Life Around a Dry Hoskote Lake

Hoskote looked very different this time.

The migratory season is over, the lake has dried up completely, and most of the waterbirds have either returned or moved on to better wetlands. Now, Hoskote waits quietly for the pre monsoon or monsoon showers to bring the lake back to life again.

Even without the usual flocks of waterbirds, the morning was far from empty. The resident birds were already preparing for the rainy season ahead. Baya Weavers were busy building their intricate nests, turning dry grass into little hanging masterpieces, while a few familiar faces around the lake added colour to the quiet summer landscape.

Here’s a small photo story from a quiet morning at Hoskote.

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I was a little late for the perfect sunrise shot, but Hoskote still managed to put on a beautiful morning show.

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The stars of the morning were undoubtedly the male Baya Weavers. Busy and restless, they worked tirelessly on their intricate hanging nests, preparing well ahead of the rains.

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A Red whiskered Bulbul posed briefly in the morning light, adding a splash of colour and a familiar cheerful presence.

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The male Baya Weaver put on quite a show, calling and fluttering around the unfinished nest as visiting females inspected his work before giving their approval.

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A Rose ringed Parakeet paused briefly before disappearing in its usual noisy style.

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I spent a long time simply watching these meticulous little builders, weaving, inspecting, calling, and endlessly fine tuning their hanging homes.

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One ambitious little architect arrived with his first strand of grass. He would probably make hundreds of trips, carrying strand after strand, nearly 500 flights in all, before the nest was finally complete.

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A Cattle Egret stood quietly in the soft morning light, looking unusually elegant in its breeding colours.

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A Shikra watched silently from the thorny branches, alert and perfectly hidden.

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An Oriental Magpie Robin paused on a wire, framed against the encroaching city in the background.

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This was the first time in many years that I had seen Hoskote Lake completely dry. The harsh summer had taken its toll, leaving behind open grasslands and cracked earth where water once stretched across the horizon. But with the monsoon only weeks away, the lake would soon begin filling up again, starting another cycle of life.

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Another first for me at Hoskote was this beautiful Green Vine Snake. I have come across keelbacks here quite often, but spotting this slender little hunter so perfectly blended into the branches was a completely new experience.

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Two Indian Rollers added their usual splash of impossible blues, sitting calmly on old tree stumps like little pieces of the sky had come down to rest.

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The last bird of the day was a Jacobin Cuckoo, the much loved harbinger of the monsoon. Somehow, it felt like a promise that the rains were not too far away.

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Hoskote may be dry for now, but the rains will soon bring the lake back to life again. Until then, the weavers, cuckoos, rollers, and countless other residents will quietly keep the story going.

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