Bird watch update

If you haven't visited the lake recently, you should. It is looking great, water rippling and glinting in the sun, fish darting everywhere.

Even if you are not a birder, you cannot miss the birds - Coots, Swamp Hens, Kingfishers and more, but it takes an experienced hand to spot the chicks. Here's the latest report and pictures by our "resident birder," Madhurima Das, who visits the lake every weekend to do a census on the birds at Puttenahalli Lake. 

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At the lake this Sunday (7th May) there were many birds. Besides our usual suspects, we had both purple and grey heron, a little egret, little cormorant, a common moorhen and 2 spot billed ducks.

The bronze wing jacanas, and a night heron, brought out their respective chicks. There was also a third bronze wing jacana which was being chased around by the chick's parents. The jacana chick also attracted a brahminy kite, but, luckily for the chick, it wasn't caught.

There were also flocks of flower peckers and tailor birds. 

Black-crowned Night Heron with chick

Little Cormorant and Little Egret

Little Egret

Purple Swamphen

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Bronze-winged Jacana with chick

Bird Watch Update

Here's the latest update from birder Madhurima, a South City resident who has been maintaining a weekly record of birds sighted at the lake. Lots of "purple" birds!

On Saturday, 23rd July, there was a flock of at least 8 little cormorants. 2 very brownish little cormorants were present, which are probably juveniles. Other than that, all usual suspects were present. One waterhen couple seems to have made a nest. they were seen hanging out together, near the L&T gate, on both days

On Sunday, the little cormorants had left. Other birds were all present. I witnessed a case of probable child abuse by a purple swamphen which tried to crush its chick under its weight for 10 minutes. However, the chick seemed uninjured after the ordeal.

The lapwing couple was present on both days, but there was no chick with them. Maybe they couldn't protect the chick this time.

Regards,

Madhurima

Bronze-winged Jacana

Little Cormorants

The lake

Little Cormorants

Purple-rumped Sunbird Female

Purple-rumped Sunbird Male

Purple Heron

Scaly-breasted Munia

Terapin

White-browed Wagtail

White-breasted Waterhen

Purple Swamphen

Purple Swamphens

Birds captured after the rains

Thanks to the rain and the treated water, the level has gone up at the lake. Unfortunately though, the notoriously difficult to control alligator weed is also growing lushly. We hope when the level increases even more, the weeds will be submerged and rot. Well, we may be unhappy about the weed spreading but the birds are very happy about it. The number of birds frequently the lake has increased. 

For the past few months, Madhurima Das, a "resident birder" from the neighbourhood has been regularly doing a weekend census of the birds at the lake, and taking pictures as well. Today she was happy to have captured a few candid moments. Pictures below.

Pheasant-tailed Jacana in breeding plumage

Little Cormorant 

Great Cormorants that flew past for a recce perhaps!

White-throated Kingfisher with catch

Spot the two Purple Herons? 

Pheasant-tailed Jacanas in a mating dance perhaps .... 

Little Grebes - they had laid three eggs but lost two to predators. Way of the wild!

A first time visitor to our lake - Jacobin Cuckoo, considered to be a harbinger of the monsoon!  

Pics: Madhurima Das
Captions: Usha Rajagopalan