Hi
today i went to a remote village Basuldanga with my gym-friends Raj and Moinak to visit the latter's ancestral home. We started at 5am and drove directly to the village which is a few kilometres away from Diamond Harbour, and reached early morning. I got good opportunity to do some birding in the orchards, wetlands and farmlands of the village. Huge tracts in the village is still covered with lush green orchards and wild vegetation. My friends accompanied me during the birding session, and they took a lot of interest in birdwatching. The orchards and gardens were vibrating with bird calls. We laid down in the shade of the lichi-grove and watched the birds. Red-whiskered bulbuls seemes to be more common than their red-vented cousins. We observed the Common Ioras as they searched for insects among the branches. I also spotted a rufous woodpecker in the orchards.
A pair of Black naped Monarchs were found busy playing admist the thickets. And Black headed Orioles were almost everywhere entertaining us with their melodious fluty calls. A white Paradise Flycatcher was spotted just once. I am quite certain that these untouched orchards surely attract many winter migrants and passage migrants.
We tried to impart some knowledge about bird conservation to the villagers to spread awareness.
They were eager to learn about the birds, and I showed them my bird albums, and told them about the importance of birds in ecosystem. They were astonished to see the lovely photographs of the hill and forest birds. The children promised me to save the birds of the village. I hope they will convey the message to the other villagers.
We enjoyed bathing in the village pond, and then had a tasty lunch of rice and maccher-jhol. In the afternoon, we went to the adjoining wetlands of the Netra village and spotted some nice birds including the Bronze-winged jacana, Lesser Whistling ducks, Purple moorhens and Water cocks. There were huge monitor lizards swimming in the ponds. We even got a glimpse of an Otter.
The villagers told us that different migratory birds gather in the lakes and ponds during winter. I came to know from Moinak,s grandfather, that a Pied Crested Cuckoo visits their garden in the morning to feed on the caterpillars. We searched for the cuckoo in vain.
A large Brown fish resides in an old mango tree beside their pond. It utters ghostly blood-curdling hoots at night. Grand pa showed us the nest of a Lineated Barbet in the garden, and a huge colony of Flying-foxes (fruit bats).
In the evening we left for Kolkata listening to the howls of the jackals.
Sharing the pic of Bronze-winged Jacana.
Regards
Shantanu :)
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