HYDERABAD: There’s a nip in the air and bird-watching or birding which used to be quite an enjoyable activity of the denizens in Hyderabad especially because several migratory birds would fly from freezing zones of Russia, Canada, Scandinavia, and Northern China to warmer locations in Asia. The lakes of Hyderabad (Osman Sagar, Ameenpur Lake, Gandipet Lake among others) attracted them with enough food and vegetation, but they have moved to other regions further down South given the rains in October have made the water bodies in the city overflow with water. So, this year no Flamingos, Rosy Pastors, Comb Duck, Small Pratincole and Pinktails are to be sighted in these popular locations. But this hasn’t stopped the bird lovers from pursuing their favourite winter activity. Many have taken their binoculars and other equipment to watch the resident grassland birds in different forest areas and near lesser-known water bodies.
Disappointed
Since this time of the year, the water bodies do not have the shallow water level, people are going in a group of two or three for the birding. Says M Shafat Ullah, the erstwhile Secretary of Deccan Birders (DB), “Earlier we used to go in a group of at least once in a month but the ‘new normal’, due to the pandemic, has stopped that activity of ours. We are unofficially planning to go with a very small group of not more than four people. The other day, we went to the Manjeera Lake, Sangareddy and much to our dismay all the vegetation important for the migratory birds were submerged under the water.”
Some hop
However, many birders argue that one has to go and find different shorelines of the lakes and travel to other areas where there are lesser-known ponds. Says Srikanth Bhamidipati a keen birdwatcher for the past 15 years and an IT professional, “True, there are no shorelines for the birds to stop, but when the waters start receding, we can see the birds again. We have been seeing ducks regularly - wigeon, common pochard, gadwall which are migratory ones from Central Europe. Local migratory birds like green-winged teal, pelicans, bar-headed geese can be spotted in the far side of Osman Sagar. As of now, I have spotted only one peregrine falcon.” He goes to Osman Sagar, Ananthagiri Hills, Manjeera Lake, and Uma Maheshwaram to spot birds. He adds, “I always look for small lakes. That’s how I spotted Redheaded and Black-headed Bunting, both local and international. While driving we saw waders in a village.” Any suggestions for those who have started birdwatching during this time? “At Nizamabad, on the shores of the lakes birds can be seen. One just has to have a keen eye and the approach to locate.”
Surekha Aitabathula secretary DB says, “The migratory birds arrive between November and January and sometimes even during February. We stopped birdwatching field trips in March itself as we didn’t want to take a risk. No outdoor official birding trips for our members as of now. Once the water recedes we will get to the migratory species as they feed at the shores.
Clicking the birds
Many birdwatchers are passionate photographers. It’s not easy to photograph the birds always as many get disturbed with the use of cameras. Moreover, too many equipment items frighten the birds. Says Venugopal a birdwatcher and an engineer, “SLRs are great for clicking the pictures of the birds. Entry-level and mid-level cameras are best. One can choose a Nikon or a Canon; 300 mm zoom is fine.”
Books for birdwatching
There are many books available in the market on birds, their species, habitats, features and other details. Birdwatcher and blogger Humayun Taher, who has been into birdwatching for the past 34 years suggests, “I recommend ‘The Book of Indian Bird written some 50 years ago. It comes quite handy. Another one that I think of is ‘Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Sub-continent’. These books provide an insight into their behavioural study.” Other books that can be useful are Kingbird Highway written by Sandy Komito which is a compilation of 745 bird species found in the world. Another popular book is ‘Birds of Heaven: Travels With Cranes’ authored by nature writer, Peter Matthiessen. Those looking for information only on migratory birds can buy ‘Living on the Wind’ written by Scott Weidensaul, who is a Pulitzer Prize winner.
Portals for birdwatching
There are plenty of portals that provide you with each and every detail necessary for bird watching. For example, there is allaboutbirds.org, birdwatching.com, birdlifecyprus.com etc. Says Azam Khan another bird watcher, “With regular visits and a keen interest one can start differentiating between two species. Of course, it takes time. There is a website named ebird.org that can show you the exact pictures of birds that you want to see. For example, if you type ‘show me bird the size of a mynah’ or ‘bird with water-green feathers’, the website shows exactly those images.” There are many apps like BirdGenie, Audubon Birds, iBird Pro, National Geographic Birds, Peterson Birds, Sibley eGuide to Birds and Merlin are some of the latest smartphone apps to identify bird calls and help in digital field guides as well for birdwatchers.
Did you know?
Birdwatching was not common 50 years ago and Salim Ali, known as the birdman of India, did a survey of birds in 1935 by a grant given by Nizam. Now, there are around 650 birdwatchers in the city. The main birdwatching organisation is Deccan Birders previously known as the Birdwatchers Society of Andhra Pradesh (BSAP). Some members of the Great Hyderabad Adventure Club (GHAC) also go for birding. Birding Pals is another new birding club in the city. Gandipet till the last year was the hot-spot for the birdwatchers because some algae, that these birds survive on, is found in the water body.
— Saima Afreen
saima@newindianexpress .com @Sfreen