Birds and Animals by Night
The first time I tried birding at night was several years ago in Rajshahi. My friend Niaz and I had spent a day cruising the Padma searching its chars for birds. In the evening we met with members of the Rajshahi Bird Club. They told us about a rare Indian Scops Owl that had been found in a nearby mango orchard. Would we like to see it? Yes, of course, we said. With bright torch lights, they spread out into the orchard. After an hour of searching the trees, someone found the owl. It was the first and only time I saw this memorable creature and we all photographed it.
Why look for birds and animals at night time? Many creatures are nocturnal. Their activity begins when the sun goes down. Birds such as Owls and Nightjars, and forest creatures such as the Slow Loris and various wild cats come out at night. To see them you must do the same.
However, until that fateful evening in Rajshahi I had been reluctant to engage in night birding. The reason is simple: photographing at night is terrible. There is never enough light, and the quality of the artificial light of the torches is dismal. But now, after several night outings, I am convinced that the thrill of seeing a new creature outweighs problems I may have photographing it.
In a sense, exploring the outdoors at night opens up a new world for us.
For example, at twilight one day I was out walking in Baridhara Lake Park when I noticed a Brown Hawk-owl perched on a branch. I had seen this owl several times before, usually in the afternoon, and only fleetingly as it flew past me. But now things were different. Hundreds of termites were flying around a nearby street light. Using the branch as its base, it repeatedly flew out to catch a termite, return to base, and gobble it up.
I immediately ran home and got my camera and large torch light, ending with several interesting photographs.
In Brazil's Pantanal, I saw several birds and animals during a night outing. We drove on a jeep through the wilderness and used a very bright searchlight to scan the fields and trees. We found a Tapir, a Giant Anteater and a Crab-eating Fox. The Tapir is the size of a large cow and can be dangerous if approached while the Giant Anteater has a long tail that looks like an unfurled flag. The biggest surprise for me, though, was an Arboreal Porcupine that lived high up in the trees. If not for the night outing, I would never have known such a creature existed.
In Australia's rainforest I saw a Tree Kangaroo in the night. It was walking on a branch, with its joey safely ensconced inside the pouch, its tiny feet showing through the pouch entrance.
If you want to go on night outings, you will need one or more high-powered torch lights. Never go alone because of safety reasons and never use a camera flash on birds or animals as it can cause permanent damage to their eyes. Local trees and wooded areas would be a good place to start.
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