Bird Photography at Mannat Hills – A Short but Memorable Wildlife Experience 

Mannat Hills, located close to Bhondsi on the outskirts of Gurgaon, offers a surprisingly peaceful environment for bird photography and nature observation. While my visit there was short and somewhat unconventional in purpose, it still turned into a memorable birding experience.

Interestingly, the trip itself was actually planned around a friend’s bachelorette celebration at a farmhouse near the hills. But as someone deeply interested in wildlife photography, I naturally found myself utilizing the quiet early morning hours to explore the surrounding landscape and photograph birds in the area.

Birding Around the Farmhouse Landscape

Because Mannat Hills shares ecological similarities with nearby Bhondsi and the Aravalli landscape, the region supports a fair amount of local bird activity.

We had stayed in a farmhouse surrounded by open vegetation and semi-rural terrain, which created good conditions for spotting ground birds and insectivorous species.

Within and around the farmhouse premises, I observed:

• Bee-eaters

• Lapwings

• Hoopoes

• Other common grassland and scrubland birds

The calm morning atmosphere, combined with minimal disturbance, made the location surprisingly enjoyable for casual bird photography.

A Special Moment – Lapwing Chick Sighting

One of the highlights of the trip was spotting a lapwing chick moving around cautiously in the open area near the farmhouse.

This was particularly memorable because:

• The chick was highly active and alert

• The parents were visibly protective nearby

• I was able to capture both photographs and videos of the interaction

Moments like these are often more rewarding than simply spotting rare species because they reveal natural bird behavior and family interaction in a very authentic way.

Seeing the Hoopoe Again

Another memorable sighting during the trip was the hoopoe.

For me, this bird carried a strong sense of nostalgia because:

• It used to be fairly common during my childhood days

• I rarely encounter it now around Delhi NCR

• Its unique crown feathers and feeding behavior make it visually striking

Seeing a hoopoe again after such a long time felt genuinely special and reminded me how rapidly urbanization has changed the visibility of certain bird species in and around cities.

A Blend of Celebration & Nature

What made this experience unique was the contrast between the social setting of the trip and the quiet natural moments of the morning.

While the primary purpose of the visit was a celebration with friends, the surrounding landscape unexpectedly offered:

• Peaceful birding opportunities

• Open natural spaces

• A chance to reconnect with wildlife photography in a casual setting

It reminded me that meaningful photography experiences do not always require dedicated expeditions—sometimes they happen naturally when you remain observant and connected to your surroundings.

Final Thoughts

My experience at Mannat Hills may have been brief, but it was still deeply enjoyable from a bird photography perspective.

From watching lapwing chicks move through the grasslands to rediscovering the hoopoe after many years, the visit reinforced how even short nature interactions can become memorable when approached with curiosity and patience.

For bird photographers and nature lovers in Delhi NCR, the Mannat Hills–Bhondsi belt continues to offer hidden pockets of biodiversity that are worth slowing down and exploring.