A Gentle Walk Through 2025

This post is less a sprint and more a long road trip, a year stretched out like a highway lined with familiar frames. Each stop holds a memory shaped by early alarms, well known lakes, a few long drives, and plenty of “maybe next time” moments pinned along the way. Some months stood tall and demanded attention, others slipped past almost unnoticed, but all of them left behind small stories of light, weather, patience, and surprise. It is not about ticking boxes at the destination, but about the act of travelling itself, the quiet mornings, the unexpected wins, the missed chances, and the gentle reminder that nature moves strictly at its own pace.

Everything that follows then naturally feels like stopping at each frame along the road and looking closely before moving on again.

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JANUARY unfolded slowly, under soft skies and muted light. Among my favourite sightings were a watchful Asian Openbill, ducks easing into still water, a hovering Black winged Kite, the sudden rush of a Shikra, a busy Coppersmith Barbet, a flash of yellow from an Indian Golden Oriole, and a White throated Kingfisher cutting through the frame, all tied together by quiet mornings and gentle light.

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FEBRUARY brought wide open skies, long drives, and unforgettable encounters far beyond home lakes. Among my favourite sightings were the elegant Bar headed Goose at Hadinaru Kere, flocks of Northern Shoveler moving in unison, and Cotton Pygmy Goose adding grace in flight. Kokkarebellur brought a very different rhythm, with Painted Stork nesting confidently above village life, while a lone Indian Peafowl stood proud against freshly turned earth, rounding off a month that felt bigger, bolder, and full of movement.

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MARCH unfolded in warm tones and wide spaces. Among my favourite moments were elegant Blackbuck moving through dry grass at Jayamangali, an Intermediate Egret wading through liquid gold at dawn, the quiet charm of a Taiga Flycatcher, and silhouettes of ibises lifting into a fiery sunrise. The month also drifted beyond birds, with the calm presence of Mandaragiri Digamber Jain Kshetra, a visit to the Peacock Temple, and a lingering moon framed by bare branches, closing March on a reflective note.

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APRIL unfolded in heat and light, where mornings mattered before the day took over. Among my favourite moments were the precision of a Pied Kingfisher hovering and lifting off cleanly, the sharp gaze of a Shikra tucked into green cover, a calm Indian Spot billed Duck on still water, and a purposeful White breasted Waterhen striding across dry ground. Soft sunrays breaking through clouds and quiet sunrises over familiar lakes stitched these moments together, giving April its own gentle rhythm.

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MAY arrived heavy with heat and high expectations, most of which remained unmet. An unsuccessful trip, quiet lakes, and reluctant birds defined the days, with brief distractions in Hyderabad offering little compensation. A few familiar faces appeared, a few frames were salvaged, but May was mostly a reminder that not every outing rewards the effort, and that too is part of the rhythm.

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JUNE slowed everything down as the first hints of the monsoon softened the landscape and shifted the focus to quieter, closer moments. Among my favourite sightings were Baya Weaver busy stitching their hanging homes, a neat European Red rumped Swallow resting on a wire between sallies, and a watchful Pied Bushchat holding its ground on an exposed perch, a gentle reminder that June rewards patience rather than pursuit.

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JULY leaned deep into the monsoon and pulled my gaze closer, slower, and lower. Among my favourite moments were the rich colours of a Crimson Rose and a Common Jezebel, an Asian green Bee eater caught mid air, and Baya Weaver hard at work stitching their hanging homes. Tiny worlds revealed themselves too, from a jewel bright Bluebottle fly to quiet details easily missed, while a simple frame with Manju under heavy skies became the month’s pause, a reminder that July rewards looking closely and lingering longer.

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AUGUST slowed the pace and widened the frame. Quiet lakes, layered histories, and family time shared the spotlight with birds. From treetops to temple stones, the month felt less about chasing sightings and more about letting places speak.

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SEPTEMBER felt fuller and more layered. New lakes came into focus at Mulluru and Saul Kere, where mornings revolved around waterbirds, family scenes, and small dramas playing out at the surface. Hoskote continued to reveal its secrets, from nesting moments to unexpected skies, while Kailasagiri shifted the pace completely with goats on the ridge, caves carved into silence, and space to just slow down.

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OCTOBER was a month of movement and balance where quiet lakes met long roads and birding shared space with family time, with Varthur and Kannamangala coming alive through black kites, egrets, and grebes while Saul Kere delivered its usual surprises, all of it stitched together by a Bangalore to Kannur road trip that brought sandcastles at Payyambalam, shared smiles at St Angelo Fort, winding lighthouse stairs, and a brush of culture at Neeliyar Bhagavathi Kottam, making the month feel less about chasing moments and more about letting them unfold naturally.

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NOVEMBER felt like the month when everything clicked into place, with mornings unfolding in mist at Avalahalli and quiet lakes at Saul, Hoskote, Harohalli, and Muthanallur slowly filling with colour and drama. From the soft elegance of a Chestnut tailed Starling and the clean lines of a Common Cuckoo to the sudden flashes of gold from a Golden Oriole and deep blue from a Verditer Flycatcher, the month kept rewarding patience. Highlights stacked up quickly, the Himalayan Rubythroat finally showing well, an Indian Roller glowing on its perch, the heft and presence of an Indian Spotted Eagle, and the jewel like Red Avadavats adding life to the edges of the water. The real exclamation point came with the Blue bearded Bee eater, long searched for and perfectly timed, making November a satisfying blend of calm landscapes, long awaited species, and the quiet joy that comes from lakes and birds slowly revealing themselves.

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DECEMBER closed the year on a high, crisp note, with winter visitors and surprises arriving almost on cue. Varthur Lake echoed with cuckoo calls, Kalkere delivered the delight of a phalarope spinning gently on still water, and Hoskote offered its own Christmas gifts in the form of raptors, flycatchers, stonechats, and quiet moments of light and reflection. From black shouldered kites and honey buzzards to red breasted flycatchers, Siberian stonechats, and a neatly posed rubythroat, the month felt generous, unhurried, and quietly celebratory, a fitting finale to a year spent looking up.

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As the year wraps up, what stays with me is not just the highlights or the lifers, but the rhythm of showing up again and again. Quiet lakes, missed chances, sudden rewards, long drives, and shared moments all blended into something steady and grounding. Some days offered drama, others only silence, but together they shaped a year of looking up, slowing down, and letting birds and places reveal themselves in their own time. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy new year, may it be filled with calm mornings, open skies, and many reasons to pause, look up, and smile.