Coming back from amazing tiger sightings at Bandhavgadh, it was now time for some bird watching. So I planned a 1-day trip to Bhigwan. Bhigwan is a birder’s paradise situated 100kms from Pune towards Solapur. It’s mainly famous for its flamingos and other migratory raptors and waders.
So the next morning , we left at 4 am from Thane and reached there by 9. We had breakfast at Mr. Sandip Nagare’s homestay. It is the best place one can go and Mr. Sandip has very knowledgeable guides . Before leaving for the boat ride, I began nosing around and saw some egrets, herons, terns , gulls and wagtails. In the waters, we saw many waders like Common Coots, Spot Billed Ducks, Northern Shovelers and Glossy Ibis. I managed to get some good shots of the Coots running on water.
As we moved on , we saw a flamboyance of Greater Flamingos landing, with some Ruddy Shelducks and Herons welcoming them. We spent some time with that flock but it flew to join another flock. As we followed them , the numbers multiplied and it turned into a huge flock. As more and more flamingos joined the party, it was complete madness. I was astonished to see so many of them together. I managed to get a couple of decent shots though the light wasn’t in my favour.
We also saw a Greater Spotted Eagle who had just finished its hunt and enjoying its leisure. Giving him company was a cormorant; fishing around . There was a flock of Northern Shovelers who were dancing in the sky. My eyes fell on a pair of Ruddy Shelduck or Brahminy Ducks. The pair intrigued me as their flight and landing was so well synchronised. They posed for the camera as if it was their daily affair. These ducks remind you of the cartoon character Donald duck and hence are very cute ducks.
The harsh rays of the sun fell on a perch on which we saw a common kingfisher. The Kingfisher shone like a blue pearl. I got as close as possible to get my clicks without disturbing the bird.
It was time to leave and head back to the dock. The whole ride was filled with complete madness and craziness because of the dancing flamingos, sporty ducks, furious Eagle , greedy cormorants, lazy kingfisher, tiny wagtails, bold storks and herons. It was nostalgic for me as I had experienced something similar in 2016 which was my first visit to Bhigwan.
If you are planning a trip to Bhigwan , then do contact Mr. Sandip Nagare.
- Phone number:- 9960610615 9797571734
- Main Attractions:- Bhigwan Bird Sanctuary, Mayureshwar WLS, Rehekuri Blackbuck Sanctuary.
- Nearest Airport:- Pune
- Nearest Rail:- Baramati
- Distance from Pune:- 100km
