Exploring the Shrunken Shoreline of Hoskote Lake

I went back to the farm area near Hoskote Lake after a long time. My last visit had been in January this year due to the persistent flooding of the lake since November 2021, with no sign of water receding. Even though I had limited space for birdwatching, I saw some amazing birds during my two-hour visit, covering only a 100-meter area. Here are the pictures.

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I got there just as the sun was rising, and the sky held a lot of promise.  I captured a few photos.

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All through the night, it rained, and I collected these droplets as evidence.

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While the light was dim, a Long-tailed shrike made a fleeting appearance and disappeared before I could enjoy a clear view.

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A Red-vented bulbul arrived with its prey and struck a spectacular pose in flight.

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The dim light continued to offer only fleeting glimpses, much like this Jacobin cuckoo.

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And a Tricoloured munia.

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An Oriental magpie-robin sang beautifully to capture my attention.

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A White-browed wagtail, which looked almost identical, sang even more beautifully.

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The Purple-rumped sunbird grew more active as the sun began to warm up.

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I noticed a Common kingfisher diving into the water at a distance. Unfortunately, some branches decided to photobomb my shots. Here are the resulting blurry photos.

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Another branch got in the way of a great shot of an Asian green bee-eater in flight.

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I observed a Paddyfield pipit foraging.

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In this picture, you can see the terrain left for birdwatching.

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The ever-alert sentinel, the Red-wattled lapwing, kept a vigilant watch over the lake for any potential threats.

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A Little egret spotted its prey and poised itself for a strike.

 It struck with such intensity that it sent water splashing high into the air.

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It deftly snatched a fish.

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Next, my eyes were drawn to a charming Zitting cisticola.

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Next, I spotted a Plain Prinia.

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A Zitting cisticola landed on a canna plant, appearing to carry some nesting material, I suppose.

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On the same cluster of canna plants, an Ashy Prinia appeared with a bee in its beak.

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I noticed birds at the canna blooms not sipping nectar, and I hoped a nectar-feeding bird would come. Just then, a Purple-rumped sunbird arrived and began sipping nectar.

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It was fascinating to observe how it uses its unique beak to extract nectar.

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My final sighting of the day was this Spotted dove.

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Linked with Mosaic Monday