Flamingoes glide into the city…..Simit Bhagat
Mumbai: Bird watchers spotted about 200 flamingos at Sewri creek last week.This is the seasons first batch of migratory birds that has come all the way from Gujarat.
Expert bird watcher Mayuresh Khatavkar,who leads bird-watching trails for several environmental organizations,said,The first batch has finally arrived in the city.However,at present,the numbers are few and they will gradually increase in a months time.Flamingos were reportedly sighted in Sewri,Vashi creek and Airoli.
First sighted in Mumbai in 1994,flamingos have since been frequent visitors to the city.Generally,by November end,one can expect huge flocks of flamingos at mudflats and creek areas in the city.Last year,more than 15,000 greater and lesser flamingos were spotted in the city.
Naturalists state that flamingos breed in Gujarats Rann of Kutch region and then migrate to the city in search of food.In fact,the mass nesting of flamingos was first reported in 1883 by the late Maharao Khengarji of Kutch.
This year,since Kutch received good rainfall,their foodalgaewas available in plenty.However,now that water has started to recede there,the flamingos will soon start to arrive in the city and can be seen in full numbers by mid-February, said Adesh Shivkar,a city-based expert on birds.
However,on the other hand,several other migratory bird species such as red shanks,plovers,wagtails,warblers have already arrived in the city and can be spotted at wetlands such as Sewri and Vashi.
Some good places for watching these pink-feathered beauties are Sewri mudflats,Mahul jetty,Airoli Bridge,Vashi Bridge and Uran.The best time to watch them is five hours before the high tide or a couple of hours after it.
* PINK BOUNTY: The seasons first batch has arrived from Gujarat