Flight, camera, action!

A guided walk along the Barvi River holds a treasure trove for birdWatchers and photographers

It was a passion for trekking and a love for looking at the world through the lens of a camera that led Yogesh Chavan down the path of wildlife photography. Now a photographer with his work published in several magazines, Yogesh focuses on teaching fellow shutterbugs about the nitty-gritty of shooting wildlife. Having conducted several tours in Sanjay Gandhi National Park, the photographer wanted to try out a different location. The answer came to him through his own explorations of the woodlands around the city—the Barvi River Dam.

“We wanted to mix things up for out participants, because we’ve been doing weekend photo ops at popular places since 2013. Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a very common destination and I wanted to explore newer avenues. So, I did a recce of the area with the other members at DCP Expeditions and we decided that it’s perfect for a winter tour,” he says, explaining that this is when one gets to see the maximum number of migratory birds around water-bodies like the Barvi River.

“The Rufous Treepie is a very rare species of bird, but here you can see them in abundance. It is also a great place to spot different kinds of kingfishers. It really is just the one of the best places you can go birding around the city,” he gushes. Apart from birds, the area, with the trickling river, the calm expanse of the dam and lush green forests, also make for a great spot for landscape photography. “The area also has a diverse variety of butterflies and insects, which will now be in abundance, especially now that the rains are over,” says Yogesh.

Besides photos of birds shot through telephoto lenses, Yogesh will also be training photographers in macro photography. The participants, though not professional photographers, are usually weekend shutterbugs who take their hobby seriously. “We usually get people who are invested enough in photography to have some gear. They may be doctors or corporate professionals, but they take photography pretty seriously. A telephoto lens is essential for birding after all. But, even for those who don’t have one, DCP does provide a number of lenses on rent,” explains Yogesh. Even if some participants are unable to get their hands on heavy-duty telephoto lenses, there are plenty of photo opportunities for those with regular and macro lenses according to the guide. “We give technical guidance on how to spot a bird or how to approach wildlife, because these are very important factors to keep in mind while doing wildlife photography,” he adds.

With the approach of winter, Yogesh is confident that the participants of this expedition are in for a treat, and is even planning subsequent trips to the Barvi River Dam. “We’ve had to put a lot of requests on hold, as we take only 15 people along at a time. The interest level seems to be higher than usual,” he says.

The tour takes place on November 6, 7.30 am onwards. Meeting point: Hotel Green View bus stop, near Barvi River Dam, Kalyan