[whitewing]

Thank you so much for the wonderful pictures! This has been on my bucket list, seeing your amazing pictures gives a boost to that desire.

[amrisharm]

Great Travelogue! Amazing photos indeed. Such crisp and clear pictures. I just have a photography related question. What focal length range is ideal for this kind of wild life photography involving birds as well as wild animals? In your opinion would a lens like a 200-500mm be more useful or a 500mm prime?

[Enviroclan]

The beauty and diversity of mangroves captured in your photos is simply awesome. I must appreciate the photographic skills of yours. Thank you turboNath for a meticulously put together and narrated travelogue.

[sach.sri]

Delightful TL.

Truly amazing pictures - Kingfishers are my favorite birds but in my neck of woods we dont have too many types of Kingfishers so it was especially nice to see all these different kinds of Kingfishers.

Infact - this thread has another one of my "aspirational" birds - Osprey. Love its pics but have never had the opportunity to see one.

Kudos. Rating your thread a well deserved 5*


P.S:- Not to forget the Jungle cats! Amazing is the only word.

[SS-Traveller]

Beautiful photographs and insightful write-up. Thanks for sharing.

Missed visiting this rich region all my life, and plans made at least five times over the years have fallen through (including in January-February 2021). Seems Bonbibi doesn't want us to visit soon... ...but your photos have been a superb consolation!

[turboNath]

Originally Posted by whitewing

Thank you so much for the wonderful pictures! This has been on my bucket list, seeing your amazing pictures gives a boost to that desire.

Thanks whitewing ! I will definitely encourage you to plan a trip to Sunderbans real soon. You can aim for a post monsoon/winter trip in 2021. You will love it, I am sure !

Originally Posted by amrisharm

Great Travelogue! Amazing photos indeed. Such crisp and clear pictures. I just have a photography related question. What focal length range is ideal for this kind of wild life photography involving birds as well as wild animals? In your opinion would a lens like a 200-500mm be more useful or a 500mm prime?

Thanks amrisharm ! I primarily use a D7500 paired with a 200-500mm f5.6 Nikon lens and found it to be adequate in terms of reach, autofocus speeds & clarity. If you're mostly going to photograph birds, I will definitely recommend getting a lens that is at least 400mm +. I am not very much well versed with the Canon or Sony lineup and hence will try to explain from a Nikon perspective.

1)200-500mm f5.6 - This scores big in the zoom range because it gives you the flexibility to shoot from 200mm all the way up to 500 mm. And if you have a cropped sensor body, then the extra 1.5x focal length comes in real handy. The weight is also pretty much manageable and it is decently built(although it not water/dust resistant due to the external zoom mechanism).

2)500mm f5.6 pf - This is the better option when compared to the 200-500mm in terms of auto focus speed, accuracy, size & weight. However, you will always be shooting at 500mm compromising on the shorter focal lengths.

3) The big league of the f4s including 500mm f4 and 600mm f4 - These are some of the best optics that money can buy with blazing fast autofocus speeds and crisp image quality. These are also 'pro' lenses with superior dust/water repellant properties for shooting in extreme conditions. However these can be quite tiring to shoot hand-held throughout the day for most of us (although some people manage just fine) and thus having a good quality ball /gimbal head tripod is a must while shooting with these beasts.

For mammals, I will definitely recommend the brilliant 70-200 mm f2.8 lens.

Similar configurations exist both for Sony & Canon, although the mirrorless specific lenses command a huge premium over the traditional lenses.
Hope this helps !

Originally Posted by Enviroclan

The beauty and diversity of mangroves captured in your photos is simply awesome. I must appreciate the photographic skills of yours. Thank you turboNath for a meticulously put together and narrated travelogue.

Thanks a lot Enviroclan for your kind words !

Originally Posted by sach.sri

Delightful TL.

Truly amazing pictures - Kingfishers are my favorite birds but in my neck of woods we dont have too many types of Kingfishers so it was especially nice to see all these different kinds of Kingfishers.

Infact - this thread has another one of my "aspirational" birds - Osprey. Love its pics but have never had the opportunity to see one.

Kudos. Rating your thread a well deserved 5*


P.S:- Not to forget the Jungle cats! Amazing is the only word.

Thanks sach.sri ! yes, Sunderbans is famous for kingfishers. I will be going back during the monsoon to capture the ruddy and the ever elusive Oriental dwarf kingsfisher.
Bhitarkanika in Odisha is another treasure trove for kingfishers.

For us, the Osprey was a surprising find indeed and that too with a catch ! I guess I will never ever get tired of shooting these magnificent birds of prey. The jungle cat made up for the missing big cat

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Beautiful photographs and insightful write-up. Thanks for sharing.

Missed visiting this rich region all my life, and plans made at least five times over the years have fallen through (including in January-February 2021). Seems Bonbibi doesn't want us to visit soon... ...but your photos have been a superb consolation!

Thanks a lot SS-Traveller ! I will definitely recommend you to plan for it real soon. The jungle keeps changing its demeanor throughout the seasons and it is a real treat to the eyes !

[gmhossain]

Originally Posted by turboNath

... Till this day, I have repeatedly gone back to this vast green retreat, amazed by a landscape that gets sculpted twice a day with the flow of ebb and tide.

Thank you turboNath for putting up such a brilliant travelogue. Your words have magic. Please keep writing. I enjoyed reading your other two travelogues equally as well.

I am yet to visit Sundarban delta but it's in my plan to do in near future. From your experience, what location would you suggest for a newbie to visit Sundarban with family? If we take our car then what are the options for the parking before getting on a boat? Thanks.

[turboNath]

Originally Posted by gmhossain

Thank you turboNath for putting up such a brilliant travelogue. Your words have magic. Please keep writing. I enjoyed reading your other two travelogues equally as well.

I am yet to visit Sundarban delta but it's in my plan to do in near future. From your experience, what location would you suggest for a newbie to visit Sundarban with family? If we take our car then what are the options for the parking before getting on a boat? Thanks.

Thanks gmhossain !
You can take the boat ride through the jungle and also stop at the major watch towers- Dobanki, Sajnekhali , Sudhanyakhali & Netidhopani. For starters, 1 night 2 days trip will be good. You can drive all the way upto Gadhkhali in your car. There are multiple parking spaces available near the Ferry Ghat.

[soumiksett]

Superb Superb thread.

Excellent set of photographs, specially the kingfishers and raptors. Excellent narration.

Enjoyed reading a lot. Rated Five Star.

[gadadhar]

Amazing photos with crisp narration. I have heard the wild cats of Suderbans are among the toughest to spot, you got a big treat.

BTW what happens to boats that gets stranded, do they need to wait for next day for the tides?