Treks and travels

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Treks and travels

My birding trips to Hesaraghatta lake

Posted: 12 Mar 2016 08:28 AM PST

I had visited Hesaraghatta lake with family a few years ago. After walking on the tank bund, we went to the lake bed. It was a pathetic sight as the place was littered with glass bottles and plastic covers. The sight of unruly drunkards was too dangerous to ignore with family around. We just decided to move away from that filthy place and people.


Brahminy Kite
Never thought that I would visit that place again.

Ashy Crowned Sparrow Lark


When I and Sankara were looking for birding places near Bengaluru, Hesaraghatta lake was on one of the places in the list. I was skeptical based on my previous experience but I ended up visiting twice last month.



The place had not improved from my previous visit. The litter had increased. Since it was early morning, drunkards were not present. Well, it is not just the drunkards who have destroyed this place. Bird photographers, villagers nearby and driving enthusiasts have also contributed for the damage though the mess left by drunkards is most visible.

Oriental Skylark

Paddy field pipit
Nevertheless, the place is great for bird watching, especially in winters. Though renowned for raptors, the place has some good population of aquatic birds. 

Little Ringed Plower
Common greenshank
During our first visit, we just confined ourselves to the lake bed. We lost our way while trying to reach the other side of the lake but ended up in a smaller but more pristine lake. It was a beautiful spot indeed.

Yellow Wagtail
Later we felt that we missed the "grasslands" and hence went back to the place after 15 days. The entry to grasslands was restricted mainly because of the menace caused by four wheelers. The guard did allow us inside after getting convinced that we were the "good people". While it was a good walk inside grasslands, it did not yield much results in terms of avian sightings. We headed back to the lake bed which promised good sightings.

Lone tree at Hesaraghatta grasslands
Note:

While the place is good for birding, I do not feel safe to bring my family with me. Avoid the evenings as the drunkards play havoc in the area. If not for them, this could have been a great place to spend evening.