Over the last three months, I have been spending as much time as possible in the field across the Mukundara landscape — observing, recording, taking notes, collecting data, and documenting behaviour that often goes unnoticed.
The short promo from my upcoming natural-history film is now live on YouTube.
This film is not just a collection of beautiful wildlife shots. It is slowly becoming a field record of a harsh summer, changing seasons, unusual behaviour, survival, stress, and the fragile rhythm of life in a lesser-known landscape that deserves far more attention.
During this period, I recorded 125+ bird species, including summer migrants and passage migrants, along with several behavioural observations. Some of the key stories I am working on include:
8 different species using Arjuna tree sap to survive the heat, territorial fights and dominance-submission behaviour in monitor lizards, rare bird sightings, Sarus Crane courtship and nesting behaviour, flowering and fruiting at unusual times, and the impact of extreme summer conditions, strong western disturbances, hailstorms, and uncertain monsoon patterns on wildlife and local life.
The film will also carry the presence of local people who have lived with and loved this landscape for generations — people whose lives, like the wildlife around them, are deeply affected by harsh summers, water stress, monsoon uncertainty, and the changing rhythm of the land.
I am currently editing the footage and compiling the larger film, but the last three months of field visits, documentation, heat, travel, equipment handling, data management, and editing have taken a real toll. Things are hectic, but I am trying my best to present Mukundara with the care, honesty, and seriousness it deserves.
Your support here is not just about helping me personally.
It helps with field visits, fuel, equipment maintenance, storage, editing, sound, research, local field coordination, documentation, and continuing to build a meaningful natural-history record of this fragile yet important landscape.
You can support by watching the promo, sharing it with people who care about wildlife and conservation, leaving your thoughts in the comments, or contributing here in whatever way you can.
Every share, every comment, every contribution helps this work reach the right people — researchers, biologists, ecologists, conservationists, filmmakers, and nature lovers who may help Mukundara get the attention it deserves.
Thank you for being part of this journey. 🌿🎥