How to birdwatch

For those who think a sneak peek at the tail of a tiger, the cud-chewing rhino and elephant rides are more exciting than watching birds (here my male colleagues asked me to specify that I am talking about the avian species), I was one of you, too.

Until I went to the Bharatpur bird sanctuary in Rajasthan. A different world opened up to me "" full of colour, beaks and bills, feathers and calls of the young "" difficult names notwithstanding.

Don't take my word; give it a chance yourself. You still have more than a month left (the bird-watching season usually lasts from October to March).

You don't need a Salim Ali-esque obsession for birds, either. Head out for the nearest sanctuary that boasts of birds "" both migratory and resident "" like the Jim Corbett National Park in Uttaranchal, Bharatpur in Rajasthan, Kumarakom bird sanctuary in Kerala or Thekkady bird sanctuary in Kerala.

Here's a ready reckoner.

Arm yourself with a book on Indian birds and those migratory species that visit India. Salim Ali's The Book of Indian Birds, Common Birds and A Pictorial Guide to the Birds of the Indian Sub-continent are good ones to start with.

You will need at least four days. Keep two days for exploring the area without the camera. We all want to capture that silhouette of a bird against the setting sun, but believe me, that's all you will do "" take pictures.

So save that for the time when you have had your fill of marvelling at the eagle owl crouched like a cat, the Indian darter drying its wings in the last rays of the sun, little storks crying out for food, the purple heron standing still (it actually waits for the food to come its way!)...

Don't leave without a good pair of binoculars. If you go to a place like Bharatpur, though, you can hire binocs at reasonable prices like Rs 10-20 an hour.

All of us know the difference between a hippo and a crocodile, but it's not so easy to differentiate between a spoon-bill and a shoveler bird that are 100 ft away from you. Also, flipping excitedly through a book looking for the bird's name "" and there, it flew away! "" is a frustrating experience.

So, eat cheap vegetarian food if you have to, but hire a guide, at least for the first couple of days. In a place like Bharatpur, you get a guide-and-rickshaw ride together, for as little as Rs 50 an hour.

Did you know 90 per cent of migratory birds are vegetarian? Since food becomes scarce in their land, they fly to warmer climes for food and a few carnivorous birds such as eagles follow.

Now the entire migration phenomenon makes sense! But this bit of information was in response to a question I asked my guide. So, ask questions about the colour of the plumage, nesting habits (did you know storks use the same nest for four years?

And to repair it, they use twigs only from a tree that has no nest?), breeding habits (did you know the male weaver bird makes four nests for the females to choose from and decorates it with fireflies and yellow flowers?), lifespan, everything.

While in the park, stick to neutral colours like olive green, beige and brown so that you blend in, which will help you get a close look at the birds without startling them with your chrome yellow T-shirt. The best time to look for birds is early morning and during the evening.

My best moment was when I saw a black and white crested pied kingfisher dive into the water, and emerge triumphant with a little fish in his beak. The rule: be quiet and be patient.