Last weekend, I ventured out to Saul Kere in the rain. Thankfully, the drizzle stayed kind enough not to ruin the outing or my camera. The lake was buzzing with activity, and I came back with a whole lot of photos and plenty of mud stuck to my shoes.
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I walked into Saul Kere to find a calm lake, grey skies, a light drizzle, and an unreasonable amount of green.
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Barely into the walk, the first bird showed up. A Cinereous Tit perched quietly among the thorny branches.
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A Purple Sunbird showed up at a pomegranate flower.
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A little further along, I found a Black Drongo and a White-throated Kingfisher sharing the same set of wires.
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The kingfisher suddenly spotted prey in the water and dashed off.
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And there it was. The kingfisher returned with its catch and settled back on the wire, looking rather pleased with itself.
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Egrets, herons, ibises, pelicans and cormorants were packed into the shallows, feeding and moving around like they all had places to be.
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The Spot-billed Pelicans worked the shallows with their big bills, while the Grey Herons took the slow and patient approach, standing perfectly still and waiting for an opportunity.
The Brahminy Kite dropped low, hit the water and came up with a fish while the Little Egret could only watch from the sidelines.
The bougainvillea was putting on quite a show while the waterbirds carried on below.
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A small group of Indian Spot-billed Ducks came gliding through the shallows.
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A lone Glossy Ibis quietly worked the edge of the lake.
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Another Spot-billed Pelican, this time cruising through the shallows.
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Away from the open water, I found a Greenish Warbler tucked into the vegetation.
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Black Drongos, a shrike, barbets and bulbuls all shared the same perch, each seemingly waiting for the others to leave first.
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A White-throated Kingfisher and a Black-rumped Flameback shared the same bare tree, turning an otherwise quiet perch into a colourful little lookout.
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The Greater Coucal looked like it had found the coldest perch in the neighbourhood.
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An Oriental Honey Buzzard rested in the shadows, almost disappearing into the dark canopy.
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A Blue-faced Malkoha waited out the rain on a dripping branch, as if the downpour was all part of the plan.
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The final sighting of the morning was another Black-rumped Flameback, quietly working its way up a tree.
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Thus ended a wet, muddy morning, but one well worth it. How are the September rains in your part of the world? Do comment and tell me how they’ve been treating you.
