Flying over Everest...Bar-headed Geese
I always go to new places to capture birds. Places are normally close to riverside or dam where birds stay for particular period. Especially winter season is best to have migrated birds on such locations. Last winter I went to Vir dam near Pune by 40-45kms. While approaching dam area, saw flock of birds walking on grass and searching for food. I was far from them around 200 feet and started slowly to capture them. But I was unfortunate, as they realized that someone is following them, they started moving away... And suddenly they were out of my range. Still hoped and stood there for almost an hour. Now they started allowing me to come closer to them and then I captured their movements closely. While capturing them, I realized that they were very powerful. Their walk was also very impressive. They were around 50 or more, and were always in a group. I was amazed to see their strong big wings which were very powerful.
Now it was easy for me to capture their various poses as we all were comfortable. At one moment I was taking photograph within 10 meters of range, and was very happy to experience their behavior.
Then I searched information on this bird and found researchers from Bangor University tracked these birds by attaching measurement devices and found some interesting facts. Data says their flight pattern is like "roller coaster", they are capable of flying continuously for 1000 miles in a day.
Every spring flocks of bar-headed geese fly from India through the Himalayan range, above Mount Everest, on their way to their nesting grounds in Tibet
Bar-headed Geese flies over the top of Mount Everest - the peak is approximately 29,000ft at extreme altitude, where there is less than 10% the oxygen found at sea level.
These geese have a special type of hemoglobin that absorbs oxygen quicker than other birds; they can also extract more oxygen from each breathe than other birds can
They are capable of flying through the passes of the highest mountains at heights of 12,000-14,000 feet with winds that blow at speeds of more than 200 mph and temperatures low enough to freeze exposed flesh instantly
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