It is a love affair that began an year ago with my tryst with Flemingo .

There are many adjectives to describe this migratory place for birds especially the magnificent Flamboyant Flemingo...the clichés being vast shallow blue water beds.

The idle school boy whistles the moment ,I enter the mesmerising water area..almost a sign of appreciation for the carpet of blue surface spread out before.There alas..to my utter delight,suddenly I spotted my first dream bird in front of me at a distance..standing proudly tall and elegantly doing a stilt gymnastic on one slender leg..and other leg neatly but carefully folded and tucked along it's body almost invisible to notice.Yes it is an amazing view..to look at it with the morning gentle golden sun light painting it's feathers .It is such a incredible marvelous sight only to be believed to be seen.

 

Bhigwan is about 98 km from Hadapsar Toll naka..!On a chilly cool December 2012 morning left Pune at 4.45 AM for Bhigwan & took NH 9 Solapur Road passing thru dusty bumpy roads of Hadapsar,Yevat,Kedagaon,Patas,Kurkumbh ,stopped for a cup of chai on the way at a road side tea stall and finally reached the Destination Bhigwan at 7.10AM.We took a left turn at the end of Bhigwan town on the Solapur end and drove down a narrow road & after about 6 km drive we reached Kumbhargaon village.

In Bhigwan, Diksal and Kumbhargaon are two main locations for spotting birds. Kumbhargaon is a small countryside village near Bhigwan, Kumbhargaon is located on the backwaters of Ujani dam. In Kumbhargaon, you may meet a very friendly local birding guide Mr. Sandeep Nagare. Sandeep is a local fisherman and boat owner who has developed interest in birding. He is very well versed with all the bird identification and names and their behavioural pattern. Kudos to this young local boy who is really a great help for bird lovers to enjoy this birding hobby.

And we had a wonderful tryst with all the migratory birds..i.e Flamboyant Flemingos,Great Heron, Painted stork,Sea gulls,Terns,Glossy Ibis,king fisher,Black headed Ibis,larger egrets,stilts,sandpipers,wag tailors,Ruddy Shell ducks,spotted ducks,spoon billed storks..the list never ends,.!.Indeed a heaven for bird lovers.

The story continues.

Dr.Chandrakant Ashtekar with Andrew and Nitin..

Painted stork family!

Flemingos!