All characters in this article are REAL. You can see the pictures of some of the actors. However, to avoid controversies, their names have been left out.

 

It was a cool winter morning in January. The mist was lying thick on the earth inside the Kabini forest. The sky was covered with fog and the early morning Sun was struggling hard to break through the mist. The Serpent Eagle just woke up and was looking for any wriggling on the ground.

 

Serpent Eagle thinking: 'Thank God, I am still a day earlier to the day on which the forest is taken over by noisy people and gadgets from far off cities, who drive away all my food into the holes under the ground and make me go hungry. Let me enjoy the day and food while I have them. Now where are you "hissy" slippery creatures?'

 

Grrrrr Grrrrr Grrrrr  Clonk Clonk Screeeeech Clink Clink !

 

Serpent Eagle: "Brrrrr! Let me get the vibration settle down ! Huh ! Can't believe, the humans have arrived even on week days ! God save me ! I did not even have a decent dinner yesterday. Anyway let me see what these people are going to do. "

 

The guide in the jeep: "Look there is a Serpent Eagle on the tree"

 

The Photographer: "Where? I cannot even see it."

 

The Guide: "There on the tree right in front of you on the branch right in front of you !"

 

The Photographer after some moments (of searching): "Oh! It is here ! I have been looking to the left, to the right and to the top! Do Serpent Eagles always sit on trees? Where is the Serpent?"

 

The Guide: "Take pictures before the bird flies."

 

Photographer: Clank ! Clank ! (tripod) Cli..............ck ! "Oh my! The light is very low. Let me set the apertue and ISO high! There I have set it!" Cli...ck; Cli...ck; Cli...ck; Cli...ck; Cli...ck; (the camera gives up. Take the fingers off my shutter release man!)

 

Serpent Eagle: "Sigh! That is scary. Looks like this is going to take some time. God you should have at least sent an expert photographer here today. Come on ! Get the picture quickly and move off people ! I need to hunt my food. You are covering the ground in front of me where I just saw some movement".

 

Photographer: "Let me review the pictures. Oh no good all shakes. Let me set ISO to 1600.". Click; Click; Click; Click; "Now this looks better".

 

The Guide: "You should take more pictures while the bird is still there ! This looks like a very co-operative bird. Generally Serpent Eagles do not allow you to get this close and keep sitting in the same place this long."

 

Photographer: "Yes ! Good idea !" Keeps pressing the shutter button but the camera refuses to focus.

 

Serpent Eagle: "Now what? Take the pictures man! How long am I going to sit here like this and wait for you to move? My wriggling friends on the ground do not show up very often."
 

Photographer: "What is the matter? Oh my the battery is dead. I hardly clicked 10 pictures. Can you pick up my Lowepro Camera Bag? There I have the battery.". Fixes the battery. "Thank God, did you say Hawk?, it is still there."

 

Photographer keeps looking through the view finder.

 

The Guide: "Are you not taking pictures sir? Can we move? Someone spotted a Tiger drinking water on the river bank 15 days ago. Let us go and check it out. You may be lucky to get a picture."

 

Photographer: "Wait ! I am waiting for the Green Hawk, or whatever, to smile."

 

The Guide: "Serpent Eagle sir. Not a Green Hawk".

 

Serpent Eagle: "Smile ? What is it ? I only know how to frown. It is cold and my tummy is growling. How am I going to get rid of this character? Let me try to look away. Hopefully he may go away." After a few moments the Serpent Eagle turns back and looks straight into the lens ! "My God, he is still there. If he does not move, I should think of moving to another perch. Hey I just remembered something. This guy could be a Japanese. He might understand and move away if I show him respect"

 

 

CSE starts dreaming of all good things in life. I remember the day as a kid I had the first big catch of a baby snake that lost its way to the hole. I flew over it a few times right and left feeling happy to see it run helter-skelter. And the snake hid its head alone under a leaf and thought it was safe. I made a big swoop down on it and picked up the slippery character in my claws. My mother was sitting on this very same tree and she gave me an approving happy frown. Sigh, those were the days to remember ! I did not know about the Photographers and the forest was full of these wriggly friends. Where are they now-a-days? I feel lucky to find one in a week. I have to satisfy myself with the thick skinned rodents on all other days. If this Photographer does not move, I may get nothing !

 

The guide: "Bad luck to you sir. Looks like the Serpent Eagle is not going to smile. We need to move on. There is a Changeable Hawk Eagle over there."

 

The Photographer: "Where ?"

 

The guide: "Do not worry sir, I will take you there and show. Hold on to your camera. We are moving"

 

The vehicle moves on.

 

Serpent Eagle gives a frowny chuckle to itself and shouts at the Changeable Hawk Eagle: "Hi friend. You are going to have company. These people have spotted you drowsing over there. Wake up and give them, what do they call, a big smile. Enjoy and have a good day ! Wow, I am free. Where are you wriggly-jiggly? Come out. I am hungry".

 

Changeable Hawk Eagle: "Huh ! Oh No !"

 

The Serpent Eagle sharpens its eyes and starts looking for its favourite "Masal Dosa" breakfast.

 

Grrrrr Grrrrr Grrrrr  Clonk Clonk Screeeeech Clink Clink !

 

And the story goes on.

 

 

This is meant to be read and enjoyed. This was not meant to be a critic on wild-life photography though we do influence what is happening in the forest. It is not meant to make fun of any or all Photographers. While some of our money may go to help wild-life grow, we also leave a mark on their homes and perches. I am glad that most of the National Parks in Karnataka are closed between 9 am and 4 pm. The animals will at least have some time for themselves.

 

Hope you enjoyed reading. These pictures were taken during my last trip to Kabini in January 2010. Oh my God ! Now you know the Photographer....  ;-)

 

You can also see the rest of the pictures in my Kabini Album.