Some 25 members of the Bird Watchers Field Club, Bangalore, led by ardent bird watcher, Deepa Mohan visited the Puttenahalli Lake on 8th Oct. After spotting the juvenile coots, little grebes and pheasant tailed jacanas and seeing a coot couple building a nest, Deepa called our lake a “nursery.” This was the nicest thing to hear about the lake we have been trying very hard to revive and sustain. The nesting shows that the birds feel safe to raise their young ones and the presence of large shoals of fish means that the water is clean enough for them to thrive.
Coot building its nest. Pic: Sushil Katre, BWFC
Coot building its nest. Pic: Sushil Katre, BWFC
A young Pheasant-tailed jacana. Pic: Sushil Katre, BWFC
One of the unusual sights we saw was a Purple Heron eating a black bird. We were so taken aback that we, including the photographers, could only gape at it and lost a rare photo opportunity! The marshy overgrowth which most people ask when we are going to remove is ideal for the birds. The BWFC was delighted to see that our lake has enough vegetation for the waders and other birds. Other lakes in the city which were cleared of the weeds made the water clean but drove away the birds.
After the lake visit, we went to the nearby Arekere Reserve Forest. The group went into raptures at the sight of spiders, insects and butterflies which began flitting after the cloudy sky gave way to the sun. What a beautiful sight it was to see them in so many colours and sizes. And to think that I have gone through the forest very many times in the past and not seen any! The BWFC opened my eyes. This blog opened up our lake to everyone in the city. It was what brought Deepa and her team to Puttenahalli Lake!
Watch this space for an announcement of a Nature Camp at the lake to be held next month. It will have limited registration. If you would like to be an early bird and book a place, please email to puttenahalli.lake@gmail.com. ⊕
It’s lovely to see the hard work you and your team have put in, yielding slow but sure results, Usha. However, it’s not the vegetation (though that also helps) but the sloping shores of the lake that bring in the waders and, we are hoping, will bring some migrants to the lake. At present, though, it is already a fertile breeding ground for several local birds! As the tree cover grows, this can only become a better haven for many life forms. We salute your efforts and will gladly support them in any way we can.