Catching up with the winged beauties at Bhigwan..

Though we had visited Sewri in Mumbai for Flamingo watch, we missed the visit to Bhandup pumping station, where agencies offer boat ride through the lakes to get the better view of winged beauties. I had come across many of my friend's photographs which had been clicked on boat ride, and they couldn't be missed. Bhigwan in Pune Sholapur border also attracts Flamingos and immigrant birds from Dec to almost May. So when we planned our visit to Padharpur in Feb, we thought of connecting Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary. Its an hours drive from Dahigaon to reach Pune-Sholapur Highway and another 25km till you reach Kumbhargaon Flamingo Point. There are many agencies in Kumbhargaon who offer the bird watch service, we had booked with Agneepankh Flamingo Point. We had been coordinating with Mr. Sandeep Nagare, the owner of Agneepankh for the visit. But the phone network was really bad towards the end, however the localites easily guide you. Mr. Sandeep Nagare, owns a house there and offers home-stay option. There is enough parking near his house, and a member of Agneepankh took us to the lake. The boat ride is around 20 mins(to reach the bird), they take you to the deeper waters with motor boats and then row as you near the birds. The number of birds when we visited was really low, when compared to those we had seen in Sewri, and didn't spot a single Flamingo. Even the mangroves of Kalwa and Bhandup in Mumbai offer you with Flamingos during the season. We were really disappointed, but the only good thing was we were able to view them from near. 

Herons

Seagulls

Storks and Gulls

Herons and a stork

A stork in flight

Just go with least expectation and you will be happy to find even few. Happy Birdwatching... 

Bhigwan is 115km from Pune on Pune -Sholapur road. The drive from Bhigwan village to Kumbhargaon is another 15km. 

Bird Watching at Bana!!!

On every drive of ours from Hassan to Mysore, we drop by Bana  or Vana(meaning forest in Kannada) as called by the locals is a wild stretch near Mosale Hosahalli. Every visit of ours gets me to click lots of birds and wild. On one of our recent trip, as we reached the place there was a local woman, she told us to show peacocks but didn't encounter with even one, but got to click some wonderful wild clicks.

Black headed Ibis

Pond Heron

Wood pecker

Moorhen

They looked like Greater Cormorant, not sure though

This Spider web was as big as 2-3 feet.

There were lot of Mushrooms spread over the ground.

It was a day trip to Mysore and on our way back we visited Bana again looking for peacocks. Missed clicking a better view, this was the best I could click. They wander around in the fields and are often chased by the villagers.

A pond Heron which was quite close by and didn't bother our presence

Waterhen

If you are a bird enthusiast and planning a road trip in and around Hassan, do visit this place if time permits, its worth a visit.

Birds and Wildlife of Kutch!!!

Kutch is well known for its wild life and immigrant birds. Our first encounter with the wild in Kutch was a jackal while driving back from White Rann at the night, though I couldn't click it. Its said that Kalo Dungar is the only place where you can find jackals feeding on vegetarian food. People from Kalo Dungar and around feed jackals before having their meal.

Though the immigrant Flamingos attracts most of the tourists to Little Rann for bird watching, every lake and river in Kutch can give you a glimpse of these winged beauties. The Hamirsar lake in Bhuj and Rukmavati river in Mandvi are places where you can find Flamingos and other immigrant birds.

The Sharad Baug garden, being very close to Hamirsar lake, too attracts birds, we found so many bats hanging down the trees at sharad Baug

We found these white browed bushchat or Stoliczka's bushchat at Toran resort on the way to Kalo Dungar and the other at the Kalo Dungar hills, they look very much like sparrows and are of same size,

The dense forest surrounding Vijay Vilas palace too offer you with bird watching and wild life, we encountered with a jackal, few wild asses and few peafowls.

How I wish I had better lenses to capture them better.  

Finally I wind up my posts from our weekend trip to Kutch, Gujarat. Do have a look at the complete tour here.

Bana, a wild stretch amidst civilization!!

As my dad was stuck with some urgent work, one of my cousins took me, my mom and my daughter to the tour of Hoysala temples. Just when we were heading back to Hassan after Mosale, he told us about this place Bana, which is a small wild stretch, which has lots of peacocks. My daughter, after hearing peacocks wanted to visit. 

An anthill on our way

Bana/vana(forest in kannada), not sure if this is the actual name of the place or its just called bana, pointing the forest. On Hassan - Mysore road, just as you reach Mosale Hosahalli village, take a left turn, which crosses the railway track. After crossing the railway track take the first right. Drive through, ask for direction with local, as there is no driving direction anywhere. You cross two or three villages, then there is a board to take a right turn(to a temple, which is in that wild region). After driving half a kilometer, you enter the wild and hear peacock's calls, which is just a surprise stretch of wild, amidst the civilization. 

 

Just as we passed a small water channel, we found a peacock at a very long distance.

As you drive through, there is a temple, am not sure about the temple, as there was no board and there was nobody to even open the temple doors, but we found lot of peacock feathers out there. We were told by the locals that there are more than 500 peacocks around that area. 

 

While driving back, again we were stopped by peacock's call, we could make out it was somewhere very close, but by the time we could spot it, it escaped and this was the best I could click.

 We spotted this beautiful bird too, I couldn't find its identity(updated: its a dove), and lot of beehives.

Bana is around 19km from Hassan. You can reach Mosale hosahalli by any KSRTC bus playing between Hassan and Mysore. From Mosale Hosahalli, Bana is around 5km, for which you can take an auto from Hosahalli. 

You can easily combine the visit to this place, along with the visit to Mosale, Nageshwara Temple.

"Flamingo and Wader Watch" at Sewri, with Sanctuary Asia

I was introduced to Sanctuary Asia last year at Aircel initiated blogger's meet. Bittu Sahgal, the founding editor of Sanctuary Asia was one of the panelists at "Tiger as a Metaphor for all of Nature" meet. Bittu Sahgal is an environmental activist who has been working on conservation of wildlife and protection of the country from the worst impacts of climate change. Sanctuary Asia had organised "Flamingo and Wader watch" on 27th Feb at Sewri jetty. So it was just not a bird watch event, but to create awareness on conservation of these magnificant creature.

As 27th was a holiday, thought of not missing this opportunity as I had heard, it was always preferred to visit Sewri in groups. As per the tide timings the best time for the watch was 7 to 8:30am and to reach at 7, had to leave home by 6am. Kiddo very much eager to watch Flamingos, woke up on time and there we were at Sewri jetty by 7am, with other birdwatchers. The best part of the event was, they had arranged spotting scopes and binaculors for watching the magnificant birds. Mentor Dr. Parvish Pandya introduced us to Flamingos and their migration to Mumbai's coastline for breeding.



Of the world's five species of flamingos two occur in Indian subcontinent, the greater flamingos and the lesser flamingos. The greater flamingos are said to be the tallest of all the species with an average of 4 feet. The lesser flamingos compensate for their shorter stature by richness of their colour. The largest population of these species nest and breed at the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujrat. About 12-15 percent of the entire South Asian population of the lesser Flamingos is said to immigrate to Sewri, others have to travel all the way to Africa's Lake Nakuru. Its also said relatively lesser inhibit Thanjavur Dist in Tamil Nadu, Chilka in Orissa and Samhar Lake in Rajasthan. Soda lakes, salt lagoons and tidal mudflats form the habitats of flamingos, for the crustaceans, worms and blue green algae which they feed on. The pink colour of the flamingo is due to the pink pigment found in algae.
The birds were very far and could be only viewed with spotting scope, below were few pics I was able to click with my cam.

 

Sewri's birds will be one of the first victims of climate change in Mumbai, as rising seas claim the mudflats they inhabit. Pollution and unmanaged toxic waste already pose a grave threat to their survival. The Sewri Nhava Sheva sea link is planned straight through this precious natural bay and will devastate the mangroves, the mudflats, the birdlife and other species in this area. So if this project is implimented, Mumbai will be losing these creature.

Bird Watch - Common Mynah

Yet another common bird from my backyard, which even my daughter recognizes is a Common Mynah. Much Smaller than a pigeon, this is a familiar well groomed dark brown bird with a black head, bright yellow legs and bill. It has a patch of bare yellow skin round the eyes. The large white patch in the wings in conspicuous in flight.  

It is omnivorous found in open and light wooded areas.

Happy Birdwatching...

Linked to The Bird D'Pot, Camera Critters.

Bird Watch - Sun Birds

Spring has bloomed lots of flowers in a tamarind tree just next to my window.. Which attracts lots of sunbirds. My 4yr old daughter comes to me and whispers, "mumma come with your cam, there are birds out there on the window". But by the time i try to click, they are gone.. Finally caught them, here are the pics,

One of them trying to get in 

Up on the tree

This is smaller than a sparrow in size. The female has greyish white chin and throat, paler yellow underparts. The head, upper parts and breast of the male are mostly metallic green, crimson and purple with a metallic bluish purple rump. The lower parts are bright yellow. It is mostly a bird of gardens and wooded areas.

Linked to Camera Critters, The Bird D'Pot.

Bird Watch - White Throated Kingfisher

Am back from vacation and find my garden turned into a sanctuary with the arrival of spring. Look who visited my garden....A White Throated Kingfisher, i am finding this pair almost everyday since last three days....

This bird is about the size of myna, brilliant turquoise blue above, with deep chocolate brown head neck and under parts. A conspicuous white shirt front and long, heavy, pointed red beak confirm its identity. A large white patch on the black wings shows up in flight. It can be seen far away from water as it depends most on small landlubbing prey.

Linked to Camera Critters, The Bird D'Pot, Tones On Tuesday

Bird Watch

Due to the expanding civilization, many water bodies are been dried out. Down the lane a few miles from my house in Hassan is a dried lake. A ring road has been constructed dividing the lake into two. One part of the lake is completely dried out while the other still survives with very little water. The birds which used to take room still continue, the number has decreased drastically though. Here are pics of few of them.

First to find were a group of Egrets

Then was a lonely Pond Heron

And a Greater Coucal

And few small birds found near my house.

A Pale Billed Flower pecker 

Magpie Robin

Common Myna

Linked to Camera Critters, The Bird D'Pot