Freezing birds in flight

BLURB: Dhofar Governorate is most reliable and ideal spot for bird watchers and photographers considering the variety and diversity it offers. The famous Khareef season attracts diverse migrant birds from all over the world. The lagoons, water springs, wadis and wooded areas offer enterprising shutterbugs good shots from Mother Nature

QUOTE: “It was not an easy task for Marsh Harrier, the raptor; considering the size of its catch. The Harrier bird was being chased by the stronger Greater Spotted Eagle identified as a ‘potential burglar.’ Finally, the Marsh Harrier managed to save its catch by hiding it on a wild bush.”

Liju Cherian

@lijucherianoman

December 25, 2020, Friday, was a Christmas morning in Salalah.

Nature photographers who were looking forward to freezing migratory birds on their camera were unlucky to capture breath-taking sights. Bereft of any exciting moment they decided to venture towards East Khawr, near Dahariz beach, with its water feature.

Suganthan Pathmanathan is a bird photographer who focuses on capturing moments of migrating birds of prey at wetlands of Salalah.

Sitting in the back seat of his car, he found a female Western Marsh Harrier also known as Eurasian Marsh Harrier, which was flying leisurely around the beachside.

At first he was utterly confused why the Marsh Harrier was gliding like an Osprey against the water surface. Suganthan was certain the fish is within Marsh Harrier’s broad diet list; however, they mostly prefer little birds, sea birds, mice, reptiles and frogs than small fishes.

He was curious therefore to discover what the bird was scheming. Finally, the aimful shutterbug that Suganthan is, witnessed his moment of awe as the Harrier or the bird of prey hoovered with a big fish on its strong talons.

Explains Suganthan: “It was not an easy task for Marsh Harrier, the raptor; considering the size of its catch. The Harrier bird was being chased by the stronger Greater Spotted Eagle identified as a ‘potential burglar.’ Finally, the Marsh Harrier managed to save its catch by hiding it on a wild bush.”

This fleeting moment was a rare sight for the photographer.

Suganthan visited the same location on another day and was in for a pleasant surprise. He found a mighty Golden Eagle, which is now an uncommon sight in the Sultanate. The powerful Golden Eagle was about to wrap its meal along with three different Greater Spotted Eagles.

That particular day being a windy day in Salalah which could probably be the main reason for a rare sight to fly down the Golden Eagle possibly from the middle of the desert.

He has caught numerous birds on his camera namely Diederik Cuckoo, Greater Spotted Eagle, European Roller, Palestine Sunbird, Abyssinian White-Eye, African Paradise Flycatcher, Spotted Thick-knee, Grey Heron, Common Kestrel, Little Owl and Honey Buzzard, in Salalah.

Dhofar Governorate is the most reliable and ideal spot for bird watchers and photographers considering the variety and diversity it offers. The famous Khareef season attracts diverse migrant birds from all over the world. The lagoons, water springs, wadis and wooded areas offer enterprising shutterbugs good shots from Mother Nature.

A professional quantity surveyor who moved to Salalah from Muscat in 2019, he developed his skills in wildlife photography during his short tenure in Dhofar Governorate. His broader list of encountered birds includes various eagles, falcons, ducks, rollers, starlings, owls, Arabian Red Fox and others.

During weekends and work day offs, this expatriate from Sri Lanka visits Ayn Razat, Ayn Sahnawt, Ayn Hamran, Ayn Aththum, Wadi Darbat, East Khawr, West Khawr and Khawr Taqah for photographing birds and other winged creatures.

He started with Canon gears and recently moved into Sony’s mirrorless camera system and now owns a Sony Alpha 7 III coupled with a Sony 200-600 mm lens. Suganthan believes the only way out from hectic lifestyle is to start witnessing and blending with Mother Nature and record those priceless moments through the lens. His Instagram handle @sugan_path