id: 13230205
This Brown Hawk Owl has a special place in my journey as a wildlife photographer.
I first saw this owl two years ago near my friend Sourish’s house, on the beautiful riverside of Kolkata, West Bengal, India. At that time, I didn’t have proper equipment, so I couldn’t photograph it. After that day, the owl disappeared, and I never saw it again.
In the meantime, I told many of my friends who are interested in birds about this mysterious owl.
One month ago, I received a call from my friend Kena, who lives near Purbasthali Bird Sanctuary in Bardhaman district, West Bengal. He told me that a similar owl had been spotted near a river about 10 kilometers from his home.
Without wasting time, I packed my Nikon Z6 and 180–600mm lens and went there to find it.
We searched for 11 days, but there was no sign of the owl.
On the 12th day, when we were about to return home disappointed, we finally spotted it — sitting quietly in a dark part of a wild mango tree on the riverside of Purbasthali.
It wasn’t just me who saw the owl.
The owl saw me too.
Slowly, it moved into a slightly brighter area. I looked through my camera’s viewfinder, and it gave me only 10 seconds to take its photograph. After that, it flew deep into the forest.
It was 7:00 in the morning.
Those 10 seconds were priceless.
As I looked at it, I felt as if the owl was telling me:
“I just finished my meal and was resting. You have disturbed me.
Quickly take a few pictures and leave me alone… or you will be in trouble.”
That brief encounter was magical.
Sometimes, wildlife gives us only a moment — and that moment becomes a lifetime memory.
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