Serendipity at Hoskote Lake

Last weekend didn’t start like my usual birding trips. I had to drop my parents off at a wedding, which meant no early morning adventure. But once they were settled, I realized Hoskote Lake was just 7 kilometers away.

It was already past the golden hour, but I decided to give it a shot. Instead of walking around, I stayed in my car, parking at different spots and watching as the birds came to me.

In just three hours, I saw some amazing bird activities. Here are the photos from this unexpected and relaxed birding session!

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Clouds dancing over Hoskote Lake, setting the perfect backdrop for a calm birding session.

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A delicate spider web glistened in the light. At its center, the spider rested patiently, waiting for its next catch.

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From afar, a peahen walked with confidence, her presence as regal as her peacock counterpart.

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I watched her join another peahen on the boundary wall, both contemplating whether to jump across. One crossed over, while the other hesitated and jumped back. In the moment of indecision, I clicked these pics.

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I moved my car to another spot and spotted a solitary Black Drongo perched nearby.

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From a nearby thorny tree, the air was alive with bird sounds. I parked nearby and decided to wait a bit longer. Soon enough, an Asian Bee-eater appeared, adding a splash of color to the scene.

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Soon, a migrant Blyth's Reed Warbler appeared on the same tree.

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Another Asian Green Bee-eater appeared soon after, this time preening itself and occasionally opening its mouth wide.

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My mind wandered back to the peahens. I decided to go check on them again and see what they were up to. On the way, I spotted a White-throated Kingfisher perched gracefully, and a male Indian Robin hopping around nearby.

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When I reached the peahens, I saw the one that had jumped across, now visible and walking around.

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Another White-throated Kingfisher flashed its striking blue feathers.

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I returned to the spot where I had seen the Bee-eaters and the Robin, hoping to catch a shot of them in flight. I decided to wait a little longer and see.

I spotted a female Indian Robin nearby. After a brief wait, I was lucky enough to catch her in flight, capturing the moment just as she took off.

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Next, I focused on catching the Asian Green Bee-eater in flight. It makes quick trips and returns to its perch, but getting the right shot is tricky!

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Here's a video I captured of the Bee-eater's swift sorties. The first part of the video shows its real-time speed. The flight was too quick to catch clearly, so in the second half, I slowed down the video to 20% speed to better appreciate its movement.

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And here's one with the reward—the Asian Green Bee-eater returning to its perch with a freshly caught bee.

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A Pied Bush Chat made a brief appearance.

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An Indian Pond Heron perched gracefully on a tree.

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A Cattle Egret stood calmly beside a cow.

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A Sykes's Warbler appeared, flitting through the branches.

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A Black Kite perched calmly, scanning the surroundings with its sharp eyes.

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And the last sighting before my parents called for pickup was this migrant Rosy Starling.

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Thus, my unconventional birding day came to an end at around 1 PM. I hope you enjoyed the pics and video. Do leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!