Wait For Your Tern

Oi, Bank Manager, Where's My Nest Egg?

Photograph copyright: GAUTHAM MANOHAR

These shots were sent to me by Siddharth Khandelwal, a young photographer from New Delhi whom I have never met but whose work I admire. These shots of River Terns were taken, in his words, ``at the bird sanctuary called Ranganatittu which is on the way to Mysore from Bangalore. The River Tern is found along rivers in India, Pakistan and Thailand etc. Its eggs are greenish in colour with brown markings on them.''

His caption for the first picture - taken by his friend, Gautham Manohar - is ``Now, where did I put the car keys'' and if you look carefully at the shot, you'll see why it's so apt. Observe the angle of the bird's head, and where its right foot is.

The second shot (see below) is by Siddharth and it's only when you see the yellow beak and the flash of black, that you realise there is a female Tern in the middle of the frame - as she sits on her eggs.

Photograph copyright: SIDDHARTH KHANDELWAL