Shutter Love: A day at the Porbandar Bird Sanctuary

Porbandar is pretty much complete chaos - madly honking motorcycles, deafeningly noisy chakdas (hybrid motorcycle carriers), stray bovines and their worshipers, smoke, dust and the omnipresent smell of drying fish! Yes, welcome to the land of the Mahatma. It's one saving grace is the promenade by the sea. Until we discovered the bird sanctuary here.

I've had a grand weekend filled with chirps, gentle sounds of water and serenity at the sanctuary. Tucked away in one little alley down the main street, this place is an absolute treasure. As N and I pushed open the metal gate of the sanctuary on Saturday evening, I wasn't expecting much. I had read that several species of birds come here, some migratory. But nothing in my mind's eye had come close to what we saw - cormorants and herons by the dozens, peacefully lounging on the man-made isles on a lake. Pelicans swimming along regally. Naughty Pintals splashing about. And a few others I haven't been identify yet.

The light wasn't right that evening, so I returned the next morning and again a couple of hours before sunset. A friendly dude who was busy clicking like a pro pointed me towards another cove where I could find Flamingos! 

I had a field day snapping away, I was so excited, I just couldn't stop. I must have clicked about 300 pictures that day. Needless to say, the avian species is not one to pose for bumbling photographers. I think I have about  two dozen really great pictures!

Here's a few of my favourites.