Nishka recently turned six and to celebrate her birthday, she and her dozen friends, spent the evening at Puttenahalli Lake. Yes! It was an excited all-girls group, accompanied by Nishka’s parents. The lake tour was a part of the birthday party schedule and the little girls were thrilled at being outdoors during a party.

When asked why she decided to take the children to the lake, Nishka’s mom, Nupur said that she wanted to do something different. "In the house we entertain them with art and craft or a video. Nishka’s friends had not been to the lake and I felt the birds would excite them. Also this was a good opportunity to spread awareness about the lake."   

The children took a long walk around the lake, spotting the birds in the water, on trees and in the sky. The families of coots and whistling ducks were quite visible with the naked eye, but viewing them through binoculars was a different thing! The girls couldn’t wait for their turn with the binoculars. The "blue bird" in the shallow waters (the Purple Swamphen) was a major attraction, because of its vibrant colour and its proximity to the fence.

Apart from seeing the life that the lake supports, and learning the names of some of the birds and plants, the children were told a story on the importance of lakes and why we should work towards preserving them. We hope it was an enlightening hour for the children that they will long remember.

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