Bird race, organized by Bng Birds and HSBC Bangalore, was more about a day with birds and less about how many more than others – No we do not train and put our birds to race, rather from Dawn to Dusk we go around some pre-selected areas in and around Bangalore and try to see as many species of birds as possible. We go with an expert Birder, and the whole tiring day is like one long Birding picnic.
While we do birding 6 am to 6 pm, we meet other teams at a centrally located venue to hobnob with other birders and yes have a gala dinner together.
Ours was a green team – means we used only public transport and walked 14 km to see these wonderful flying creatures amidst the trees, rocks and bushes – some adults by age, some young adults and some very young together chasing birds.
We not only saw birds, but we also became familiar with the sounds of birds. And it was not only the birds but also the spiders, insects, and nesting all on our way which made our walks interesting apart from being very tiring and joyful.
Some highlights:
1. verditer flycatcher spotting from closeby was thrilling.
2. Few of us spotted the purple sunbird collecting nesting material from social spider webs and weaver ant nests (shared note on bngbirds)
3. We also spotted white-cheeked barbet inside nest hole and many coppersmith barbets
4. The paradise flycatcher showed up right in the beginning of the walk and in the evening kids kept mentioning it’s name besides verditer flycatcher.
Bird race did not get over the same day, it just began for many first-time birders. We continue to listen to the sounds of the birds and every sighting is celebrated!
Thank you, Chandu to continue to inspire young adults with your enthusiasm