In balmy Ujani backwater, regal flamingos and other winged visitors enjoy ‘winter warmth’

PUNE:

The backwater

of the Ujani dam, constructed on the

Bhima river

, is teeming with winged visitors, especially the regal flamingos who find a perfect breeding spot at Bhigwan — also called as Bharatpur of Maharashtra.


A 2km off-road drive after a small turn off the Pune-Solapur road leads to the flamingo watching spot at Diksal in Bhigwan. Varieties of ducks, herons, egrets, raptors and waders along with large flocks of flamingos are sighted here.

“Flamingos usually arrive here by the end of December or the first week of January, but they have arrived very early this year. We saw them in the lake in the last week of October,” said Ganga Ram, a local businessman who ferries wild-life enthusiasts to view the flamingos. And the business has been good this year. “Over 1,200 flamingos have arrived. My husband makes 3 to 4 trips with the visitors in a day. We charge anything between Rs 1,800-2,000 per trip,” said Ram’s wife, Mangal.

“I rode my bike from Pune. I love photography and have shot over 600 photos of different kinds of birds,” said Rahul Khare, a Pune based freelance photographer. “Photography enthusiasts should hire boats to explore the wetlands and try and get here by 7am,” he added.

“Of the two species of flamingos, the taller one is known as the Greater Flamingo. Their feathers are more white than pink. They have light pink beaks with a dark tip. The Lesser Flamingos are pinker in colour, with shorter legs. Bhigwan gets more Greater Flamingos,” said ornithologist Dharamraj Patil.

He added the winter migratory grounds of Sewree mudflats in Mumbai have been under threat due to the Mumbai Trans Harbour link project of flyovers passing through the site. In order to conserve such migratory birds, it is important to protect all the wetlands including lakes, rivers and coastal mudflats from the consequences of developmental pressure. Ujani dam is a favourite spot not only for the migratory birds but also for the other 230 species that dwell here. In the months of December to March, the backwaters of Ujani dam serve as a wintering home for several migratory birds like Greater Flamingo, Eurasian Spoonbill, Bar Headed Goose, Collared Pratincole and the Osprey, bird of prey, Painted storks, bareheaded geese and Demoiselle cranes among others.

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