What Searching for Wildlife Really Looks Like

It isn't as glamorous as people think...

Hey friends,

Greetings from Munnar, India!

I’ve driven down to Munnar, where I spent the entire week in the forest. 7 days in the Western Ghats. Gosh. Rainforests are just incredible. If you’re ever in the region, you must visit Munnar.

I spent my week walking under the trees, looking for birds and frogs to photograph. It has been several months since I last visited, and I can tell that, for my own psychological well-being, I had to return. It’s hard to articulate why. Being in the wild fills me with the intense feeling of BEING PRESENT.

The trees here are MASSIVE. They’re hundreds of feet tall. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this picture. I’m 6′2″, and you can’t even see me properly in the photograph.

The full tree doesn’t even fit in the frame. Even with iPhone’s wide angle lens.

Here are some links I enjoyed this week:

• Someday Is Today: Achieve Your Goals And Live Without Regret - Matthew Dicks: This episode from Ali Abdaal’s Deep Dive podcast was an absolute banger. Matthew Dicks is one of the world’s best storytellers (storytelling is literally is his job!) and in this episode, he walks us through his life and the lessons he’s learnt from it. Recommended.

• The Power of an Entrepreneurial Mindset | Bill Roche | TEDxLangleyED: A friend recently told me that I think like an entrepreneur, and I couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. I LOVE the way entrepreneurs work. Everyone should think like an entrepreneur. This video captures some of that rapture…

• Be an extreme character. | Derek Sivers: “To be a great entertainer, you need to be larger than life.”

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Nature and Wildlife

When I tell people about my passion for wildlife, they often say things like:

“Wow, it must be so exciting! You must find wildlife ALL the time.”

The reality isn’t so glamorous. I spend most of my time alone among the trees, scouring the leaves while my ears stay primed for the slightest rustle or bird call. Most forays into the wild end up being solo walks for hours on end without encountering a single sign of life. 

Wildlife is elusive. They hide exceptionally well. I mean, they’ve spent aeons evolving to escape detection. Obviously, they’re well camouflaged.

Take my search of the Malabar Trogon, for instance. This scarlet bird lives in the rainforests of the Western Ghats. And in spite of roaming this landscape for more than 5 years, I’ve seen this avian only 7 times.

Being skilled helps, though. Finding snakes, for instance, is an art form. Despite my keen fascination for them, I haven’t quite learnt how to do this yet.

I wanted to give a shoutout to my friend Daimler. He is exceptionally skilled in the art of finding wildlife. The little skill I have in finding snakes is thanks to him.

(Check out Daimler’s photography below. It truly is fabulous.)

Daimler

Daimler on Instagram: “A beautiful female Southern Flying Lizard (Draco dussumeiri) basks on a broken Areca nut stump. The best place to observe these lizards are in Areca nut plantations close to rainforests of the Western Ghats. They are active during the day and can be seen gracefully gliding from one tree to another. .
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#lizard #flyinglizard #draco #dracodussumieri #westernghats #reptiles #reptilelover #reptileaddict #herpetology #herpetofauna #herptiles #agumberainforest #biodiversity #wild #wildlife #wildlifephotography #nature #natureinfocus #natgeoindia #sanctuaryasia #sonybbcearth #earthinfocus #niffeature #biosapiens #rgsustain #raw_herpetology #thereptilereportofficial #natgeoyourshot #radiantdiffuser #westernghatsofindia @natgeoindia @naturein_focus @sanctuaryasia @natgeoyourshot @natgeowild @rgsustain @bio_sapiens @sonybbcearth @animalplanetindia @radiantdiffuser”

November 8, 2022

I am still yet to perfect my tracking skills. But if I keep putting in the reps, I will improve.

People also are under the impression that wildlife only pertains to large animals like tigers and elephants. But it is an all-encompassing term. From the largest giraffe to the smallest frog, and everything in between.

Here in Munnar, I find frogs that are as small as my fingernails. And trees that vanish into the skies. Is there any end to the wonders of this world?

Reading

I was reading “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles, but the novel was too slow for me. Maybe I’ll pick it up again later. 

In a blur of inspiration, I decided to take a trip down memory lane and pick up my old Percy Jackson books. Yes, that’s meant for kids. I know. But it is nice to bathe in nostalgia once in a while. And Rick Riordan is one brilliant writer.

To my surprise, I finished the entire “Heroes of Olympus” series (the sequel to Percy Jackson) in 3 days. 

As you can see, I desperately need a new book.

One question I ask any new friend is, “What is that one book you think EVERYONE should read?”

Do you have any recommendations? Comment them below!

Postcard

Man, I love monkeys. Last week, I spent an entire day following around a troop, shooting until my SD card filled up.

This was one of those shots. I watched as this monkey eyed a mosquito that was flying around his face…

Favourite Quote

I do not have my shit together. I’m an improving mess. - Charlie Bleecker

I read this in my friend

Charlie Bleecker

’s newsletter

Transparent Tuesdays

, and I burst out laughing. You can find that issue here.

Transparent Tuesdays

Have a creative, energetic and inspiring week!

If you’re new, welcome to The Owlet! My name is Ishan Shanavas, and I am an Artist, Photographer, Writer and Student of the Natural World.

Here I talk about my work, along with curating the most interesting ideas on the internet. I confine them to topics like Nature, Culture, Photography, and Art but often fall prey to other genres.

I would greatly appreciate it if you shared my newsletter and work with your friends. It really helps me out :)