Birds of Bharatpur

Breathtaking photo via National Geographic Photo of the Day

"The Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India, is approximately 11 square miles" says Your Shot contributor Sreekumar Krishnan. "It sees the migratory bird influx in late September, and by the time summer hits the area, you'll see considerably fewer birds there."

Krishnan describes the sanctuary as magical, mystical, and magnificently maintained. "Little lakes are created and there are walkways in between," he says. "Generally one walks around the lakes but having seen this huge flock of nearly a hundred birds, my feet carried me on a walkway to the center of the lake to be with them. I was particularly attracted to the glossy ibis among all the white cranes and egrets. I crouched in the slush, trying hard not to slip, and edged closer and closer. It took close to 20 minutes to get the shot I wanted, and the dreamy air of the sanctuary and its mystical birds contributed largely to this shot.