Siwree 25th march 2007

The news of flamingoes having arrived at Sewri has created a nice buzz in
the city's birding community and I am sure all have it on their agenda to
treat their world weary eyes to the sea of pink at the earliest. Well, MBC
BirdWatch at Sewri this evening therefore had an eager participation by over
30 members.

Reaching there at a little past 5 PM, we had to face dissappointment
initially since the tide timings were miscalculated and the water was still
quite high. But all waited with tenacity for the tide to recede and with
just about 45 minutes of sunlight remaining, the flamingoes began to put up
appearance - initially in small flocks of a couple of hundreds flying low
over the water searching for suitable place to settle down. With just about
half an hour before dusk, we all rushed to the Colgate Factory where over
1500 Lesser Flamingoes were feeding at the edge of receding tide, barely 50
metres away. There were also many thousands on the farther side.

There's not much one can write about this visual feast. You just have to get
there soon and experience it!

Also of interest was seeing, amongst the usual waders and other
shorebirds, over 50 Black-headed Ibis flying towards their roost and four
species of Terns - Little, Caspian, Gull-billed and Whiskered, with the
latter two in their breeding plumages.

Best wishes
KB
--
Kanwar B Singh