Anantagiri forest in Vikarabad, Telangana is the home for 280 bird species(both resident and migratory) till now. When it comes to photographing birds here, it’s challenging and yet it’s most rewarding when you understand light and bird behavior.
Light is everything in photography for creating good images. There are different types of natural light. Images are captured using front, back, side, spot and flat lighting. Each lighting type is self explanatory. For example If the light source is coming in front of a subject, then it’s called Front Light.
Here the light is always low and birds spend their time in the canopy. Light reaches the late in the forest valley. By the time the morning light reaches the bottom of the forest, it may be harsh. When the light is harsh, the leaves catching sunlight turn into bright spots, branches cast ugly shadows on your subject. But at the same time this place gives you opportunities to try different types of lighting.
Mottled Wood Owl captured under thick forest canopy
For people who don’t know Anantagiri forest, it’s 80 km from Hyderabad city and 7 km from Vikarabad. It’s a small and dense forest patch which you can reach by climbing down steps of Ananta padmanabha temple. Permission from DFO of Vikarabad is needed to enter into this forest.
Birders and photographers who want to visit Anantagiri forest, need to park their vehicles at the temple entrance and walk down the steps to reach the forest. Once you reach the forest, there are paths to walk in the forest and also a path to go to a grassland patch.
Anantagiri is the home for Owls, Nightjars, Flycatchers, Warblers and Thrushes. For the complete list of species documented here, check below link:
