The Bird of Atlantic
The beauty and colors of the wings of birds got dissolved into my blood. I felt like flying in the sky when I saw the birds. I wish if I could fly- says the famous wildlife photographer David Tipling.
I heard the song of a sparrow for first time from the classroom. Without the attention of teacher I enjoyed the song. I got attracted with the language of sparrow and I started the habit of bird watching. The desire got fulfilled at the Atlantic Ocean. I travelled for long thirty years through the shores of Atlantic in search of different species of birds. Today, I have a lot of collections in my home and the best among them have reached at a number of more than 3 lakhs. David Tipling has shared his experiences.
Atlantic is always atrocious with the roaring waves. Some birds were seen flying swiftly above the waves. I doubted that whether the birds got stuck in the waves but nothing happened. I could see them flying again and I enjoyed the view by holding my breathe.
Norfolk in Britain is his native place. The home was surrounded with the grasslands and thick trees. Whenever I got the time I started to observing birds. When I was nine years old, I was gifted with a picture book of birds by my parents. I owned a camera when I was 13 and after two years I made an album of birds.
Roy Cors was the warden of forest area situated near to my home. He
encouraged me and told me to hide inside a tent made of green grasses. Thus I could capture many pictures. I could wait for the birds in the forest, walk a little, take rest and then finally creep with my camera again. But the case with the Atlantic is different. It is better to travel in boats than in ships. Sometimes the birds can be seen very close at an arm’s length. The widened wings; the fascinating frames will be born at that instant. He started publishing his pictures since 1980. It is a tedious task to capture birds inside the frame. The birds will fade within seconds. Sometimes we could but if not, never regret.
The sea birds reach the shore only for breeding and laying eggs. The lion’s share of their life is inside the ocean. They move along with the waves and their presence will be felt in every ships. The birds will be there even on the nautical flags. Thousands of them will be sitting on the deck. A festive feeling! If the ship is carrying grains, they could also get a chance to feed themselves. A long distance will be travelled like this and will be returned in another ship, to another place.
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