Goabirder: salt pan

Wednesday, 30 January 2013

Jamnagar

After spending the afternoon at Narara, we headed for Jamnagar where we based ourselves for the next two days. That evening we headed straight to the Lakhota Lake in the centre of Jamnagar where we hoped to see the at times 10,000 strong flocks of rosy starlings that come in to roost in the trees surrounding the lake. Not only did we see that astounding scene, we realized there must be at least 500 to 700 gulls also which nest there… not to mention the other birds which we couldn't count. It was already dusk then. The numbers are INCREDIBLE to put it mildly.

Huge flocks of rosy starling at dusk

A great cormorant trying to enjoy his spoils.... finally had to let go. The fish was far too big for him!!

A clever way to shield from the glare of the sun while fishing!!!! The painted stork

The great white and the dalmatian pelicans

Tufted duck

Common pochard

Brown headed gull

Mosaic-like, the spectacle of the gulls in Lakhota lake

Little cormorant

The next morning saw us on Valsura road and further on to the road going to rozy port. All along the road on either side were salt pans full of birds…. Flamingoes, godwits, plovers, avocets, sandpipers… the list is unending! It is here that we also chanced upon the three thick knees of our trip.

Pied Avocet

Greater Flamingoes in the salt pans

Too young yet for the characteristic pink of the flamingo!

Darter

Rosy starlings... disregarding the grumbling male :-)

The salt pans are massive and at the very far end, we were told that crab plovers could be spotted. So off we went fairly uncertain about the route since we had only a vague idea of the location. Finally after almost rally-like driving through dirt roads and onto bunds which were barely wide enough for the car, we finally spotted a flock of white a long way off. We practically crept towards the birds since they are known to be very skittish. It was a glorious sight that met our eyes. Every last bit of effort was worth it since we saw the most amazing birds there…. I’ll let the pics do the talking!

Caspian terns, crab plovers, lesser crested terns, oystercatchers, Curlews, whimbrel, pelican, redshanks, gull-billed terns... a great looking colony this!

Lesser crested tern, crab plover and caspian tern

Great thick knee

Common snipe

Bar tailed Godwit

Palas' gull

Common teal (f)

Crab Plovers

Oystercatchers

Rosy ringed Parakeet

Ruff

Western reef egret

THE sunset!

Totally satisfying and fulfilling trip to this amazing paradise for birds and bird-lovers alike!!

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...