A TRIP TO BHANDUP PUMPING STATION - the birdwatchers paradise

"A Picture from Bhandup Pumping Station"

I am a nature lover, and I often like to go birdwatching with my dad. We had read that "Bhandup Pumping station was  home to a lot of beautiful birds. So, recently on Christmas me and my dad visited it with my aunt and my cousin.

The night before when my dad proposed the trip I readily agreed since I liked birding and in general nature. I was pretty excited and had a tough time getting to sleep. The next morning we had a quick snack and left in our car. We had carried our binoculars and some water. Once we got to Bhandup we used Maps to get us to the right place. When we got onto the right track  the road started getting narrow. After a few minutes we decided to park the car and walk the rest of the way.

"Thousands of Flamingoes at Thane creek Flamingo Sanctuary in Bhandup"

After walking for a bit we came to a Flamingo Sanctuary. We didn't know it was there earlier but since there was nowhere else to go we decided to go there. So while my dad got the tickets we   watched a raptor perched on a near by gate. I looked it up but I couldn't find which bird it was but I think it was a eagle. It looked as if I was tame since it let us get pretty close to it.

Once dad got the tickets we entered the sanctuary. At first we could only hear

the birds, not see any, but the various bird calls gave us hope. After sometime as the road roughened a bit we saw some birds. Our first spotted a Blue Tailed Bee-eater perched on the top of a tree. At first we thought it was a Green Bee-Eater which we had seen quite a few times earlier but then we saw a sign board which said it was the Blue Tailed Bee-eater. We also saw a couple of other birds which I have listed below.

Blue Tailed Bee-Eater

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured, slender bird. It is predominantly green; its face has a narrow blue patch with a black eye stripe, and a yellow and brown throat; the tail is blue and the beak is black.This species probably takes bees and dragonflies in roughly equal numbers. The insects that are caught are beaten on the perch to kill and break the exoskeleton. This habit is seen in many other members of the order Coraciiformes. They call mainly in flight with a rolling chirping whistling teerp.

Painted Stork

This large stork has a heavy yellow beak with a down-curved tip that gives it a resemblance to an ibis. The head of the adult is bare and orange or reddish in colour. The long tertials are tipped in bright pink and at rest they extend over the back and rump. There is a distinctive black breast band with white scaly markings.Painted storks feed in groups in shallow wetlands, crop fields and irrigation canals. The maximum success of finding prey was at 7 cm of water depth at Keoladeo-Ghana National Park. They feed mainly on small fish which they sense by touch while slowly sweeping their half open bill from side to side while it held submerged.

Common Myna

A large, black-and-brown myna with white wing patches, yellow bill, and yellow legs. Gregarious and often found in noisy flocks. Aggressive, often driving away other birds. Can be found just about anywhere but the densest forests. Native to southern Asia, where it is among the most common species. Widely introduced elsewhere in the world, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii.

White - Eared Bulbul

Dull gray-brown bulbul with a black head and bright white cheek patch. Also note yellow vent and white tail tip. A lowland species of dry forests, scrub, forest edge, parks, and gardens; can be quite common in cities and towns in parts of its range. Song brief but pleasant and fluid. Gives low raspy “chuk” as well as mellower call notes similar to components of its song.

Red - Vented Bulbul

A dark, sleek, medium-sized bird with a black crest and a white rump. The red color under the tail is often difficult to see. Eats fruit, flower buds, and insects. Conspicuous and sometimes gregarious, often seen high in trees or perched on wires in urban and rural areas; generally prefers scrubby edge habitat instead of dense forest. Calls include a variety of chirps and whistles. Native to South and Southeast Asia. Introduced to Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Polynesian Islands, including Hawaii.

Long Tailed Shrike

A large, noisy shrike typical of open habitats across Asia. Adults have a dark mask and a lightgray upper back with a variable amount of orange on lower back and flanks. Eastern subspecies has complete black cap; melanistic form has more extensive dark mask and is darker overall. Smaller Bay-backed Shrike has thicker black mask; Gray-backed Shrike has darker gray back and lacks orange coloration and white in wings. Juveniles difficult to separate from other juvenile shrikes. Gives loud, screeching calls; also mimics other birds.

"A picture of the jetty at Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary"

At the end of the trail there was a jetty available to take us into the water on a tour to see                                                                                 some flamingoes and other water birds. Some of the birds we saw in the water are listed below.

Black Headed Ibis

A large wader with a white body and bare black head and neck. Males and females look similar 

and both have grayish tail feathers.It probes into mud and shallow water with its long, down 

curved black bill, sometimes submerging its entire head. Found primarilyaround wetlands 

including agricultural fields and occasionally around coastal areas, but also seen foraging in

 dry fields and human-modified landscapes.

Lesser Flamingo

The smallest flamingo in the world, with

 a dark bill and red legs. Note glowing 

red eyes in adults. Juveniles are 

gray-brown and darker than young Greater 

Flamingos. Found in alkaline lakes and coastal 

lagoons, where gathers in huge flocks to eat microscopic blue-green algae. Breeds on remote 

flats sheltered from predators. Migrates and breeds in response to changing environmental 

conditions. 

During the boat ride we a huge flock of flamingoes and their flight was spectacular. I am 

mentioning this as it was amazing and for me, one of the best moments of the whole trip.

Intermediate Egret

A stocky egret that is larger than Cattle and Little Egrets, but smaller than the Great Egret. 

Often confusing and difficult to identify, this bird is truly intermediate between potential 

confusion species. Things to look for include a yellow bill that is shorter than Great Egret but

 longer than Cattle Egret, a relatively rounded head, and shorter legs than Great Egret, 

approaching Cattle Egret. In Asian populations the bill becomes black during the breeding 

season; these birds can be distinguished from Little Egret by their completely black feet and 

shorter bills. Like most egret species, associates with all types of water bodies including wet 

fields and usually flocks with other egrets.

Though I got to see a lot of birds and thoroughly enjoyed the trip there was one thing that disturbed me a 

lot...the amount of trash. Not only the sewage, people had thrown garbage on the trails and even in the 

branches of some trees. I feel this is one of the major problems leading to the extinction of birds and that 

we should try to stop it or reduce it.