on a Tea Estate which provided an encouraging environment for birds and other animals also helped my cause.

I started taking my camera with me on my morning walk around the tea sections and clicking at the many feathered creatures that call it home and shelter. The number of species are not important but suffice to say that it was far more than I expected and all clicked within a radius of 2-3 km from my house.

Here I must add a word for my companion on these lonely morning treks, my friend and pet Dalmatian, Lyka. Those of us who are fortunate enough to own a Dalmatian would vouch for the beauty, grace, intelligence, speed, stamina and gentleness of this breed but even the most ardent fan would not recommend them as companions on a birding trip. Playful and naughty to the point of distraction, she has resulted in me losing possibly many good bird photos but once or twice when I have gone without her I have missed her companionship. As I am neither a photographer nor a birder a couple lost opportunities do not bother me too much.

I try to ensure that the photographs and bird sightings remain a sideshow to what is essentially a morning walk with my dog.

So much for the explanation and the flashback. I still haven't taken the first step. Will get into the birds in the next post. Cheerio