What a wonderfully eventful morning, it turned out to be today! I visited the Thol Bird Sanctuary after a long time. Started late from Ahmedabad and had to wait at a railway crossing for two trains to pass. I decided to do what I always wanted to! Take pictures of the moving train.
Took a 30 sec. exposure of the approaching train, would have come out well if there wasn’t another train behind it. Anyways, the exciting part was when, after the trains passed, a police constable got hold of me and took me into a dingy room. He then went on to explain that it was illegal to take pictures of trains or railway bridges or railway stations or railways crossings. He then tried to find that particular rule in his rule book( Check this if your interested in the railway rules for photography: Pg 13-15)! Here I will take a pause and thank the lord that I am working in a Government Department. I flashed my ID card and he kind of mellowed down and started explaining that “Bharat mein aaj Kal aapko to pata hai, ki gatividhiyaan kitni badh gayein hain”- Activities(terrorist) in India have increased these days”. We patiently heard him ramble upon how important railway is to the country and how I could possibly use my photograph to terrorize! I was, on the other hand, thanking my stars that he did not take me in his office and rape me(he just rapped me)!
Anyway, we missed the sunrise at Thol, but I spotted a couple of Pied Cukkoos and was greeted by a lone Sarus Crane(aah…I was delighted to see it!) in the paddy fields.
A couple of Whistling ducks and Lapwing followed my moves as I got down from a bike and got some shots from behind the bike, but scrammed as soon as I tried to get closer!
Near the entrance, found the ever common Plain Tiger butterfly, a Great Eggfly and loads of Globe Skimmer dragonflies.
The most dashing pictures of the day I got from a Juvenile Shikra perched near the edge of the water.
I’m thinking of going back tomorrow!
Cheerio mates!
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Did not go to Thol on Sunday, but thanks to that my room is looking clean!