The forest hides as much as it reveals. Some lives choose not to be seen — they wear the colours of bark, stone, grass, or dust. What looks empty is often alive, if only you ask the right question.
Leopard
Did you see it first, or did it see you — the forest itself breathing stripes? Location: Bera Plateau, Rajasthan
Nightjar
Is this just a patch of earth, or a heartbeat holding its breath? Location: Some tree in Tadoda Forest
Syke’s Nightjar
What does stillness look like when it decides to wear feathers? Location: Little Ran of Kutch, Westesrn India
Rock Bush Quail
How many stones have legs if you look long enough? Location: Bhigwan Lake,
Sandgrouse
Is the desert empty, or is it carrying water on its wings? Location: Semi-arid plains, Rajasthan
Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse
What vanished — the bird, or your attention? Location: LRK, Gujarat deserts
Barred Buttonquail
What stirs in the grass when even silence pretends to be still? Location: Central India scrublands
Barred Buttonquail (second sighting)
Is it the wind that rustles, or a secret choosing not to be found? Location: Grasslands, Maharashtra
Tawny Lark
Whose song rises when no bird seems to? Location: Arid plains of LRK, Gujarat
Bar-tailed Treecreeper
When bark itself begins to move, do you still trust your eyes? Location: Himalayan forests, Uttrakhand