Moderators: - Bhushan Puranik (Don), Anthony Singh (Commrade)
Place: - Bhigwan
Event: - Bird watching
Date: - Sunday 21st November2010
Time: - 0500 hrs (stating from Pune)
Distance: - 100 Km from Pune (approximate)
Total distance: - 250 KM return to Pune (approximate)
Drive: - best with 2 wheelers
Conditions of roads: - Good for 2 wheelers, 4 wheelers may get damaged by the road side grass*
Amount summary: - 150- 200 Rupees for boating cost, fuel cost (return to Pune) depending on vehicle
Approximate estimate 500 rupees per person
Camera and accessories:-
a. SLR’s lens bigger than 18-135
b. Faster camera’s
c. Digi-cams Min. 10MP with 10X optical zoom high shutter speeds
d. Tripods , monopods
e. Laptop ( better to have)
f. GPS system
g. Extra pair of batteries or charger
h. Water bottles
i. Wind cheaters
j. Vehicle with enough gas in it
k. Birds information (Identification) guide or a book
l. Sports shoes or floaters (avoid sleeper’s)
m. Mobile phones with full batteries
n. A bag.
Introduction of a place
There are certain places that will always score when it comes to birding and bird photography. And when it comes to seeing migratory birds, the wetlands of the north have very little competition.
Bhigwan is about 95 km from Pune on the Pune-Solapur highway (NH-9) and is a catchment area of the mighty Ujani Dam. It is a proposed sanctuary for migratory birds, an area of about 18000 hectares. The water catchment area is spread across around the town of Bhigwan. This is probably the best spot in South Central India to see ducks in enormous number. The whole area is mesmerizing & reminiscence to the wetlands of the north.
Here’s a complete list of the birds seen & heard (Total 104 species):
Barred Button Quail (Clear & Close sightings on the road),
Ruddy Shelduck (few but in all 4 sightings),
Comb Duck (a Pair near Diksal), Gadwall (Plenty),
Eurasian Wigeon (The most numerous), Spot Billed Duck (Scattered along the edges),
Gargeney (Very few), Northern Pintail (about c50),
Northern Shoveller (Plenty most in eclipse plumage), Red Crested Pochard (One female),
Lesser Whistling Duck (Only one), Cotton Pigmy Goose (Near Diksal),
Common Hoopoe (at least 4), Common Kingfisher,
White Breasted Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher (Only 2 at Varwand),
Green Bee-eater, Asian Koel, Greater Coucal,
House Swift, Rock Pigeon, Laughing Dove,
Spotted Dove, White Breasted Waterhen (seen one near Patas),
Purple Swamphen (Everywhere), Common Moorhen,
Common Coot (Most numerous), Wood Sandpiper (Along the edges),
Common Sandpiper, Black Tailed Godwit (One each near Kumbhargaon & Diksal),
Indian Courser (4 at fallow land near Varwand), Common Red Shank,
Ruff (a Pair near Diksal), Pheasant Tailed Jacana,
Little Ring Plover, Yellow Wattled Lapwing (Many in suitable habitat),
Red Wattled Lapwing, Palla's Gull (About c4 at Kumbhargaon),
Brown Headed Gull, Black Headed Gull, River Tern, Whiskered Tern,
Gull-Billed tern, Black Shouldered Kite, Black Kite, Brahminy Kite (one at Patas),
Eurasian Marsh Harrier, Pallied Harrier (one magnificent male), Shikra,
Tawny Eagle (one near Diksal), Common Kestrel, Little Grebe
, Little Cormorant, Indian Cormorant, Great Cormorant (Few),
Little Egret, Great Egret, Intermediate Egret, Cattle Egret,
Indian Pond Heron, Grey Heron (Plenty everywhere),
Purple Heron (Many at Patas – a very good habitat for this bird),
Glossy Ibis (Huge flocks), Oriental White Ibis (2 at Diksal),
Painted Stork (At Diksal & Kumbhargaon), Asian Openbill (The most common Stork),
Brown Shrike, Long Tailed Shrike, Bay Backed Shrike (One on the way near highway),
House Crow, Large Billed Crow, Small Minivet - call,
White Browed Fantail, Black Drongo, Ashy Drongo,
Common Stonechat (Now called as Siberian Stonechat),
Pied Bushchat, Brahminy Starling, Rosy Starling,
Common Myna, Great Tit (One on the way to Varwand),
Barn Swallow (In thousands), Wire Tailed Swallow,
Red Rumped Swallow, Red Vented Bulbul, Blyth's Reed Warbler,
Clamorous Reed Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat (At the Pump house-Kumbhargaon),
Common Tailorbird, Common Chiffchaff, Jungle Babbler,
Large Grey Babbler, Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark,
Rufous Tailed Lark, Greater Short Toed Lark (At fallow land near Varwand),
House Sparrow, White Browed Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail (Plenty),
Yellow Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Paddy field Pipit,
Tawny Pipit (At fallow land near Varwand), Baya Weaver, Indian Silver bill.
Map
Thanks and regard
Bhushan Puranik
Important Notes
*(Information copied from Wikipedia)
* I don’t guarantee availability of birds
* Route has been taken from internet so I don’t guarantee the perfection and conditions of the roads
* Various places have to be covered within short time so everyone will have to move with time.
* Amount of trip may vary person to person
Images
