Showing posts with label painted stork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label painted stork. Show all posts

Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Porbandar



I would not hesitate to say that Porbandar is the bird capital of Gujarat. Maybe not so much in terms of diversity though there are a very large variety of birds there, but certainly in sheer numbers!!! Within an area of say five square kilometres there were at least a lakh birds probably more... mind boggling!!

We reached Porbandar from Gir via Somnath. It was late afternoon and we set off immediately to explore the area....

We headed north towards some lakes we had seen on google earth. There were birds everywhere. From little creeks to sewage runoffs to small puddles on the wayside and very much along and in the lakes... It was a little too much to take in and I was overwhelmed!

The next day went by in a blur rushing from one spot to another only to find yet more places and yet more birds. The pictures will do all the talking...


A couple of thousand strong flock of Pied Avocet

Caspian tern


One rosy pelican amongst Dalmatian pelicans 


Spoonbill


Black tailed Godwit


Black Ibis with Terek sandpiper in background


Painted stork


Heuglin's Gull with breakfast!!


Redshank


Little stint


Brown headed Gull


Painted stork colony


Common Snipe


Ruff


Northern Shoveller (f)


Heuglin's Gull


A pair of Pied Avocet


Caspin tern on a tidal island


Flamingos in the centre of Porbandar


One greater among lesser Flamingos


Lesser Flamingos


Greater Flamingo


In flight


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Monday, 28 January 2013

Next year... Gujarat Series


Charakhla


We set out from Porbandar really early in the morning to make it to Charakhla by daybreak. Enroute, in the predawn sky we saw hundreds of mainly Demoiselle cranes off to their foraging grounds …. There were few Common cranes and their flocks were much smaller, no more than 12 to 15.  The Demoiselle flocks numbered upwards of 50 sometimes up to a 100! No pics of those due to the light conditions.
We entered Charakhla through Madhi and relying on our Google research, chose the bund we wanted to drive on… This is the spectacle that met our eyes…….

Most photographs are courtesy my partner...


Gulls at the salt pans


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Seems snowed in !!


Dalmatian Pelican


Greater Flamingoes


Little stint


Rosy or Great White pelicans


Yellow Wagtail




Heuglin's Gulls


Black necked Grebes


Slender Billed Gull


Black necked Grebe


Greater Flamingo


Pied Avocet


Grey Heron


Pied Avocet


Turtle


Curlew Sandpiper


Demoiselle Cranes


Painted Stork