Birding @ Kumbhargaon-Bhigwan

We had been to Kolhapur and Tuljapur, in the first week of June 2023, to take "Darshan" of Goddesses "Ambabai" and "Tuljabhavani". A couple of days before we started, we thought of visiting Bhigwan for some birding.  We asked one of our friends, a proficient birder, Mr. Saurabh Dhanorkar, if he could suggest someone who could help us.  He promptly suggested to contact Mr. Sandip Nagare!

The place which is famous for the Flamingos and popular among the birders as Bhigwan, is actually a small village called "Kumbhargaon", in Indapur district.  Since Bhigwan is the nearest town, the sanctuary became popular by that name!  This place is a hotbed for Greater Flamingos and other migratory birds during the winter. So much so, that this Yashwant Sagar reservoir forming the backwaters of the Ujni dam, is also known as the 'Bharatpur of Maharashtra'. First week of June is actually the fag end of the migratory season, but we thought we would just explore the area as preparation for a visit during the coming winter!

Sandip Nagare, a passionate bird-conservator and photographer, has trained a group of youngsters by teaching them all about the visiting birds.  They have become committed guides for birders and wildlife enthusiasts. The young guides do very commendable work. Sandip runs a simple bed and breakfast place which is clean, comfortable and the meals are home-cooked and delicious.

Just before we reached Kumbhargaon on  a blazing hot June afternoon, we saw a small pond where a Woolly-necked stork had just landed. By the time I got out my camera and could click a couple of quick shots, it was chased away by a noisy Red-wattled Lapwing! This sighting was a very good beginning to my trip.

Woolly-necked Stork

We went for a ride on the backwaters in a small motorboat in the evening.  We were accompanied by Shailesh, who was our Boatman-cum-guide.  After about 10-15 min, we reached shallow waters and the river bank.  There were a lot of Cormorants, Eurasian Coots, some Grey herons, Indian Spot-billed Ducks, Asian Spoonbills, Black-headed Ibis, Painted Storks, Black-winged Stilts, etc.

Eurasian Coots & Grey Heron        

Indian Spoonbill

Black-headed Ibis

Spot-billed Duck

Painted Storks

Black-winged Stilt                                        

There were a few Greater Flamingos which had very little of the pink colour, looking almost grey and white.  I have already mentioned that this was the end of the migratory season! Thousands of the Flamingos must have already winged back to Gujarat to their breeding grounds. They will visit Maharashtra again in winter, all fresh and pink!

Greater Flamingos 

I was delighted to see a few Little Grebes, a lifer for me.  The peaceful ambience of the evening was shattered by the sudden screams of some River terns, who were trying to scare us away.  We were quite surprised by their aggression, and then we saw a tiny fledgling on the bank.  This made us understand the  reason for their actions.  They were only trying to protect their young one! We only saw one of the babies, there could have been many.  They were difficult to spot due to the good camouflage offered by the sand on the river bank.

 Little Grebe                                                                                                          

River Tern

River Tern Fledgling

Little Tern                                                                       

Little Tern: Please zoom to see the fledgling of the Little  Tern being fed by its Parent.                                                                                    

Another interesting species was the Little Tern.  They were hovering over in one spot and diving swiftly to catch the silvery fish, which were jumping out of water.  The fish were being disturbed by the motion of our boat.  

We turned back after spending a quiet and peaceful  couple of hours, just as the sun was setting.

Sunset at Kumbhargaon-Bhigwan

Next morning we started out at 6 am in a Scorpio after a hot cup of Chai, accompanied by Shailesh once again.  This was to be a grasslands trip.  First we went to a place called "Kalas". It was practically an open land, covered by dry brown grass, looking almost like a barren plain. Here I was rewarded by the sighting of a couple of lifers.....the Indian Courser and the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse. The Indian Courser looks very elegant, with an upright posture and an alert demeanor. 

Indian Courser

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Male)                                   

Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse (Female)

I was fortunate enough to see the male as well as the female of the Chestnut-bellied Sandgrouse.

Next, we went to a place which Shailesh referred to as 'Canal', but it looked more like a 'Gully' formed by a stream.  It appeared to be 10-30 feet wide and about 30 feet deep. It was densely lined by fresh green trees and bushes on both the sides We were on the lookout for an Indian Eagle Owl.  It gave us quite a wild goose chase for almost 15 minutes, flying back and forth along the gully, hiding behind the leaves.  There it was, looking ferocious with its piercing red eyes! We were finally successful in finding it and taking some memorable pictures!

Indian Eagle Owl

We went to Dhakte-Pandharpur next, where there was a  beautiful Vitthal Mandir. Here again we had to search a lot for the elusive Quail.  We were able to get only a brief glimpse before they disappeared from view; they were busy on their way to some place else!

Rock Bush Quail

Our final stop was very near to our lodging at Kumbhargaon. Here I was blessed enough to see many young ones of various species along with their parents.....the Black-winged Stilt, the Yellow-wattled Lapwing, the Kentish Plover, etc. It was so interesting to see the way the parents were trying to protect the young ones.  It was all open country with no place to hide. Even the eggs are laid in shallow scrapes on the open ground! The parents were making loud calls to warn the young ones.  The Lapwing parents were trying to lead us away from the young ones, even though we were staying put in our car.  The Kentish Plover was practically teaching its fledgling how to run a sprint race! 

Yellow-wattled Lapwing

Malabar Lark    

   Ashy-crowned Sparrow Lark

Red-naped Ibis  

    Little-ringed Plover

Oriental Pratincole - Juvenile  

Oriental Pratincole

We also saw some Malabar Larks and a few Ashy-crowned Sparrow Larks, searching for seeds and small grub on the ground.  There was a solitary Red-naped Ibis, foraging for insects and grub.  The Little-ringed Plover was again a lifer, as was the  Oriental Pratincole with its juvenile. 

Painted Snipe and its Juvenile

But I think the icing on the cake was the Painted Snipe and its young one near a small pond.  They were feeding on some marsh insects and crustaceans.  It was very interesting to see its typical bobbing walk.

All in all, it was a very fruitful and successful trip.  I saw a lot of interesting birds, many of them lifers.  I had gone to Kumbhargaon with least expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome!! 

Very thankful to Sandip Nagare and our persevering guide, Shailesh!!

Aditi Deshpande.

June 30, 2023