Ihtisham Kabir

Sometimes when we want something very badly and try hard to get it, it eludes us.

The Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh, Vol. 26, Birds describes the Black Stork thus: “It is a large, glossy black waterbird

Baikka Beel is a large, shallow lake at the southern end of the wetland Hail Haor. It is located midway between Srimongol and Molvi Bazar.

By now many have seen it: the photograph and video of the giant humpback whale as it leaps out of the ocean and flies a short distance before landing on the water, its entire body clearing the water's surface for a second or two.

Winter brings good tidings for birdwatchers in Bangladesh. The pleasant weather gives us an incentive to explore the woods, fields and waterways. It is easier to find birds because the avian population swells due to the arrival of migrant birds.

Cairo, the capital of Egypt, has 20 million people spread over 600 square miles. Founded over a thousand years ago during the Fatimid dynasty, it is historically rich and strategically important. But for me Cairo is also the home of the grand storyteller Naguib Mahfouz who deftly weaved tales of this intricate city in his Cairo Trilogy.

Australia, the only country which is also a continent, is very special for bird enthusiasts. There are 969 bird species found there, but what's special is that 353 are endemic species, that is, they are found nowhere else but in Australia. In comparison, nearly 700 species of birds are seen in Bangladesh, but none are endemic.

Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary is 133 kilometres north-east of Dhaka in Chunarughat Upazila of Habiganj district. Driving from Dhaka can take four to five hours. The last few kilometres are rough going, negotiated preferably during the dry winter months.

When my son was growing up, he joined the Scouts and I volunteered as a parent, serving as Scoutmaster for Boy Scouts of America. It was a good experience for both of us. He went on to attain Eagle Scout rank and I learned about outdoor preparedness and safety.

For me, the forests and haors of Sylhet and the mangroves of Sundarban have been the two major attractions of Bangladesh, enough to occupy my imagination. Recently, when my friend Shumon invited me to accompany him and two other photographers - Adnan and Naser - on a trip to Bandarban, I hemmed and hawed for days and almost declined, even though I have not visited the Chittagong Hill Tracts in my adult life. In the end, though, I decided to join the trip.

The Great Barrier Reef lies several kilometres off the coast of Queensland, Australia on the Coral Sea. It is the world's largest single structure of living organisms and the only life form visible from outer space.

In recent years, chars of the Padma river in Rajshahi have become popular for birding particularly during winter. They have been in my wish list but my plans never materialized for one reason or another. So I was delighted when an opportunity came along to spend a day birding the Padma.

Winter beckons and migratory birds have started arriving. When we see one, questions naturally come to mind: Where did it come from? Where will it return to? These questions are not restricted to migrant birds: we often want to know the movement of birds which reside here year-round.

Queensland - one of Australia's six states – covers the northeastern portion of the island continent. For almost three hundred miles along the state's northeast coast stretches a rainforest called Queensland Wet Tropics. The forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its rich biodiversity. For example, the Wet Tropics takes up only 0.2% of Australia's land but is home to 40% of her bird species.

Late one afternoon last September I arrived at the two-story building on top of a hill in Khadim Nagar, Sylhet for what was to be my last meeting with Zahin Bhai. He met me upstairs outside his office, looking the same as always: diminutive, with a short, well-trimmed beard and thick spectacles, appearing more like boy than a man.

It was late afternoon when we reached the nature reserve in Yungaburra, a small Australian town in north Queensland.

The Hyacinth Macaw has to be seen to be believed. The world's largest parrot, with big mischievous eyes, is coloured deep blue with splashes of yellow. It is an endangered species and one of the 1900-odd types of birds found in Brazil.

I have been here in Hail Haor, Molvi Bazar, since early afternoon. The hot sun bears down on this cloudless and breezeless day. The muddy road is cracked and parched. It is the wrong time of year to look for birds, for I see only drongos, shaliks, pond herons, egrets and a few kites overhead. The more interesting and colourful birds are not here. They are en route on their long flight from northern lands and will arrive in two more months.

The Crocodilia order of reptiles comprises of two dozen species, including the Nile crocodile of Egypt, the alligators of Florida, the estuarine crocodile of Sundarban and the increasingly rare gharial of our rivers. Members of Crocodilia have several common features.

When we think of migrant birds, we automatically think of winter migrants. That's when numerous birds of dozens of species migrate from colder countries to our land for warmth. They stay here for the winter, fatten up for their return trip, and leave late winter or early spring. They normally do not breed here.