Luck and the quiet magic of Birdwatching.
- Harish Dixit
- May 9
- 2 min read
Harish Dixit
Senior Infrastructure Manager – APAC
Birdwatching has a curious way of blurring the line between preparation and providence.
This truth felt especially real during our monthly bird survey at Sanjay Gandhi National Park on Sunday, 26 April 2026. It was a day that blended effort and chance into one lasting memory.
My group consisted of Hansel, Sunil, Rahul and myself. As we rode the bus from the SGNP gate to Phansacha Paani drop point, someone mentioned that a Heart-spotted Woodpecker had been seen along the trail.
Instantly, the bus came alive with stories of missed chances, fleeting glimpses, and triumphant encounters.
I quietly admitted that I had never managed to photograph this species, despite trying for years. Half in hope and half in jest, I also shared a personal dream of photographing a Rufous Woodpecker perched on a pagoda ant’s nest.
We started the survey at 7:30 in the morning, already aware that the heatwave would test our resolve. The first hour, however, was alive with activity.
Forty five minutes into the walk, luck finally found us. A Heart-spotted Woodpecker perched calmly on a tree, offering generous views and beautiful photographic opportunities.
After countless failed attempts in the past, the feeling was pure joy, the kind that makes every hour spent in the sun feel worthwhile.
Barely fifteen minutes later, the day tipped into the surreal. Two Rufous Woodpeckers came into view, and in a moment that felt almost scripted, one landed squarely on a pagoda ant’s nest.
My dream shot unfolded before my eyes. In that instant, belief in the quiet power of manifestation felt entirely justified.
As we continued, we joked about how bird surveys never seem to gift us a leopard sighting, even though we secretly hope for one.
Laughter helped us push through the intense heat. By the end of the survey, our hard work had paid off.
We spotted four woodpecker species and photographed three of them, the Rufous Woodpecker, the Heart-spotted Woodpecker, and the Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker.
The Black-rumped Flameback remained elusive, reminding us that nature decides what it gives.
Birdwatching and bird photography feel meditative to me. They bring calm, focus, and joy, and they keep giving back.
I am deeply grateful for the forest, for my companions, and for days when luck gently rewards patience. Moments like these are why I return, month after month, believing that something wonderful might appear around the next bend.
@chalatmusafir (HD)
P.S. Other birds we spotted at SGNP:
End of List
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