eBird India Checklist - 5 Nov 2023 - Saul Kere / Sowl Kere - 41 species

eBird India Checklist - 5 Nov 2023 - Saul Kere / Sowl Kere - 41 species

Overnight rains, a cloudy day and my dear friend Neeta for company - quite a perfect start to a birding morning.  

It started with a sight of these piggies snuffling in the mud, surprising and amusing me.

The yellow tacoma bushes were a riot of yellow, and just past them, we saw the usual pond herons and swamp hens in plenty.

Today's surprises included a dozen pelicans - I did not see them on my last visit - and some Garganeys!

Also bumped into the bangalore birders in full strength including Garima.

The best moment was a pair of white-cheeked barbets, knocking on a dead tree, possibly nest building.

And oh yes, another checkered keel back - this one in the water, swimming away and into the hyacinth.

eBird India Checklist - 3 Nov 2023 - Saul Kere / Sowl Kere - 43 species

eBird India Checklist - 3 Nov 2023 - Saul Kere / Sowl Kere - 43 species

Lovely and long morning at Saul kere.  Walked to the lake and back.  Water levels, even lower, and the hyacinth is more.  The JCBs have done their job - there are storm water drains coming in from everywhere.

My morning highlight was a Cinereous Tit seen almost at the end, the scaly-breasted manias in plenty, and the Kingfishers flashing across the water.

The Prinias - so evident last time from all parts of the surrounding scrub, were conspicuously absent.

There was a yellow flowering tree, in a row, and I have identified it as Burmese Rosewood - it looked like a cross between the copepod and the laburnum!

The Marsh Harriers were here, but the birds were quite calm.  

No migrant ducks  did I spy.

Stilts at Saul kere, Bangalore - YouTube

Stilts at Saul kere, Bangalore - YouTube

Grey headed swamp hens at Saul kere, bangalore

Bangalore diaries - discovering Saul kere aka Ashy Prinia Heaven

Sarjapur diary - 

4th May 2023

I visited this lake today.  Saul kere, after an unsuccessful attempt to reach it a few days ago, I chose a straightforward path, off Sarjapur main road, past the fire station, apartment blocks, drainage canals, fruit vendors, an auto stand, a recycling station, into Maruti nagar, and finally the southern gate of the lake!

The entry was completely flooded with overnight rain mixed with sewage.  A Good Samaritan had placed stones to hop across - and I am proud that I did so without falling in the puddle, as I am wont to do.  

A 2km periphery mud bund was heavily used by walkers, joggers and later by pedestrians hurrying to the EZ large complex at the Western gate.

Saul Kere project must be redesigned to be bird-friendly - Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

For some strange reason, this part of the lake/wetland seems to be getting dredged.  Marsh is also good and natural, someone needs to tell BBMP.

All city Corporations seem to be the same....some strange (to me) ideas of restoration, beautification, development?

The lake is surrounded by Tech parks, offices, etc.  If one didn't but a boundary of some sort, then I guess this would just vanish?  Like erstwhile water bodies in T Nagar and Lake Area in Chennai and Indira Nagar in Bangalore

I enjoyed my walk, in solitude.  Solo birding after a long time.  

Ashy Prinias called from every bush, and from the reeds.  I have never heard so many at one spot!  

Each part of the lake had different colonies.  There were Black-headed ibis on one side, Great Coromorants on the central island, 

Cattle Egrets in breeding plumage in another area, along with pond herons.

40 species in an hour.  

Pelicans swam in their usual contemplative fashion - After many years, I saw a pelican walk - it strolled onto the dryer fringes.  The cattle egret hung around together in breeding plumage, the Ashy Prinias called from every tree, a couple of Brahminy Kites circled and settled in the middle, where the lake bed was being dredged, swamphens scratched around.  I did not see a single grebe - they were all at KKhalli lake?

In the more wooded area, beeeaters swooped and bulbuls called.  In the side nallahs, white-breasted waterhens cackled loudly, and the Spot-billed ducks swam in families in the more open waters.

Black ants were starting out on their home-building project.

It was a lovely cool morning, and the rain held off, I went back to the stepping stones - one of the stones had been knocked off - so damp socks, but happy me, as I walked out into urbania again.

Bangalore diary - Despondent about Kaikondrahalli lake

 25th April 2023

It is quite an adventure trying to cross the main Sarjapur road - tellingly, there are no pedestrian crossings, so you make your way, with a prayer on your lips and nerves of steel.  And a little too late, I realised the stupidity of trying to do this with 80+ year old mother as well.  

All this urban adventure in order to see Kaikondrahalli lake, which we had enjoyed on our previous visits. Mother and daughter let out a collective gasp of consternation on entry, as we were hit by the smell of sewage, and foamy, green water covered with hyacinth at the entrance run-off area.  It did not get better as we went in and around the lake on the bund - the water level was understandably low, but there was no sign of life - where were the fishes we would see? And where were all the ducks and coots and cormorants?

The path wound round to the other side, and here I saw a whole lot of Little Grebes

Of course there were more apartment blocks all around - to be expected - but not the flow of untreated sewage in from the side!

At the far end, in the submerged skeleton of the eucalyptus grove, the Large Cormorants continue to roost, and there were several Black Kite nests, untidy and large.

A large, undisturbed ant hill - I wonder if it is still intact after the rain of the last few days.

I listed 19 species, as we left and headed back for our reverse adventure crossing.

My mother entered the apartment complex, and exclaimed that she was not going back to the lake - it had made her so upset and despondent.  She did not want to go back.