BIRDS OF BHIGWAN JANUARY 2013

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.