The first day of 2022 saw me heading towards Hoskote lake for some early morning birding. The flood water hasn't receded from the birding area, so I trespassed the adjacent farm fields and watched some birds who also trespassed. Here are the pics...
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My first sighting was of this Black Drongo who drove away the Cattle Egrets and occupied the cattle class seats on a bull...
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The Drongo was happily making sorties to take insects disturbed by the grazing bull...
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...An immature Purple Heron was surveying the surroundings from a high perch...
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A Greater Coucal was walking in the farm trying to find a good place to hide...
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An Intermediate Egret displayed his elegant flight...
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And an Indian Spot-billed Duck displayed its elegant swim...
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A Eurasian Hoopoe landed in the field...
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I watched the Eurasian Hoopoe for a while. The solitary forager probes the ground for insects with the full length of its bill...
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A Purple Heron did a fly-past...
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A Great Egret made a splash and caught a fish and I clicked at will...
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The Red-wattled Lapwings did not make the alarmist 'pity-you-do-it' calls. Probably they knew that I was not that adventurous to cross the water and snatch their eggs...
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A female Indian Robin was seen next...
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An Intermediate Egret...
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And a Little Egret trying to pick up fish...
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A Long-tailed Shrike marked its presence...
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The unreachable birding area seemed to be brimming with activities. Hope the water recedes before the migrants go back...
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I thought about migrants and almost instantly a male Siberian Stonechat showed up...
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And then another visitor, a Wood Sandpiper was spotted among the drip-irrigation pipes in the farm...
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And another visitor, a non-breeding adult or immature Pheasant-tailed Jacana...
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A White-throated Kingfisher was perched on an irrigation pump...
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The sun came out and out came the butterflies. A mimic of a male Danaid eggfly was seen. Here's the underside of its wing...
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And here's the upperside...
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A male Purple Sunbird shined and sang in the emerging sunlight...
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The first day of the year was highly satisfying. Hope you enjoyed the pics. Covid 19 cases are increasing again and the administration is imposing weekend curfew from this week. Weekends are the only time I get for birding. Hoping against hope that things will get better soon.
Do post your thoughts in the comments section below.
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