The Knob-billed Ducks of Bethamangala

Last May, CR, AK and I set out to Bethamangala Lake chasing a very specific target: the Knob-billed Duck. The ducks stayed mostly out of reach, and the story eventually became last year’s post Chasing Ducks and Missing Bucks.

Unfinished business tends to linger, so a return trip felt inevitable.

This time AK couldn’t make it, and CA joined us instead, fresh from accompanying me on my recent trip to Jyothipura. The objective remained the same. Find the ducks and hopefully get the shots that eluded us last year.

Bethamangala seemed to be in a more generous mood this time. The Knob-billed Ducks showed up and posed obligingly, and the lake offered a nice supporting cast of other birds as well.

Here is how the morning unfolded.

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By the time we reached Bethamangala Lake, the sun had just begun to rise. Warm light spread across the shallow water, and a line of coconut palms reflected beautifully on the still surface.

Before even thinking about birds, I quickly pulled out the camera and rushed to capture the reflections.

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Near a small Hanuman Temple by the roadside, we noticed a surprising amount of bird activity. A large banyan tree next to the temple was loaded with ripe figs, and it had turned into a busy breakfast spot for several birds.

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An Indian Golden Oriole plucks a fig from the banyan tree.

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An Asian Koel was also busy at the banyan, swallowing the figs one after another.

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A pair of Coppersmith Barbets soon joined the breakfast crowd, methodically working through the banyan figs.

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A Rufous Treepie also dropped in, grabbing a juicy fruit before flying off to enjoy it in peace.

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A Clamorous Reed Warbler briefly spread its wings while clinging to the reeds.

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A Common Hawk-Cuckoo watched us suspiciously from a power line.

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A Purple-rumped Sunbird (female) paused briefly on a slender perch before darting off again.

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A Common Moorhen paddled through the shallow water.

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We walked along the narrow path skirting the lake, with water stretching out on one side and green paddy fields on the other. The open sky, dotted with drifting clouds, made for a pleasant start to the morning as we scanned the edges for birds.

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Along the edge of the paddy fields we spotted both a Common Sandpiper and a Wood Sandpiper, quietly picking their way along the muddy bunds in search of food.

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A White-throated Kingfisher kept watch from a power line.

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A lone Water Lily bloomed among the floating leaves.

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A Blyth's Reed Warbler kept low among the dry stems.

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A flock of Lesser Whistling Duck flew past overhead.

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Still no trace of the Knob-billed Duck, except for a flock flying high above. Even my camera looked a little frustrated waiting for them to come closer.

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A Paddyfield Pipit stood on the dusty track, calling softly.

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A bright Western Yellow Wagtail walked along the path, pausing every now and then to pick at tiny insects.

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With the sky looking particularly beautiful, we decided to drive down the road to the other side of the lake, where there was a better chance of finding the Knob-billed Duck. At least, that was the hope.

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On the way, we stopped to admire a couple of Indian Rollers, their brilliant blues glowing in the morning light as they perched along the roadside.

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We soon stopped at a spot where we could finally see the Knob-billed Ducks resting out on the water.

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As soon as we stepped out of the car, the ducks erupted into a frenzy of wings, lifting off and circling the lake before settling again at a safe distance.

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Slowly, the chaos eased. A few of them began paddling back into view, their strange knobbed bills and glossy wings catching the light. After chasing them all morning, watching them glide calmly across the water felt like a small victory.

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Every now and then one of the Knob-billed Ducks would burst into the air again, gliding low over the water with those shimmering green wings flashing in the light.

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In between all the excitement with the knobs, an Asian Openbill drifted across the sky.

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Just when things seemed to settle down, a small flock of Glossy Ibis drifted overhead, their curved bills and slow wingbeats forming elegant silhouettes against the sky.

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With the duck mission finally accomplished, we decided to move on. The road ahead cut through open country and grassland, the sky still dotted with lazy clouds. Somewhere out there we hoped to spot another resident of these plains, the graceful Blackbuck.

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On the way we kept stopping for interesting sightings, like this Greater Spotted Eagle gliding silently.

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We also paused at a rookery, where leafless trees in the water were filled with nesting Great Cormorants.

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A few Black-winged Stilts patrolled the muddy shoreline on their long pink legs.

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A tiny Plain Prinia perched briefly on the thorny shrub before darting away again.

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A pair of Scaly-breasted Munias sat quietly among the pods of an acacia tree.

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A young Scaly-breasted Munia, its scaly breast pattern only beginning to form.

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A tiny Blue-tailed Damselfly rested on a blade of grass.

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We soon reached the grassland and began driving slowly along the narrow track, scanning the open landscape in the hope of spotting Blackbuck.

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A Eurasian Hoopoe walked through the dry grass, probing the ground for insects.

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A Bay-backed Shrike perched on a dry shrub.

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It took a while before shapes began to appear in the distance. At first they were just small moving dots against the grass. The binoculars confirmed it. A herd of Blackbuck.

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Two of the males suddenly broke into a run, their white rumps flashing as they bounded across the field. Even at a distance the elegant spiral horns were unmistakable.

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As we edged closer, the herd came fully into view. The dark chocolate coloured males with their long spiral horns stood apart while the pale females and younger animals grazed quietly in the grass.

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Just before we left the grasslands, a Eurasian Hoopoe appeared on a thorny perch, almost as if it had come to mark the end of the day’s sightings.

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By the time we finally turned back, the morning had given us far more than we had hoped for. The Knob-billed Ducks that had eluded us last year finally showed up, the lake kept offering one interesting bird after another, and the grasslands rewarded us with a glimpse of the elegant Blackbuck.

Not a bad way to settle unfinished business.

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