Not ready to retire yet: elderly couple on the nature trail

It’s an interesting and inspiring tale of a septuagenarian and an octogenarian, both retired college teachers, who are scripting history with their passion for travel and wildlife photography

As lecturers of zoology and botany, respectively, Seetha Khambhampati (72) and Srinivasa Rao Somanchi (82) fired the imagination of hundreds of students with the beauty and complexity of the natural world. Post retirement, they are chasing their passion for nature and wildlife photography, which has taken them to nearly 25 countries so far.

After a three-decade stint as lecturers at CKM College, Warangal, the elderly couple moved to Hyderabad and embarked on their adventure. They have covered the length and breadth of not only India, but also the US, Europe, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Their newfound love is capturing birds in natural habitat. “It is vyasanam (an addiction) that takes us to different places,” says Mr. Srinivasa Rao in a conversation with  The Hindu.

Their travels resulted in a coffee table book titled  Birds Beautiful and a travelogue,  Vishwa Viharam. The travel book was released at a function by Andhra Jyothy editor K. Srinivas, and the one on birds by Fellow of The Royal Photographic Society, UK, Tamma Srinivasa Reddy. The foreword for the travelogue was penned by activist-writer Varavara Rao.

The couple developed an interest in bird watching and photography four years ago. “The new-found interest took us to some of the most happening birding sites in India, not once but multiple times,” Ms. Seetha points out.

“During our visits to birding sites, we could see and capture over 400 birds on camera,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao remarks. Explaining the nuances of bird watching, he says, “Identifying the birds by their sound and spotting them is possible only with the support of an experienced and knowledgeable local guide.” 

He admits that a bird watcher needs to travel extensively to far-off places during different seasons, and that birding demands a lot of patience: “The ultimate challenge is to capture the right moment.”

The smaller the bird, the quicker its movements and getting a glimpse becomes difficult even with binoculars, he says, adding, “Despite being armed with good technical skills, high-end cameras and knowledge of the birds, bird photography can be a challenge even for experts.”