Bird watch update - Mother duck, stilts, storks!

This seems to be a good season for birds. Several lake groups have reported sighting flocks of Pelicans and Storks. Our Puttakere is too small for such big species and numbers. Nevertheless, we are delighted to tell you that for the first time a Spot-billed duck laid eggs and hatched them at the lake! And to think we had no clue till last week when our gardeners sent photos and videos of the mother duck tagged by eight little fluffy balls! 

Spot-billed duck and ducklings 

Pic: Muktha Baliga, 29-Mar-2022

When the lake was closed due to the pandemic last year, the chicks of the White-breasted waterhen used to wander off on their own, much to the obvious panic of the mother.  

White-breasted waterhen chicks

Pic: Ramu, 22-Oct-2021

These little ducklings are more obedient. They swim behind their mother in a line, looking pretty much like the wavy tail of a kite.  Only when she stops, do they scatter but never too far. In spite of this, two fell prey to a Brahminy kite who herself has a chick to feed. Such is the way of nature. We can only be observers. However, we plan to make the lake safer by planting more reeds where the duck (and other species) can nest, hatch and protect their young ones. As of now, there are six ducklings left. Heartbreaking. 

On a happier note, we have had at least seven Painted storks at one time, four Black-winged stilts, Wood and Green Sandpipers. These migratory birds are still around and blending well with the resident ones. 

Black-winged stilt 

Pic.: Madhurima Das, 27-Mar-2022

Do visit the lake, see the birds and share their photographs. Who knows, you may get to see a visitor that we missed or has just arrived? 

To know more about the birds spotted at the lake, please see the Puttakere hotspot on eBird here.

- Usha Rajagopalan

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, birds!

Nirupama Sriram who lives in the JP Nagar 7th Phase area, made full use of the two day bandh (on 20th-21st Feb 2013) by spending time at Puttenahalli Lake and taking photographs of the birds. Her discerning eyes have captured them so beautifully!

The Wood Sandpiper and Yellow Wagtail are both migratory. In fact, the Yellow Wagtail is one of the early winter visitors and is likely to begin its return migration soon since it is becoming pretty hot here.

Wood Sandpiper

Yellow Wagtail (or could be a Gray Wagtail)

It is easy to confuse between the Mynah and the Rosy Starling. The closeups show the difference - the starling has a rose coloured body. It is also migratory and spends winters in India. 

Common Mynah

Rosy Starlings

The other birds are residents but no less important to us! The Pond Heron looks like a silver statue in the backdrop of the Salvinia Molesta! We hope to get the weed removed fairly soon and make the lake attractive to many more birds.

Indian Pond Heron

White-breasted Waterhen

Red-wattled Lapwing

Purple Moorhen/Swamphen

Inputs: Usha Rajagopalan

Pics and bird ids: Nirupama Sriram