14/06/2026
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Black-winged Stilt with Water Reflection
Tamil Name: நெடுங்கால் உள்ளான்
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I captured this photograph in the wetlands of Navalur, Chennai. A large number of Black-winged Stilts were gathered in the marshy area. I was standing on the bank, roughly 50 to 100 meters away from them. Despite the distance, the moment they spotted me, they became visibly distressed. They began calling out in alarm, flying toward me either individually or in small groups of two or three, as if to warn me away. This behavior continued until I eventually left the area.
I attempted to photograph them as they flew towards me, and after about 20 persistent efforts, this is the only clear shot I managed to capture. I believe they may have been nesting in that area; otherwise, it is unlikely they would have flown so close to me repeatedly. If you look closely at this photograph, the instinctual fear in their eyes is clearly captured—I can truly feel it. Finally, I thanked the birds for allowing me the opportunity to take this one clear shot and vacated the place.
Varun Aditya Sudhir Shivaram Rathika Ramasamy Photography National Geographic National Geographic India Discovery BBC Wildlife Magazine National Geographic Your Shot kumutham Vikatan Magazine Uyir wildlife magazine
