Red Junglefowl
Nikkor 200-500 VR/TC 14 III @700mm, f8, ISO 320, Nikon D750
Though this may seem like a scene from the Haresfield farm, it is, in fact, a sub-tropical jungle on a slightly elevated ground in the middle of Thailand’s NP. It is the region where the familiar red junglefowl lives in the wild and how you see it in the jungle if you are lucky. It may not be as noble as some other ground-dwelling Gallinaceous birds, but the male is a striking appearance in the forest. I tried to improve the shot; there’s one with the head nicely in view but with the wrong motion blur. In the end, I like how this expression comes out as it matches the experience. And I tried hard after I dived into the undergrowth from a clearing we were in. My Capra boots, retired last Autumn (2020), were actually very good for this, I don’t call them forest boots for nothing. And, I am used to doing this ever since I was a kid. Using hands, about a dozen barely detectable steps took me more inside, where I froze still and waited, watching and listening intensely. Not a slightest hint after quite a wait though. I went further around in a semicircle, made slight rustling noise and waited. Again, absolutely nothing. In the distance or close, no sound, glimpse of the bird or movement. It didn’t pass through the clearing where Zlatka was standing. It was as if it evaporated into the air. The encounter reminded us how a bit of experience changes perceptions. We were then looking at the humble eggs with a new, sort of satisfying respect.
Thailand
