Clikwalk @ Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

I had written this blog long back when I visited Sultanbird Sanctuary but posting it late ...

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is one of the best places around Delhi and NCR for nature lovers, bird watchers and photographers and for picnic as well. Here you get to see quite a lot of migratory birds through out the months of winter.

I really enjoyed my visit to Sultanpur National Park Bird Sanctuary, My wife Manvir and son Agrim also were with me along with few other clickwalkers. Though I enjoyed early morning drive to the destination and the walk there but I think I still need to spend more time to get familiar with birds' behaviour to understand their moves and to get a good photograph. In my two bird walks I learned what surely not to do which I would like to share with you all:

1. Don't make noise or talk aloud, be calmn and watch your steps, don't step on dry leaves or branches. 

2. Don't run toward birds and try n get too close to them, they get sacred and fly away.

3. Bright clothes can make you more visible and scare the birds

4. For a good shot focus on the eye of the bird.

5. Prefocus your lens on the spot where you noticed the bird previously. Within minutes a bird may be back, and you may get several frames before it flies away again.

6. Must have good binoculars to find and track the birds from a distance

I am not a good wildlife or bird watcher...might be that this was my second bird watch trip and that also without binoculars. I could see some of them clearly visible but some which others could spot I just had to follow their directions to locate the bird :)

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary migratory bird

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary migratory bird

Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, Migratory birds

Oh ! forgot to tell that Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary is located at Sultanpur, Gurgaon District, Haryana, India. It is located 15 kilometres from Gurgaon, Haryana and approx.40 kms from Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi. Every year more than 100 migratory bird species arrive at Sultanpur in search of feeding grounds and to pass the harsh winter. There is pathway made all around the lake and it takes good 2 to 3 hours to finish the entire circuit.

If you are coming from Dhaula Kuan, after crossing the Toll take Exit 10 and go right below the flyover. From there the road straight leads to Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary approx. 14 km. The road is good and the drive early morning surely is great but on your way back you will find traffic.

Click walk @ Kashmere Gate

A small early walk to Kashmere Gate gives you an opportunity to see many good monuments in peace with very little traffic. You can enjoy the monuments of Britisher's first residential estates in Delhi at Kashmere Gate. Most of these monuments have a nice story to tell...though we were not with any historian who could have guided us or updated with the stories but still we managed to get some info. with jugggar and one friend Riddhish who has been there earlier.

Let me tell about the places to visit around Kashmere gate and while I talk about those places, I will mention briefly the importance of these places in our history.

The best way to reach Kashmere Gate is by Metro. Get down at Kashmere gate station, come out at gate no.4 and next to it the first destination to visit:

1. Nicholson Cemetery:  Take right from gate no.4 and in just few steps you will be at Nicholson Cemetery. This is a place where you will get to see some of the amazingly carved gravestones and memorials. This place is named after the British General John Nicholson who died fighting with Indian soldiers in 1857 uprising. You can see his grave on right side after entering the Cemetery.

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To be honest this is one place where I have seen so many nicely carved and decorated gravestones  some of them were so beautiful but I couldn't capture them as the Cemetery is not well kept and have overgrown grass all around but nevertheless I loved the place.

Grave of Brig. Gen. John Nicholson 

Nicholson Cemetery

Nicholson Cemetery

Nicholson Cemetery

2. Kashmere Gate:   Few meters away from the Nicholson Cemetery is this Kashmere gate which is named so as not only a road which lead to Kashmir from the walled city of Delhi but it was also facing Kashmir. No more you get to see the the huge monument of Kashmere gate which it used to be earlier. It was built by the Britishers and became famous as the key battle of the Mutiny of 1857 . 

Kashmere Gate Monument, Delhi, India

Kashmere Gate Monument, Delhi, India

3. Kashmere Gate market Walk:   From Kashmere gate take left and walk pass the Kashmere gate market which is a busy market in the day but we were Click walking here early morning still we could capture some good and colorful photographs. While passing through the market you will come across The Fakhr-ul- Masjid, old Hindu college and St. Stephen college building.

Food Hawker @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India 

Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India

Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi market, India

Road side barber @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India

Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India

Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India

4.  St. James Church:   Just opposite to St. Stephens college is St. James Church, one of the oldest churches in Delhi was built in 1836 by Colonel James Skinner. It's a beautifully designed Church with stained glass windows and a central octagonal dome. Behind the church is the bungalow of British Commissioners of Delhi, William Frazer, who is also buried in the church graveyard. St. James Church, Kashmere Gate, Old Delhi, India

St. James Church @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India 

St. James Church @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India 

St. James Church @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India 

There is lot more to see around, unfortunately we couldn't do a Click walk to these but I will surely list them down for others to know and will share my experience and photographs whenever I visit these places next. Don't miss visiting Dara Shikoh’s Library in I P University Campus, Telegraph Memorial and British Magazine a storehouse where Britishers use to store weapons and ammunition.      

Nice building next to St. James Church @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India 

ISPCK Lighthouse on back of to St. James Church @ Kashmere Gate market, Old Delhi, India 

liked the composition 

Old Delhi 110016, India

Zoo photography: my learnig & tips

How could I have resisted not going to Delhi Zoo again after the successful first trip.

And a big thanks to all those who trusted our earlier walk excitement and joined us and made it a bigger event.

As you know now this was my consecutive second trip for Zoo photography, I surely enjoyed it though but I think there are some challenges when you shoot in Zoo. The two big challenges are: First, the distance between you and the animals, this specially is the case if the animals are in an open area. For e.g.: Bengal Tiger, lion, Gibbons etc. The ones who are caged are difficult to capture as the bars make it difficult to get any straight shot.

Another funny challenge is that the Zoo animals are hyper in nature and they don't really stay at one place and keep moving or jumping around. I understand there behavior as they are animals who live in a free world and roam freely when they get caged they don't get that space to move freely so we find them jumping and hoping in the limited area

In spite of these challenges we could click some good photographs, In my opinion the trick to photography in Zoo is.

1. Be patient and don't run away quickly.

2. Look for a good spot from where you can capture your target

3. Wait for the right moment when which the animal might give you any time

4. Be careful about the background, at times you get artificial cemented homes as background which make the photo look very unrealistic. Try and capture them in the jungle kind atmosphere around them,

5. To capture close-up shots you need to have zoom lens with you otherwise a normal lens can also play wonders

6. Focus on eyes if you are taking a close up shot, eyes showcase the emotions in close up shot....this is true for any portrait photography

7. Most of the animals are fenced so click a good photograph of these animals you should be closer to the fence and it's all the better if the animal is away from the fence.

Challenges and good photography tricks shared are based on my experience only, let me know if you like these and plz do add to the list.

Also check out some of my latest clicks:

Clikwalk @ Safdarjung Tomb, New Delhi

Clickwalk Started on 1st April 2012 and it's 19 weeks since the start and every week we are click walking around Delhi at various places. The group starts early morning 6 am (I know not so early) and goes to places clicking, talking, laughing while walking around a monument or any other place....

Last Saturday (11th Aug) we went to Safdarjung Tomb, a place I have crossed so many time in my life but never visited...I always thought it is nothing more then a lovers point and ofcourse my interest in historical places also was not that great ever but when I visited Safdarjung Tomb on clickwalk with other members of the group (Riddhish, Romel, Shailendra, Manish etc.) the place was quiet nice. It is a well maintained place with good open green space around and well preserved I must say.

Not only the place was good but the weather also was nice with cloudy sky as a good backdrop and lots of birds flying around the monument....
A beautiful mausoleum, Safdarjung's Tomb was built by son of Safdarjung "Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah". It was built in 1754 in the late Mughal Empire style, and was described as "the last flicker in the lamp of Mughal architecture". Enough has been written about this place so I shall link you to other sites to know more about Safdarjung Tomb and shall share some of mine and my clickwalk friends photographs. To see more amazing and beautiful photographs Click ---> Clickwalk Safdarjung Tomb photographs




Safdarjung Tomb, New Delh, India





Safdarjung Tomb, New Delh, India





Safdarjung Tomb, New Delh, India



Timing & Fees:

Safdarjung Tomb remains open all days, with an entree fee of Rs.5/- for Indians and Rs.100/- for foreigners. If you want to do a video shoot then need to pay extra Rs.25/-, still camera are free.