For as long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by
birds. As a child I used to sit, for hours on end, to watch birds flitting
across our balcony. I risked being called a loner in my childhood. My favourite
section, when visiting a zoo, was the bird cages, where I marvelled at some of
the exotic birds on display. Ever since, my love for birds has grown
stronger. I have followed this passion
in my life to date. And among all my
favourite birds was the “big pink bird” of my childhood.
So after visiting birding places like Karnala bird
sanctuary, Thol Lake, Nalsarovar, Uda Walawe,Yala, Bundala and National parks in Sri Lanka
and Bhigwan last year, I was once again off to Bhigwan this year as
well. With the gang that included
friends like Makarand Joshi (boss man at Vihang Travels and organizer of our
Sri Lanka trip) Vivek Joshi, Deepak Bartakke,
Saurabh Pant (and his dad), Mandar Kadam our reliable record keeper, Nandini
Borkar (with mom) Achala and Mr. & Mrs. Godbole as well. Evening of our
first day we were joined by Smita & Hanferd Fernando who were (friends from
Sri Lanka trip) but were first timers to Bhigwan. So all in all, a small,
intimate and friendly group - all interested in birding.
The first afternoon
was spent exploring Diksal
village in Bhigwan. We were happy to spot many birds on the first day itself.
Of note were the Pied Kingfisher and purple sun bird. We also saw a variety of
ducks & shovelers. Bhraminy ducks& terns were there, as were cattle and
intermediate egrets. At a far distance (not easily identifiable
even through our binoculars) was a group of Flamingos – but they were observed
more as a dot of pink rather than the birds. At sun set we got to capture a
glorious sun set setting on the waters of the lake. Back at our hotel we had
mixed feelings, we did get to see a variety of birds but photography had not
been really rewarding.
The next day was a day trip to village Kumbhargaon on the
edge of the lake. Here we separated into two groups and I got into a boat and
our boatman (the experienced and very knowledgeable (and recently married) Sandeep) told us that we could see Flamingos.
I was very excited, but hid my excitement as I knew these were shy birds and
would fly away on any human approach. So after what seemed an eternity, we
espied a flock of my favourite birds in the distance. Our boat approached them
first and slowly we inched closer. All of us maintaining pin drop silence we
clicked away to our hearts content. But this serenity was not to last long, as
another boat moved in too close and they
took off. However quick thinking saw me getting my first shots of flamingos in
flight – and what graceful birds they are. It was a huge flock and I could get
a number of pictures one more breathtaking than the other.
Sadly our companion boat was behind us by a bit and hence
they couldn’t share in our excitement & enjoyment. Moving on we were then
treated to painted storks, egrets, gulls and terns all vying for food. The
birds competed for food but otherwise were living harmoniously among
themselves. Too soon we headed back to the shore and back to the hotel for
lunch. That afternoon we were back at
the same spot and Sandeep welcomed us and said that we could see Flamingos again,
along with Demoiselle Cranes (coming to
Bhigwan after a gap of 10 years) and bar headed geese. It sounded too good to
be true. So we held our collective breath and began the boat ride. The first
phase was the usual sighting of grey herons, cormorants, painted storks, etc.
All of us urged our boatman to take us close
to the Flamingo. He promptly turned the boat around and headed to the nearest
spot on the bank of the lake. Docking the boat he gave us strict instructions
to be silent and crawl while approaching the birds otherwise they would fly
away. Now crawling for most of us not easy but we all did manage to get to a
vantage point and spent the best 45 minutes of my life observing these
marvellous birds going about their routine. They looked even more alluring and
beautiful through a pair of powerful binoculars (which Smita lent me for some
time). Wow what stunning beauties they were, each and every one of them. And
with the sun going down they shone pink in all their pristine glory. No human
sounds it was nature at its silent best.
Mingled with the flamingos were bar headed geese who decided to go for a
test flight while we were watching. We got some good shots of the geese flying
away their brown wings glistening in the evening sun. And to the far left of the flamingos (really
far away) we did see a group of Demoiselle Cranes – but they had other plans
for the evening and flew away.
So day two of our trip to Bhigwan was really rewarding from
a both a bird watching as well as photography perspective. And for me it was
even better because both Vivek Joshi & Deepak Bartakke not just encouraged
me in my photographic efforts but gave me valuable tips as well. And valuable
tips in the field make THE difference
between a good picture and a great photo.
How to get to
Bhigwan.
From Mumbai drive down to Pune. From there take the Sholapur
highway (via Hadapsar) and drive to Bhigwan. It is about a 2 hours journey from
Pune.
Stay Options: It
is best to stay in Baramati (about 25 km from Bhigwan). There are a number of
reasonable and comfortable stay options in Baramati – so make that your
headquarters. Some of the hotels are Hotel City Inn, Hotel Shree Abhishek, Neha
Palace, Hotel Surya and Hotel Amardeep. You will need your own transport (I did
not see any black & yellow taxis in Baramati). I have not explored the auto
rickshaw option.
If you want, very basic facilities are available at
Kumbhargaon in Sandeep’s home. The best
time to visit is between the months of November to February. With the onset of
summer the birds migrate from Bhigwan.
So for all you bird lovers here is a spot not to be missed.
So pack your bags and get moving. Carry your camera and a pair of binoculars
and you are sure to have a rewarding experience.
