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Pune’s Bird Paradise - Bhigwan, Diksal bird watching in March 2015

tháng 3 16, 2015 Bhigwan, bird watching, bird watching at Bhigwan, Bird watching at pune, Pune birds, wetland birds No comments

I visit Bhigwan at least once a year for bird watching and this year was not an exception for my activity. I and Renuka decided to visit this place on 22 Jan 2014 and our friend Bhavita Toliya accompanied us. To avoid crowd we decided to visit on weekdays. Plan was to spend 4-5 hours in Bhigwan (main location is known as Diksal village) and come back home by late afternoon.

Greater Flamingo

About Bhigwan Bird sanctuary:
Bhigwan, a catchment area of Ujani Dam, is about 105 km from Pune on the Pune-Solapur highway (NH 9). An area of about 18000 hectares has been proposed as a sanctuary for migratory birds. It is an amazing place to see wet land migratory birds like Bar-Headed Goose, Greater Flamingo, Ruddy Shelduck, many spices of ducks and many more birds.

To reach at Diksal village (near Bhigwan), easy way is Pune – Hadapsar – Join Solapur highway – Drive your vehicle 100km from Pune on Highway – Do not use Bhigwan flyover – Take left at Bhigwan square on highway – Drive 3 to 3.5km – Take right for sanctuary. How to identify correct right turn is; you can spot water tank tower (yellow colored) on that T junction at left hand side of road. Otherwise ask local villagers about Diksal / “where can we see Rohit bird (Marathi name of Greater Flamingo bird)?”

You can spend half day or full day along with your camera and binocular. More than 60 bird’s species can be found in this backwater.

16th March 2015: Bhigwan Bird sanctuary (Total distance travel by car: 230km):
As we had to cover around 105-110 km we decided to leave Pune by 3.30 AM and we managed to leave on time. Soon we touched Solapur highway. Road condition of highway was excellent. Due to wide and smooth road, we were able to reach Bhigwan in less than 2 hours. We told our boatman friend to arrange some breakfast. We all were excited to see migratory birds.

Greater Flamingo

Grey Heron

Small pratincole

When we reached the village at around 5.30 AM, I was surprise by looking at back water. Water level was drastically reduced from last 1.5 month. All birds went far inside for food and will only able to see it after 30 min ride. We were ready and in few min we were on boat for birds. Since it was an odd day, we were the only bird watchers in the catchment area. Soon we spotted a group of Flamingoes. We set our cameras and kept pin drop silence. Slowly Bharat took us close to birds.

After spending a lot of time with greater flamingo, we left that place to spot other birds. Besides Flamingo, we spotted Woolly Necked Stork, Coot, ibis, painted stork, bar headed gooses, Ruddy Shelduck (aka Brahmini Duck), Northern Shoveler, Garganey Duck, Comb Duck and many more.

Greater Flamingo

For more details on Bhigwan Blog, Check below link
Pune’s Bird Paradise - Bhigwan, Diksal bird watching in 2015
Bird Paradise - Bhigwan, Diksal bird watching trip 2014
Diksal-Bhigwan Bird watching trip

Below are snaps taken during my March 2015 visit to Bhigwan

Small pratincole

Greater Flamingo

Spoonbill

Greater Flamingo

Seagull

Brown-headed gull

Bar headed goose

Large egret

Only greater flamingo

Greater flamingo Flight

Expenses:

Car Petrol: INR 1500/- (Avg INR 67/Lit, Total distance cover by car was 230km)
Toll on NH-09: INR 30/- (Return toll)
Toll 2 on NH-09: INR 50/- (Return Toll)
Boat ride: INR 1200/- for boat (Normal chargers are INR 1200-1600/- per boat)

Contact number:

Bharat (Boatman from Diksal): 9766292989.

I will try to upload more and more travel blogs. Thanks for reading this Travel Blog.

Pritesh Kulkarni

Pune

Pashan Lake bird watching 2015, Pune

tháng 1 31, 2015 bird watching, Bird watching at pune, Pashan, Pashan Lake, Pune birds, wetland birds No comments

The winter season is delight for bird watchers. I love to do bird watching and bird photography hence doesn’t want to miss an opportunity with my Camera. There are many places around Pune where you can see migratory birds. I visit Pashan Lake once in week. You can spend plenty of time by just watching birds and their activity.

Orange headed Thrush

About Pashan Lake:
Pashan lake is artificial Lake near Pashan area. The lake was built in 1990s to supply drinking water. Pashan lake has a total catchment area of 40 square kilometers (15 sq. mi). Now water quality deteriorated due to quantity of sewage water and other effluents mixing in the water. This Lake area and surrounding area attracts migratory birds and so is popular spot for bird watchers from Pune.There is narrow footpath Nature trail along Lake. Nature trail is best place for Bird watching and to capture photo.

To reach Pashan Lake, join Paud road (by flyover from Dashapuja Ganesh temple) from Pune city – Paud road – chandani chuwk – Do not join on national highway – From Chandani chuwk take right (which goes towards Pashan area) –Pashan Road – Drive till Pashan circle – Take left on circle – Do not take right turn towards Pashan-Sus Road –Keep looking for an old arch on left – Take left there – Drive around 1 km and park your vehicle to explore area.

For footpath nature trail, if you are facing to Lake then keep walking on left side – You will find narrow footpath which goes inside forest – Keep walking and explore other trails on right side which take you close to water body. Please mind you steps as some part of land close to lake is quite middy or covered by water plants.

Dec 2014 to Feb 2015: Kothrud to Pashan Lake (Distance is approx. 9-10 km)
I’m regular visitor for Pashan Lake for bird watching in every winter. It is just as paradise place for bird watchers and that to so close to the city area. Every time, my intention was a bird watching but from this year I started bird photography with my new camera. You can catch me there on sat evening or in the morning. There is a small island in-between Lake which is home for most of the wet land bird. It’s better to carry binocular.

I don't know what to write more on Pashan Lake so I will post list of birds which you can see in Pashan Lake.

Red wattled Lapwing	Purple Moorhen	Mahratta Woodpecker
White breasted Kingfisher	Drongo	Brahmin Duck
Ashy Wren warbler	Indian Pipit	Glossy IBIS
Red-rumped swallow	Common Coot	Common Pochard
Asian Paradise Flycatcher	Jungle Babbler	Green Bee-eater
Spot-bill Duck	Little Cormorant	Laughing Doves
Purple Sunbird	Cotton Teal	Forest Wagtail
Pheasant tailed Jacana	Pied Kingfisher	Grey Wagtail
Indian Whiskered Tern	Shoveller Duck	Yellow Wagtail
House Crow	Large pied Wagtail	Painted stork
Jungle Crow	Pied Bushchat	Open billed Stork
Small Blue Kingfisher	Purple heron
Bonnelli's Eagle	Pond Heron
Rufousbacked Shrike	Egret
Redvented Bulbul	Magpie Robin

Finally...Mission accomplished.Paradise Flycatcher Male at Pashan Lake...

Last year, I got an update from shepherd that he saw bird with long white tail n black head. From that day I was searching for this beauty. Many bird watcher told me that there was no paradise Flycatcher in lake area.

Finally after a year, I saw 2 Male Paradise Flycatcher on same tree...Somehow due to low light and dense tree, Clicked Record shot.

Below are snaps taken during my various visits to Pashan Lake.

Painted Stork

Grey Heron at Pashan lake wall

Glossy Ibis at Pashan

Kingfisher at Pashan

Wooly Necked Stork

Common Coot

Purple Moorhen

Glossy ibis

School of Sandpiper

Wooly necked Stork

Pashan Lake

Other Blogs on Birding near pune:

Bird watching at Pashan Lake, Pune

Bird watching at Kavadi-Pat, Pune

Bird watching at Veer Dam & Backwater area

Pune’s Bird Paradise - Bhigwan, Diksal bird watching in 2015

Bird Paradise - Bhigwan, Diksal bird watching trip 2014

Diksal-Bhigwan Bird watching trip

Trip to Sinhagad Bird Valley and Sinhagad Fort

I will try to upload more and more travel blogs. Thanks for reading this Travel Blog.

Pritesh Kulkarni

Pune

Bird Paradise - Bhigwan, Diksal bird watching trip 2014

tháng 1 30, 2014 Bar headed Goose, Bhigwan, bird watching, bird watching at Bhigwan, Bird watching at pune, Diksal, Greater Flamingo, Pochard Duck, Ruddy Shelduck, Solapur highway, wetland birds No comments

I visit Bhigwan at least once a year for bird watching and this year was not an exception to my activity. I and Renuka decided to visit this place on 22 Jan 2014 and our friend Amit Gujar accompanied us. To avoid crowd we decided to visit on weekdays. The plan was to spend 4-5 hours in Bhigwan (the main location is known as Diksal village) and come back home by late afternoon.

Greater Flamingo in take-off position

You can spend half day or full day along with your camera and binoculars. More than 60 bird’s species can be found in this backwater.

Greater Flamingo

22nd Jan 2014: Bhigwan Bird sanctuary (Total distance travel by car: 230km):
As we had to cover around 105-110km we decided to leave Pune by 3.30 AM and we managed to leave on time. Soon we touched Solapur highway. Road condition of the highway was excellent. Due to the wide and smooth road, we were able to reach Bhigwan in less than 2 hours. We told our boatman friend to arrange some breakfast. We all were excited to see migratory birds.

Cormorant

Whiskered Tern

Whiskered Tern in Flight

When we reached the village at around 5.30 AM, I was surprised by looking at the back water. It was looking like the sea. We took some rest at Bharat’s place and after some tasty breakfast, we left for bird watching in his boat. It was a tough task for him due to the high wind. Since it was an odd day, we were the only bird watchers in the catchment area. Soon we spotted a group of Flamingoes. We set our cameras and kept pin drop silence. Slowly Bharat took us close to birds. He promised me last year that if we came on an odd day he will take us close to birds. He is an expert to handle such conditions just that he doesn’t want to do it on weekends due to the crowd. Also, birds get disturbed quickly.

Soon we were so close to birds that we were able to hear the movement as well. It was shallow water hence Bharat hid behind the boat (In the water) whereas we took a position in such way that only our head was out of the boat. It was an amazing moment for me to witness flamingo hardly at 15-18 feet distance. We spend around 1.5 hours watching their activity without disturbing them. By any chance, if they noticed us, they were just moving their position. A couple of times they flew away but again settled down close to our boat.

Check my Neck - Greater Flamingo

Portrait

Talk and walk - Greater Flamingo

After spending a lot of time with greater flamingo, we left that place to spot other birds. Besides Flamingo, we spotted Woolly Necked Stork, Coot, ibis, painted stork, bar-headed gooses, Ruddy Shelduck (aka Brahmini Duck), Northern Shoveler, Garganey Duck, Comb Duck and many more.

Grey heron and Spoonbill (L to R) and Cormorants and egret at bottom

Looking for something? - Stilt bird

Purple Moorhen

Bar Headed Goose and Open-Bill in flight

It was quite bright now, and we slowly made our way back to the village by boat. During our return journey, I saw a duck in the middle of the water and he was trying to run from that spot. When I asked Bharat, he told that duck was trapped in a fishing net. Either he will die or when fisherman will come they will eat him. I didn’t like that and I told him to sail the boat towards duck. It’s time to save him. Now we were in our rescue operation. The duck was a male Pochard duck. When we reach close to duck, they started struggling to get rid of fishing net. We slowly approached towards duck and started moving net from a boat. Now he realized that we were helping them. Now he sat claim which helped us to remove the net. I and my wife able to remove some part of the net from a duck but still his fins were trapped badly. Bharat came and he cut the reaming part of the net by hands. It was difficult but somehow we manage to free him. When we released him, He ran away and we were watching him with smile and satisfaction. He went away from us, settled in shallow water and looked at us. It was like he wanted to say thank you. It was a great feeling. Flamingo sighting and Pochard Duck rescue operation made our day. Our trail ends on a good note.

Our Rescue operation

We returned to Bharat’s house and had lunch. After some rest, we went in wetland area on foot to spot more birds. We saw a lot of ducks, heron, ibis etc. After some quick photography, we returned to his place for rest. It was 3.30 and we decided to leave this beautiful place. During our return journey, we had our snacks at Kanchan Dhaba and returned home by 6 PM.

After this trip, I had 2 more trips to Bhigwan in which I took corporate groups (from other IT company) to teach them how to identify birds, Basic photography tips and to increase awareness about nature. I am sharing some photographs from my 2-3 visits. If you want to witness the beauty of migratory birds (Our guest) then what you are waiting for.

Bird List which we saw in Bhigwan:

Greater Flamingo	Northern Shoveler	Little Cormorant
Pueple Swamphen	Ruddy Shelduck	Yellow Wagtail
Common Moorhen	Spot-billed Duck	Grey Wagtail
White-breasted Waterhen	Common Coot	Green nee eater
Osprey Western Marsh Harrier	Comb Duck	Red Avadavat
Brown headed seagulls	Garganey Duck	Spotted Munia
Black headed seagulls	Pochard Duck	Black Drango
Pallas Gull	Bar headed Duck	Oriental Ibis
Asian Open bill Stork	Black Tailed Godwit	Glossy Ibis
Painted Stork	Black Winged Stilts	Black Ibis
Woolly Necked Stork	River Tern	Common Sandpiper
Common Kingfisher	Common tern	Spotted Sandpiper
White Throated Kingfisher	Gull billed Tern	Curlew Sandpiper
Pied Kingfisher	Grey Heron
Red-Wattled Lapwing	Purple Heron
Yellow-Wattled Lapwing	Pond Heron
Purple Rumped Sunbird	Cattle Egret
Wire-tailed Swallow	Median Egret
Common Swallow	Large Egret
Red Rumped Swallow	Eurasian Spoonbill