Cheetah is the fastest animal on earth. It is a large cat of subfamily Felinae. This type cat find in Africa and Iran. It has slender body, spotted coat, deep chest, long thin leg, rounded head, and long spotted tail. Cheetahs are active during day time for hunting. By 2016 global cheetah population reaches 7100 approx.
Several African countries take many steps to improve population of cheetah. In Masai Mara sometimes Cheetah climb on safari van or car. I found cheetah in Amboseli National Park and also in Masai Mara/ Maasai Mara. Unfortunately i cant shoot at Amboseli National Park because its too far form us. Cheetah is not include in Big 5 Africa animals.
Facts About Cheetah :
- Cheetah body length is around 3.5 to 5 ft.
- Cheetah can reach 112 Km/h in short time.
- Height of cheetah is around 25-35 inch at shoulder.
- Cheetah has three groups : Female cheetah and cubs, Male and solitary male.
- Cheetah mostly active on day time.
- Cheetah hunts small size approx 35-40 kg mammals.
- Breeding season of Cheetah through out a year.
- Cheetah cubs are highly attacked by large mammals like Hyena and Lions.
- In Hindi Cheetah called Cita ( चीता ).
- Cheetah also called hunting leopard.
Is African Cheetah Endangered ? :
After survey and counting of African cheetah there are only 7100 Cheetah left. From Africa only cheetah vanished 90% of its population. In Africa Kenya has large population of cheetah around 1200 adults. Namibia has the largest population of Cheetah around 3500 till now. Due to lost of habitat and vulnerability to humans cheetah populations going down day by day. One interesting thing about wild cheetah is there is no record of cheetah killing humans.
Masai Mara Safari : During my trip to Masai Mara Kenya day 1 first safari and within 5 minute v got couple of cheetah on road. They are looking for hunt and v stay for some time to see kill but v r not lucky that much. but v see some beautiful moments of cheetah. From my van cheetah family just some feet's away. Both cheetah helping each other to clean their skin. I don't know either they male or female but that moment I see is beautiful. We do one day half half morning and evening safari and another day we go for full day safari and went to mara river side where we see crocodiles, Hippos too. There is an option of Lunch or breakfast in the middle of Jungle at extra cost if you want. That is unique experience but its expensive too. Also balloon ride in masai mara national park is at 450 $ per person approx. Also direct chartered flight options available who do not want to go by road.
Park fees in Masai Mara national park for foreigners : Well for non resident or foreigner park fees are 80 $ for adult and 45 $ for child. If you stay inside masai mara national park then fees are 70 $ per adult and 40 $ for child.
Both cheetah in photo looking for hunt for a long. We are waiting for their hunt and waiting for live kill of cheetah but unfortunately we are not lucky much. But its thrilling experience for me.
Masai Mara Hotels : All resort and hotels are really good at masai mara national park. For migration time some resorts are giving fantastic view from room so book accordingly while travel to masai mara migration time. For cheap trip to masai mara go in January to March. All hotels and resort hospitality is awesome and price worthy. I stay in Mara leisure camp resort. Resort is very good and neat and clean tent. Also big size tent too.
Location : Masai Mara National Park, Kenya.
Camera : Canon 6d with 100-400mm lens
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What is star trail photography : Star Trail photography means capturing the moving stars. Actually stars doesn't move its moving of Earth. A picture which shows motion movement of stars called star trail photography. It is also a Long exposure photography too. Star trail photo shows individual stars as a streaks. Generally bulb mode in DSLR camera is used for star trail photography. Also you need shutter release cable for open and shut your shutter.
How to shoot star trail photo ??
Bulb Mode Photography of Stars
There are two different way to shoot Star Trail
- Taking multiple shots at interval of 30 sec and merge them all
- Take a one shot of long interval approx 45 minutes
From above two methods frankly say i never use first method of merge multiple images. I use one shot of long interval in different exposure like 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 45 minutes. But before shooting star trail you must know such things that need in star trail photography.
Star trail photography camera equipment :
- For capturing star trail photography you need good DSLR camera or Mirror less Camera. Now there are many point and shoot camera which can take good long exposure photographs. So choose best one or choose whatever you have..... But i prefer Full Frame DSLR camera for star trail photography or long exposure photography. Camera which support bulb mode and manual focus can be used in star trail photography.
- After taking good DSLR body you need best lens too. Best lenses for star trail photography i prefer focal length F/1.4 or F/2.8 or F/1.8 as you camera body supported. Generally i use canon 50 mm and 18-55 mm with canon 6 D body for star trail. Best lens for star trail is 10-20 mm lens and 14-20 mm lens.
- Also you need good tripod, remote shutter or shutter release cable supported to your camera body for long exposure photography.
Get good location for star trail photography :
- For star trail photography you need good location too. Generally you can use mountains, trees, electric pole or building etc. Location and subject boost your star trail photo. So take a good location for star trail and reach at least before sunset so you can set up your camera gears in proper location at day light. You need also determine moon phases for your location to get dark sky. Also you need to shoot in RAW or RAW+JPEG format in star trail.
How to star trail photography with DSLR camera :
Star trail photography settings of DSLR camera :
Well i use only single shot start trail, i never take multiple shot start trail and merge it so i don't know about multiple shot star trail photography. Here i can give you settings for star trail photography in single shot.
- First you need to set your camera and compose your shot.
- Use manual focus to your lens and Bulb mode in your camera.
- Set your lens to infinite focus as marked on lens and focus foreground subject.
- Set aperture minimum or widest as your lens supports. F/1.8, F/2.8 is better aperture for star trail photography. Or set aperture F/3.5 to F/5 is good enough. If you are using 45 minute exposure then set F/22 or F/32 for reduce noise ( as per darkness of area ).
- ISO setting for star trail is depends on your exposure but generally i set on 100 ISO. It helps in less grains in you star trail photo. High ISO make higher noise in photo. so keep it on 100 or 200 max. But if you using multiple shot for star trail then ISO value may be 3600 and shutter speed of 30 seconds.
- Set exposure of minimum 30 minutes or 45 minutes is the best for star trail photography. I also set different value for exposure from 10 minutes to 45 minutes. My first star trail photo taken at sandakphu singalila national park west Bengal. I use 45 minute exposure with 10-20 mm lens and body canon 1000 D ( basic model ). So it is not necessary to get high price camera .
- For exposure setting you need Remote shutter or shutter release cable and in your camera you have to set on remote mode.
- I suggest to set your camera on North side for star trail photography. A Polaris star is good identification for direction or you can use some mobile apps for direction North like Compass app and also SkySafari App for mobile. Also need to know low pollution areas ( Use light pollution Map App) which helps you better guide.
- You need to full charge your camera battery because in star trail photography you need full charged battery. Also take 1-2 extra charged batteries for taking multiple shots. For 30-45 minute exposure star trail photo one battery required.
- At the end Process your RAW image of star trail in Photoshop software with some contrast and shadow and exposure settings. I suggest you that for star trail photography shoot in RAW format. In JPEG you need to select long exposure noise reduction on and it wasting your battery. Also post process in RAW image is better than JPEG image.
- Note that with long exposure noise reduction on mode if you use 45 minute exposure then your photo may take atleast 45 minutes for process so do not turn off your camera until your photo process.
Star Trail photography is one of my favorite subject but it need too much patience to shoot Long exposure photography because it take too much time for shoot and also for process your image in camera.
Star trail photography Android Apps :
- Dark sky finder ( for light pollution )
- Nightcap Camera ( for iPhone camera )
- Go sky watch ( for identify stars )
- Star tracker ( For identify stars and locations of moon sun )
- The Photographer's Ephemeris ( For best milky way finder )
- Compass ( for direction )
- Sky safari ( for stars finder )
At last i talk about my shots of star trail. First shot is my first star trail taken at singalila national park west Bengal at sandakphu. It was my first star trail under guidance of master of wildlife photography Shivang Mehta sir and Tejas Soni sir . I also thankful to Shantanu Prasad who arrange trip to sandakphu with naturewanderers. The second image taken at my home rooftop during lockdown period in year 2020. So that image is not clear because of pollution at cities. The third and fourth image taken at Little Rann Of Kutch during children awareness program. The foreground of that images are our tents and both images are taken at different exposure .
So thanking you to read my post about star trail photography guide. You can write comment if you like and also send suggestions if you have about my blog. And also like and share if you really like it and get information if you get from my post.
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Plumeria flower generally in white and pink color. Most of i seen in white color. Plumeria is related to Oleander,Nerium Oleander and both possess and irritant. Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. Plumeria species may be easily propagated from cutting of leafless stem tips in spring. Plumeria is named in honor of the French botanist Charles Plumier. In Penataran Temple shows a plumeria tree with flower petals. In east India plumeria flower considered as a variety of Champak Flower. The Champaka flower had in home of Lord Krishna. The Champaka flower mean Golok Chapa. Champa flower plant is also available for sale online at many places.
Some Plumeria tree may reach a height of 30' to 40' and half as wide. They have widely spaced thick succulent branches, round or pointed, long leather, fleshy leaves in clusters near the branch tips. Sensitive to cold, leaves tend to fall in early winter since they are deciduous
Popular Champa Flowers :
- Plumeria Rubra
- Plumeria Obtusa
- Plumeria Alba
- Plumeria Pudica
- Pink Champa
- Champaca Magnolias
Things to know about Plumeria flower Plant ( Champa Flower ) :
- Plumeria is a genus of flowering plant.
- Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night.
- Human pollination or insects can help to create new varieties of plumeria flower.
- Most common name is plumeria frangipani.
- Plumeria rubra is the national flower of Nicaragua and Laos.
- In India plumeria known as Champa Flower plant.
- Plumeria spices have milky latex which irritate skin and eyes.
- Plumeria alba spices have narrow leaves.
- Plumeria pudica spices have dark green leaves and aslo glossy.
- Plumeria is endamic in Mexico, Central America, Brazil and Florida.
- Champa flower tree is common in south Asia. They are associated with Hindu, Buddhiest and Jain temple. And peoples also believed that Champa tree provide shelter to Ghosts.
- Champa Plant or Plumeria plant known in English as Magnolia Champaca.
- All part of plumeria plant is toxic but there are no cases of plumeria poisoning.
- Champa plant or frangipani plant blooms are considered as a sign of Good luck in the world.
- Plumeria or Champa flowers not offered to Lord Shiva.
In India Plumeria tree or Champa flower plant are widely used in Garden. Many farms and home garden plant plumeria for nice fragrance at night. Also Champa plant flowers are white in color so it looks very beautiful in monsoon seasons. The bloom of champa flower looks like a bookey. Plumeria or champa plant easily grow up. There is no additional care to take for Plumeria plant that's why it is widely used in gardening. The plant of plumeria is cheap so easily anyone can buy. Also once it grow up you can cut plumeria plant branch and plant somewhere else it also grow up. So plumeria cutting plant also works.
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Thrush bird found at low to mid altitude of Himalayas. Generally it found in Himachal pradesh , Uttarakhand, North East Himalayas in India. It also found in Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet areas. In manali trekking there are lots of thrush bird spices you can find. Some spices found at 6000 ft and some of them found at 10000 ft. So there are more Birds of Manali in my checklist too. I found spices of Thrush named :
- Whistling Thrush
- Blue Cap Rock Thrush
- Streaked Laughingthrush
- Variegated laughingthrush
About Variegated Laughingthrush :
- Variegated Laughingthrush is medium size bird and its size arround 16-24 cm lenght and 55-80 gm weight.
- Its overall olive color and black stripe down the center.
- Tail is large and grey subterminal band with white tip.
- Its feathers are yellow in primary and black primary coverts.
- Beak to eye area is black in color. It has white eye ring arround the eye.
- Variegated Laughingthrush is least concern in IUCN bird list.
- Variegated Laughingthrush is endamic in Northern region.
- It is a spices of family Leiothrichidae.
About Blue Capped Rock Thrush :
- Male Blue capped rock thrush has blue head.
- Upperparts are blue and black
- White patch on wing.
- Underparts are chestnut brown.
- Female color is brown with white and brown underparts.
About Blue Whistling Thrush :
- Male Whistling Thrush is blue and female is blue or brown.
- Blue Whistling Thrush found in hilly areas.
- Blue whistling Thrush is specialize in feeding of snails.
- They build their nest near water with pices of rock and boulder.
- They lay 3-4 eggs with grey color and maked with speckles.
About Streaked Laughingthrush :
- It generally found in Northan region of India.
- It color is brown with Streaked of white.
- It lays 2-4 eggs in a cup type nest.
Manali Trekking :
Manali is located in Himachal Pradesh in India. Lots of people go to manali for trekking and for leisure in summer. Best way to explore manali is via trek. Chandrakhani Pass trek starts from Dobhi is one of amazing trek in Himachal Pradesh. Trek also managed by YHAI and it managed very well. During trek there are more than 25 spices of different birds i found. So for bird lovers manali trek to Chandrakhani pass is amazing. Chandrakhani pass trek is easy to moderate trek so it is most favorite trek for begineers. Trek start from Dobhi.
Birds of Manali :
In Himachal pradesh manali is most visited tourist place in summer. Also for trekker its most favorite place. Different treks in manali are most attraction in summer. For bird lovers manali is heaven and found lots of different birds spices like Magpie, Jay, Flycatchers, Bulbuls, White eye, Barbet, Russet Sparrow, Himalayan Vulture, Redstart , Laughingthrush, Warblers, finches, Tits, Himalayan Monal etc. Birders can stay more days in trek then they get more birds.
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Leaf-Toed Gecko are reptiles. It is a spicies of lizard in the Gekkonidae family. This spices is native to east Asia. They are lizards but now a days they are endemic. They generally found in jungles and low grass areas. In Gujarat i found it at Jessore Sanctuary and also near to Narmada river dam at Pratij. They are camouflage in color so you can not found them easily. Small in size and in grass it is difficult to find them. Generally found them at night and in light when they are coming out for eating insects.
Generally some lizards found at everywhere. We can find lizards at home also. The house lizards are widespread everywhere. Some spices of lizards are found in jungles and they are difficult to find. Indian leaf toed Gecko is endangered spices of lizards. Leaf toed gecko is one of the endemic spices of Lizards or Reptiles.
Things to know Leaf Toed Gecko :
- Adult Leaf Toed Gecko feed every other day and Juvenile feed everyday.
- Gecko lizards are insectivorous. It means they need live insects to get nutritions for their body.
- Leaf Toed Geckos are shy reptiles and they does not like handled.
- Leaf toed gecko color dark brown with black spots on body.
- They have camouflage skin so not easily to see them.
- Leaf toed gecko lizard is cold blooded reptile.
- Most spices of lizards do not have eyelids but have corner very thin and transparent membranes for covering surface of each eye.
- Geckos are differant from other lizards in terms of their living , eating and physical charateristics
I found Leaf Toed Gecko lizard first at Jessore Sanctuary Gujarat when i was with my friends for trail to Kedarnath temple of Jessore sanctuary. One of my friend is good naturalist who find snakes and reptiles easily. Unfortunately i could not capture image of Leaf toed gocko lizard. But second time when i was going for full moon photography on Sharad Purnima day i found it at Narmada river dam near Pratij village. I was shooting double exposure photos of full moon and suddenly my friend told me about lizard. I wondered and found Leaf Toed Gecko which is endangered spices of Lizards found here. Luckily at that time i have another camera and aslo a canon 100 mm macro lens with me. I capture good macro image in a short time because it running faster then i capture it. But my luck is with me and i capture eye close up of Leaf toed Gecko . I also capture full body photo too. Not more than 3-4 images i capture but still got good images of that lizards.
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In small words abstract means the object create a conceptual image or some kind of experimental images that is Abstract photography. I really love to shoot at home or indoor photography with my canon 80D and 100 mm macro lens. I always wondering in spare time for subject of Abstract photography. This time I use some artifacts, Kitchen instruments and also my son's decorative materials. I will explain you in details how i shoot .
A tooth pick image looks beautiful. Well this image is not so good as i am very new to shoot in a macro. But definitely i try again for better result as shown below.
The motion Abstract photo :
The above image is of a tiny and thin about 0.5 cm paper roll of red color. My son use it for decorative art. You can make it urself or buy it from store its easily available. I put my camera on tripod and the roll moved IN front of camera by my son . For this you set your aperture above F/10 and set shutter speed min 2-3 second . More long exposure need more aperture so set it accordingly. The result is good with motion red color of roll and make a good abstract images at home.
Another example of motion abstract of my home door chain movement capture in sunlight so maximum aperture to set.
Playing with paper :
This shows you how you create an object for abstract photography. Take a plain white paper , fold it in any shape like below image and put it on a black glass that reflect in black color. Make different paper objects and improve your creativity.
I also using camera motion blur for paper abstract photography. For motion blur images you just set your shutter speed below 1-2 second and during your shutter open move your hand in any direction before shutter closed. The result shown in below image.
How to shoot abstract photos ?
Start Abstract photography at Home
Some Topics to try for abstract photography :
For abstract photography you don't need any experience to shoot. Just know about your camera and some DSLR camera settings for capturing good images. Abstract photo you can shoot everywhere like at home abstract photography, At nature abstract photography, At kitchen abstract photography etc. Also you can take photo of sand dunes, some formations of Mountain range, Night landscapes, Water droplets , textures, bubbles, macro of peoples, also long exposure of water and light trails, camera blur, river valley, sea waves, urban photo, shadow and my favorite black and white photography. These all topics you can shoot as an abstract photography.
The above and below image is of gift wrap paper. I use non color side of paper means the other side of color wrap paper. I squash the paper and give some external light from different sides like left and right. That image is really awesome abstract photo beyond my imagine.
Objects i use for this blog article for abstract photography :
I use red decorative paper roll, a chain of my door lock, Bluetooth speaker , Tooth pick, oil paint in water mixture, Kitchen shredder , artifacts of masai lady face , artifact of flower the spiral the first image , a gift wrap paper with directed light, some paper design with mirror images on glass.
You can try any object for an abstract photography at home. Try something new everytime for photography. Improve your skills with any type of photography at home. Canon 100mm Macro lens is good for abstract photography. I used it mostly for indoor photography and also canon 50mm prime lens is too good because both lenses are good in low light.
Gear Used : Canon 6D, Canon 80D, Canon 100mm macro lens, Canon 50mm Lens.
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Photography is widely explore subject. Now a days peoples widely join in photography. There are so many types of photography with different themes you can learn. Here i suggest you some tips for basic photography composition.
What is composition for photography ? :: Create an image through a frame is the simple answer. There is no definition for composition in photography because different people has different creativity. So the frame is different for every people. But create your frame which looks very attractive than others.
Basic composition rules in Photography
- Framing : Frame your subject with surrounding things like trees or buildings. Like below image i take all tree trunks in my frame. You can also capture with leaves too to make your frame wider. For framing i suggest to use wide angle lens to capture more details in photo.
- Color composition : Choose different color for background and subject. For better result use opposite color for subject and background. As below image shows you a color composition of green background and pink flower. Flower is perfact for color compositoon images because different color flower mixed up with different background color. You can try with blue sky with flower it also looks good.
- Leading lines : It means create your frame by lines towards your subject. Mean Buildings,Rail Lines,Roads etc leading to the subject. Generally roads are good for leading line because it found everywhere. you can also shoot Rail lines for perfact leading line object. You can also take electric poles in raw for your frame.
- Differential Focus : Shoot your subject sharp focus to guide the eye toward it. Focus on your subject make your frame attractive and viewers attend your subject first. sharp and focused object image keep eye towards it. I take sharp waterdrops with blur background makes good image but not perfact.
- Patterns : Use pattern in your frame. Always look for naturally occur patterns in your frame. Patterns are really good to shot. I tried on trees for beautiful patterns. This also create abstract subjects too. Trees are natural pattern subjects.
- Depth of Field : Create blur background to separate your subject in your frame. Creating blur background in your image is good. Just need sharp focus on subject and rest all are in out focus. For this you need some zoom lens or canon 100mm macro lens or some prime lens like 50mm , 300mm etc.
This techniques or rules are basic for photography. Follow this rules before you start clicking. I will share more and some advance techniques later on.
This all images are taken on Canon Cameras model Canon 1000 D, Canon 6 D, Canon 80 D with different lens like canon 100-400, canon 50mm, canon 100 mm macro, canon 55-250 mm, canon 18-55mm etc.
Well these are techniques to learn photography. An easy way to learn follow these rules. These techniques helps you to how to capture images but at the end all creativity is yours. Always think creative for your frame. Do all types of photography not stick only one type of photography. That improve your creativity for photography.
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Flock of Birds Photos : Birds in flight .... this moment is always dream of every nature photographer to shoot. For the photos of Birds in flight is always challenging bcz birds are very sensitive and when u go to them close they will fly. they are very scary by humans. So you need too much patience to shoot birds. A early morning and evening time is best for birding. While you need good camera setting for shoot them in a flight movement. When i was in LRK during Wild Click powered by canon and Nature Wanderers i got some good shots of Birds in Flight with amazing golden light too. Above image taken at morning at LRK . Flamingo birds going in a row. A morning Golden light make image perfect. Its make my image Birds In Flight Silhouette.
HOW TO SHOOT BIRDS :: If you have DSLR camera and good quality telezoom lens then you can easily capture it. You need your shutter speed at at least 1/1000 sec or 1/1500 sec is better. Aperture level going to be F/5 or F/7 max. If your camera supports good ISO then your image don't get grains. Your image will be perfect. Use AI focus for birds in flight so camera automatically follow birds with auto focus. Use continuous shooting for flight birds. Your camera setting depends on sunlight too either you are in front of sun or behind sun so make changes accordingly.
Amazing crowd of birds with blue sky . The sky is flat so i do this image black and white bcz no other disturbance in image and it looks perfect.
Another crowd of birds at farm. I want to capture them in slow shutter for motion image of them but unfortunately i cant. Sometimes you can not get more time to think about your shot.
A raptor or harrier may be Montagu's harrier wants some food at evening at LRK. Lovely evening sunset make beautiful silhouette image with golden light.
For birds in flight images you take your shot acording to birds or single bird. If you got group of birds then go for wide angle shot and make all birds in frame. Or if you go for single bird in flight image then go for tele zoom lens and take close up shot. Generally i love wide shots and also vertical shots as my frame so i take it like these. Plz feel free to comment and also suggessions accepted.
Photos Taken At Little Rann Of Kutch Gujarat
Gear Used : Canon 6 D, Canon 80 D, Canon 100-400mm lens
Read moreAccentor is a small bird of prunellidae family. In India it is generally found in East Sikkim area. It built its nest low in a bush. When i was on a trip to Singalila National Park. I found at sandakphu area. Sandakphu is high altitude place in Singalila National Park located in West Bengal. From here you can see Mt. Kanchenjunga very clear which is highest peak of West Bengal. Lots of Birds here. To visit Singalila Park November to February you can found lots of snow and good landscapes too with snow on Mt Kanchenjunga. Also if you are going for birding you can visit March to May/June Month is the best . It is very cold weather during winter November to February at Singalila National park.
About Alpine Accentor Bird :
- Alpine Accentor bird is robin size bird. Length of bird is around 15 -17 cm.
- Bird just like similar to house sparrow in color with brown back streaked.
- Adult Alpine Accentor have red brown spotting on underparts
- Also adult have grey head too.
- In Asia Accentor found at 2000 m above height. Specially at Himalayas.
- It build nest in bush.
- It laying 3-4 plain (not spotted) eggs of sky blue color.
Singalila National Park :
Singalila national park is located in West Bengal. There are lots of birds in this sanctuary. Also its good for trekking at Sandakphu. From here you can see Mt. Kanchenjunga easily and very closely. Also a beautiful Himalayan Mountain range with snow. Amazing weather very cold in winter and moderate in summer. Summer season is the best for birding at sandakphu.
Alpine Accentor bird Binominal Name is Prunella Collaris . Total 9 subspices are recognised of Alpine Accentor bird.
Gear used : Canon 1000 D, Canon 55-250 mm Lens.
Road To Heaven is named to the road from Khavda to Dholavira in Kutch Gujarat. The road is so wonderful and scenery so it known as Road to Heaven . Khavda to Dholavira distance is around 58km but from Khavda there is a single line narrow road passes through small villages around 15-20 km approx. The main road starts after it and it is around 30-35 km approx. strait to Dholavira. Road is under constriction but almost 70-80% work done. The road heading to the city of Harappan Civilization Dholavira which is one of the largest site of Harappan Civilization and Indus valley Civilization.
Kutch is a largest district of Gujarat and also of India. Main City or Headquarter of Kutch District is Bhuj. Kutch is famous for White Desert or White Rann. In Every winter season from December to February celebrate “ Rann Utsav “ to attract foreigners and also locals. Tent City made in white desert to stay and also cultural programs arranged in it. The main Rann Utsav held in Dhordo of Kutch.
After visit White desert people also visit Dholavira which is nearest destination from Dhordo and also Kalo Dungar in between. From Dhordo you will have to go Khavda first and then from Khavda to Dholavira which is connected through “ Road To Heaven “. Dholavira is located at Khadir Bet. Khadir bet is separated because after monsoon the water filled outer side of bet. So the Road To Heaven is the way to connect Khadir bet to main city Bhuj.
About Road To Heaven Dholavira / Road to Heaven in Kutch :
- · It connected from Khavda to Dholavira.
- · Road to heaven distance around 30-35 km.
- · After monsoon the rain water on the both side of the road. You can see beautiful Greater Flamingo birds in between. Water level is low but muddy.
- · After winter in January –February the water on both side of the road is evaporated and turn into salt. Not all water but some areas during the road.
- · Water on the both side of the road or Salt/ white layer on both side of the road make the beauty of the road and that’s why it name as “ Road To Heaven “
- · When you are on the road there is hardly some traffic you face the open road with both side water or salt at morning or evening make the scenery like a Heaven.
I must suggest to visit Road To Heaven in Kutch while you visit Kutch. Also Visit Dholavira which is one of the largest Harappan Civilization site.
Places to visit near Road To Heaven :
Dholavira, Kalo Dungar, Dhordo, White Desert
Places to Visit near Bhuj : White Desert , Kadiya dhro, Chhatardi, Mandvi beach, Vijay vilas palace, Bhujyo Dungar, Smriti Van, Vande matram memorial
Camera Used : Canon 80D, Canon 6D, DJI Mavic Air2
It is the largest species of Flamingo bird family and also a most widespread species of flamingo family.It is found in India ,south east , middle east and Africa. It is migratory bird. They also breed in India. In Gujarat they breed in Rann Of Kutch , Little Rann of Kutch also found in Thol Bird Sanctuary. I often visit Thol sanctuary so got good shots of them. Best time for shoot them is may-Jun at Thol bird sanctuary bcz of water level is too low . It is been recorded that some flamingo birds are resident in Gujarat at many places like LRK, Khijadia sanctuary, Nalsarovar and Thol Sanctuary. They also breed here and stay for all seasons. So you can find greater flamingo birds in all seasons in Gujarat at many places.
Flamingo bird facts and description :
- Greater flamingo bird is the largest living spices of flamingo.
- Greater flamingo has no subspices.
- Flamingo color most of pinkish white in plumage. Wings are red and feathers are black in end.
- Greater Flamingo bird call is like honking.
- The average lifespan of flamingo bird is 30-40 years.
- Main Difference between Greater flamingo and lesser flamingo is height . Lesser flamingo is shorter than greater flamingo. Also Greater flamingo has pale pink bill and black tip. In other case lesser flamingo has dark crimson bill. Lesser flamingo is also more red in color than greater flamingos.
Greater Flamingo birds In Thol Lake : Thol sanctuary is often i visit. Flamingo birds are stay here all seasons. I got good numbers of Greater flamingo and lesser flamingo bird images in a group when i visit Thol. This is my best time with flamingos. Also i got some beautiful pictures of flamingo birds with group and also in duo with some masti. Flamingos looks very good in frame bcz of their color. Thol lake is good place for birders because more than 150 birds spices found here. Also some mammals like Blue bull and black buck also found here. Lots of water birds and tree birds found here. Also sanctuary is not so big so you can find all birds in around 6 sqkm area. Best time to visit thol lake is November to March. All migratory birds are visit in winter so that is best time. Early morning is best for birders.
Timing And Fees of Thol Sanctuary :
Thol Sanctuary open at 6 AM in morning and close at around 5 PM
Fees of Thol Sanctuary is 50 INR per person and camera fees are 200 INR. Car fees are 500 INR.
Weekend fees may change that actually i don't know about it.
Two flamingos with little egret in between of them with down head all. The images of flamingo bird making a good frame. Because of its color flamingo birds images are very attractive and also their grouping make a perfect frame of flamingo bird picture.
A morning pared time for flamingo birds. A beautiful Greater flamingo birds are in a raw make image nice and show their unity.
Perfact wingspan of Flamingo bird looks great. Pink Wings make image more attractive.
Solo Greater flamingo bird
Some masti time for two flamingo birds .
Above image shows the discipline of Flamingo Bird and looks like a morning pared they are doing .
https://youtu.be/9dVBrR9NSOo
A group of Flamingo Birds at Thol Lake make your frame awesome.
Location : Thol Lake, Gujarat
Thol lake is just 25 km approx. from Ahmedabad. You can visit one day for Thol lake is enough. Also you can find another migratory birds like pelicans , bar headed goose, river tern and many more resident spices.
Ahmedabad to Thol lake distance about 25km
Thol bird sanctuary is located in Kadi Taluka in Mehsana District near sanand Gujarat. It is an artificial lake located near village Thol. In 1912 thol lake was built and it was declared as a Sanctuary in 1988. The main use of lake is use of water for irrigation. The Thol Bird Sanctuary or a Thol lake wildlife Sanctuary India is a habitat of more than 150 spices of birds. Also it is famous for migratory birds Flamingos and Sarus Crane which breeds here.
About Thol Lake / Thol Bird Sanctuary
Thol lake is located near Thol village and its area around 38000 acres. Lake faces all season winter , summer and monsoon. During winter temperature goes to 8 degree and in summer temperature goes to 43 degree. Thol lake is under control of Forest and Irrigation department of Gujarat. Thol lake water storage capacity is around 84 million cubic meters. Thol wildlife sanctuary is declared as Eco Sensitive Zone .
Flora and Fauna Thol Sanctuary :
Thol lake has many vegetation plants like Zizyphus, Acacia nilotica, Ficus, Capparis, Azadirachta indica etc. There are also some mix flora of Marshy and Aquatic plants reported in Thol Lake.
Thol lake is protected area and it is very good habitat for water birds. In thol bird sanctuary there are more than 150 spices of birds found . Among these more than 60 % of birds are water birds. Flamingo bird is most prominent bird of Thol Lake. Also Sarus Crane nest in large number here.
Famous Migratory Birds of Thol Lake
• Flamingos
• Sarus Crane
• Great White Pelican
• Mallards
• Bar Headed Geese , Grey Headed Geese
• Waterfowl
There are also some spices reported here like Dalmatian Pelican, Indian Skimmer, Greater Spotted Eagle, Indian Vulture and white rumped Vulture etc. In Mammals Bluebull, Blackbuck and Golden jackal reported here.
Thol Lake Timing and Fees :
Thol lake open everyday at 6 AM in morning and close at 5.30 PM in evening. Entry fees for Thol Lake or Thol sanctuary is 50 INR for per person. Also Camera fees extra at 200 INR and if you go via car then car fees also 500 INR. Foreigner fees are 10 $ per person.
Best Time to Visit Thol Sanctuary / Thol Lake :
Best time early morning for Thol Lake. In winter if you go before sunrise you can see Twilight sky amazing with lake shore and birds sound .During all season Thol lake has its own beauty. Every season you can visit at Thol Lake. But mostly during winter from November to March season is best for Thol Sanctuary visit. Because during winter lots of Migratory birds came here and stay for long time so for birding winter season is best at Thol Lake. Also during summer some of birds stays here like flamingos and pelicans, geese etc. So you can also see them in summer too. Also during summer water level of lake is low so may be the birds you can get in deep or sometimes closer. During monsoon most people don’t visit but if you like macro photography then you must visit Thol lake in monsoon. You can get some excellent macro subjects like waterdrops , Spiders, Insects etc.
What to do and What not to do in Thol Lake / Keep in mind while visiting sanctuary in India :
• Keep silence in sanctuary
• Maintain discipline
• Keep sanctuary clean
• Do not throw plastic waste anywhere in sanctuary
• Protect wildlife
• Observe birds, mammals etc and protect them and identify them
• Follow rules of wildlife protection act -1972
• Don’t disturb birds and animals
• Don’t enter in sanctuary with liquor and inflammable objects
• Don’t make loud noice.
• Enter in sanctuary with permit only and keep receipt till you leave sanctuary
• Don’t feed birds and animals
Where to Stay near Thol Lake :
Well near to Thol Lake there are not good places to stay at night but you can go near to destinations like Kadi, Kalol or Gandhinagar , Ahmedabad where you can get good places to stay at night. Nearest I suggest Kalol around 15-18 km or you can go Ahmedabad around 25 km.
Places to Visit near Thol Lake :
If you are staying at Ahmedabad then go for Ahmedabad Darshan , Pol area of Ahmedabad and Adalaj Ni Vav ( Heritage places ) etc. Also go for fast food test at night at Manek Chauk and SindhuBhavan road there are lots of option for food lovers like Urban Chauk, Freezbee etc.
If you stay at Gandhinagar then visit Mahatma Mandir at Gandhinagar, Sarita udyan , Akshardham Temple etc.
I would suggest Modhera Sun Temple if you had some more time which is around 100km from Ahmedabad. For bird lovers and bird photographer I would suggest visit Little ran of Kutch (LRK) during Winter season, Pariej Lake, Indroda park Gandhinagar, Jessore Sanctuary Banaskantha etc.
How to Reach Thol Sanctuary :
Nearest airport is Ahmedabad and from Ahmedabad thol lake distance is around 30-40 km
Also for Railway station is Ahmedabad because you can get all frequency and destinations from Ahmedabad railway station.
Mt Kanchenjunga or Mt Kangchenjunga both spellings right and whatever you say located in west Bengal India. When i was on my Singalila National park trek i visit it. It was really gesture to see Mt Kanchenjunga from own eyes. A beautiful Mountain surrounded by snow and little bit clouds looks like you are in Heaven. The view i capture makes me very happy to see first time snow mountain in my life. When i was at my last location of my trek at Sandakphu we go for birding and v had a clear mountain view of Kanchenjunga. Kanchenjunga is also spelled Kangchenjunga. Height of Mt. Kanchenjunga/Kangchenjunga is 8586 m . The view of Mt Kanchenjunga from India is amazing as you can see in photos. This Mountain range in wide angle as shown above image looks like Sleeping Budda so this mountain range also known as Sleeping Buddha Mountain Range too.
The name Kanchenjunga is derived from sanskrit kanchana ganga . Kanchana means gold and ganga is the river which flows in the region. The river shines like gold and hence the name Kanchana Ganga was given to this mountain.
Things to know About Mt. Kanchenjunga/ Mt. Kangchenjunga :
- Kanchenjunga Mountain is about 28,169 ft height and located along the Nepal-India border in the Himalayas.
- It is the third highest mountain in the world.
- It contains 5 peaks and four of them above 27,700 ft of heights.
- Kanchenjunga is also name of surrounding section of Himalayas and means THE FIVE TREASURES OF SNOWS .
- Joe Brown and George Band was the first climber of Kanchenjunga mountain on 25 may 1955.
- Kanchenjunga mountain boundry shared by Nepal, India, China and Bhutan.
- Total 5 peaks of Kanchenjunga are Kanchenjunga Main ( 28169 ft ), Kanchenjunga West ( 27904 ft ), Kanchenjunga Central ( 27828 ft ), Kanchenjunga South ( 27867 ft ), Kangbachen ( 25928 ft ).
- Kanchenjunga Main is the highest elevation of Brahmaputra River.
- There are four climbing route for Kanchenjunga among them 3 are from Nepal and one from Sikkim India.
- It is also known as Sleeping Buddha Mountain range.
When i was on a tour to Singalila National Park we have a terrific view of Kanchenjunga mountains and also other Himalayan mountains. The best view of Kanchenjunga i saw from Sandakphu located at India-Nepal border. I also saw Mt. Everest from here. Everest is on a long distance but if weather is clear you can see it very clearly.
In above picture the mountain shows in left side ( Triangle 3 peaks ) of Mt Kanchenjunga is Kumbhakarna Mountain.
Sandakphu trek is one of the beautiful trek among India and also of Himalayas. During summer lots of trekkers go for these trek and also Phalut trek. At Sandakphu you can stay a night and just see at night the sky is full of stars. I was never seen such stars in my life. A milky way you can see and it was amazing experience of star gazing at Sandakphu. Also after dark a sunrise is beautiful as enough. At 4 or 4:30 am sunrise time and we were ready to see first light of sun rays on Himalayan mountains. The color of rays are red orange color looks beautiful on snow mountain of Kanchenjunga. Thats the beauty of Himalayas.
For climbing Mt. Kanchenjunga you can go from Nepal only because Indian Government has been closed Northeastern Sikkim route of Kanchenjunga since 2000. To See Mt. Kanchenjunga from India Sandakphu is the best place. You can go to Sandakphu via Trek or via Range Rover car hire at manebhanjan village. Nearest airport is Bagdogra or you can go to Kolkata and go for overnight train from Kolkata.
Gear used : Canon 1000 D body, Canon 18-55 mm lens, Canon 55-250 mm lens.