The osprey, a big sized bird is seen around Navi Mumbai and Kharghar, while the whiskered tern is seen at Sewri. “There has been a tremendous amount of habitat destroyed because of it,” sighs Vinod, adding that Alibaug is still a good option to check some birds out..”Marsh harrierAmong the various winter migratory birds, brown-headed gull and black-headed gull moving from inner Mongolia are commonly seen, apart from the ruddy turnstone from Siberia. Wire-tailed swallowAdarsh Shetty, a wildlife photographer who also takes part in bird walks around the time, says that one can spot flamingos easily in large numbers at the jetty, as well as the Thane-Airoli creek area. “Recently, someone posted on Facebook that they spotted one near Bhandup. These feathery visitors usually arrive in late October and November, staying on until March. In the mornings they’ll be in one place, and by evening they’ll be gone,” Adarsh warns amateur bird-spotters. “Thanks to the grasslands and water body, inflow of birds is large here and has more variety.“Bhandup Pumping Station is where one can see all the migratory birds,” adds Yogesh.
Photographer Vinod Udhwani adds that a species called waders, which comprise plovers (little ringed and lesser sand) migrate from Kazakhstan, and can be seen in Navi Mumbai.November may not be as cool in Mumbai as it is in the rest of the country, but bird watchers are out in their gear and field hats, spotting exotic species of winged guests, flying into the city. “If you can track it, that’s good. This is besides other birds. All these can be seen around Sewri, Navi Mumbai and Uran shoreline, and alongside the creek. “Like waders, other shoreline birds include common, marsh and wood sandpipers,” he lists.”Red avadavat (Photo: Vinod Udhwani)The amur falcon too was spotted in Mumbai — an uncommon sight. “There are also herols, and tern. “If you’re lucky, you can spot a sarva crane, as well as the demoiselle crane, which crosses the Himalayas to get to India. This is thanks to the improvised feeding grounds in the city, like the Sewri Jetty. That helps in identification. Even parakeets you can see through the city,” he lists. It’s on its way to Africa, and Mumbai is one of its spots,” Yogesh explains.
So, how does one spot a bird during the walks? “You have to China KD Series Server Cabinets hear the call,” says Adarsh. Spotting them is a matter of luck. And if you see the bird and can’t identify it, write down its key characteristics like the colour of the wings or beak. One can also spot the rosy starling, a cousin of mynah, which spends its entire winter only in India.”While bird watching usually happens in November, Vinod says there are birds people tend to miss out all year round. If you can’t, keep looking around. “The coppersmith barbet, common tailorbird, oriole bird and a variety of egrets are usually resident birds. However, says naturalist and wildlife photographer Yogesh Chavan, some birds prefer staying on till April. Whiskered tern (Photo: Yogesh Chavan)But thanks to the construction around Thane and Sewri, the number of migratory birds coming in has reduced. And while there are many local migratory birds you can spot around this time in the city, if you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of birds from as far away from Afghanistan and Siberia as they head to the wooded areas here
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