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.
