As part of a regular series that shines a spotlight on inspirational birders, the Happy Beaks team was delighted to catch up with Rudraksha Chodankar, also known as @rudy_whistlingtrails. He explained how a holiday to India’s Western Ghats kickstarted his passion for birding, leading to a lifelong hobby that has taken him around the globe in search of new species.
How did you first get interested in bird watching?
Like many, I have a full time job in IT and bird watching is a hobby that I love to immerse myself in every weekend (given a chance, I’d do it every day!) My interest in bird watching all began in May 2014, when my wife (Shraddha) & I planned a road trip with a couple of friends to a place called Masinagudi on the eastern slopes of Western Ghats. For us, it was nothing but a holiday break in the quaint place nestled into nature. Birding struck us when we decided to join our friends for an early morning walk with a local guide, and we were just blown away by the variety of avian species the guide showed us.
I still remember the first bird I saw was the beautiful Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher. I just had a Sony point & shoot camera (thankfully with a 50X zoom), which allowed me to make some decent images. We got so interested that as soon as we got back home, we bought a field guide and headed to a place nearby for birdwatching. Since then there has been no looking back, birding happens almost every weekend.
What’s your favourite bird?
I have quite a few favourite birds, especially considering that I have been privileged to be able to visit different countries. They include the Indian Courser, Flame-throated Bulbul, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Northern Wheatear, Peregrine Falcon and Red-headed Woodpecker.
What are your top tips for successful birding?
I’ve found that early mornings work best for me, as that’s the time birds seem to be most active – singing, looking for food, migrating and so on. My go-to equipment is a pair of binoculars and a camera with at-least a 400mm lens.
How has birdwatching changed your life?
There’s something special about the feeling of getting completely lost in something you dearly love to do. Be it just walking around and counting the number of species you see, or the anticipation of a rare bird you have dreamt about for a while, or even observing birds and their antics from close quarters.
I enjoy birding in all the different habitats, as everything has something unique to offer. The UK introduced me to ‘patch birding’ which I thoroughly enjoy.
A new member of our ‘Featured Bird Watcher’ series, follow @rudy_whistlingtrails for beautiful bird photography and glimpses into his wildlife adventures in Goa. If you’ve been inspired to try birdwatching at home, check out our guide to attracting birds to your garden with specialist seed mixes and feeders.
Lead Image courtesy of Rudraksha Chodankar
 turned a trip to India’s Western Ghats into a global birding passion.){kind=link}