Pipits Pique My Pursuits

For the past few weeks, all that has been on my mind are pipits. Pipits are elusive ground birds that are so well camouflaged that the common man is bound to have never seen them. However they are quite ubiquitous, especially on grasslands in the wild and grasslands in urban settings – lawns. Photographing pipits is indeed very challenging for these birds are extraordinarily restless. They are like petulant children sans the peevishness. They dart around in small bursts of energy, scuttling around the maidan looking for grubs or just for the sheer pleasure of things. One has to have a very steady hand, able bodied limbs to lie flat on the ground, a resolve to get dirty and a camera that can focus quickly. I do not have a DSLR. Rather, I must say that I do have a DSLR but I prefer to shoot with my multipurpose Nikon B700, which has an astonishing range of up to 1,440 mm. If I were to acquire a lens that could replicate this zoom, I would have to essentially give up all other pleasures in life to be able to afford one. Digressions apart, the disadvantage of the B700 is that it is slow to focus and sometimes struggles to pick a fast moving little tyke like these pipits. Therefore, a combination of luck and anticipating the right moment (and right focus point) when the bird would choose to rest albeit briefly is most essential.

This collage is a result of nearly four or five excursions (if they can be called that) into the fairly large cricket field at the place I work. I certainly enjoyed photographing them and I certainly hope that you enjoy viewing them too!