Backwaters at Qurum Park

Tucked away a few hundred metres behind the popular Qurum Park is this untouched patch of about 200meters of stagnant water , fed by high tide of the Arabian sea, is an oasis of life , a stone throw distance from human habitation. This area shares a boundry with an ampitheatre.
We met another birder there who showed us his prized captured of a Bee-Eater,we were pleasantly surprised by the number of wild visitors we saw.While one of us photographed them the other was with Diya. If she was not watching the dragonflies she was throwing pebbles into the water and as they splashed she smiled.

Great Cormorant.
A large aquatic bird found mainly in warmer and tropical locations, mostly on the sea but at times on inland waters .Cormorants have a heavy body, generally dark plumage and their eyes are green.It is one of the few birds which can move its eyes, which assists in hunting.The feet are webbed, the bill is long with the upper mandible terminally hooked.
Being excellent swimmers, Cormorants chase fish underwater.After fishing, cormorants go ashore, and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun.

Curlews.
They are characterised by a long slender downcurved bill and mainly brown plumage brown and long legs.They feed on mud or very soft ground, searching for worms and other invertebrates with their long bills. They will also take crabs and similar items.

Black-winged Stilt.
This is a widely distibuted very long-legged wader in the avocet and stilt family.They have long pink legs, a long thin black bill and are blackish above and white below, with a white head and neck with a varying amount of black. Males have a black back, often with greenish gloss. Females' backs have a brown hue, contrasting with the black remiges.
Immature birds are grey instead of black and have a markedly sandy hue on the wings, with light feather fringes appearing as a whitish line in flight.

Red-wattled Lapwing.
They are large waders,with a red fleshy wattle in front of each eye, black-tipped red bill, and long yellow legs.Males and females are similar in plumage but males have a 5% longer wing and tend to have a longer carpal spur.It usually keeps in pairs or trios in well-watered open country, ploughed fields, grazing land, and margins and dry beds of tanks and puddles.
Its striking appearance is supplemented by its noisy nature, with a loud and scolding did-he-do-it call.

Indian Roller.
They are found in open grassland and light forest areas.The crown and vent are blue. In flight the primaries and secondaries show bright shades of blue. It is known for the aerobatic displays of the male during the breeding season. Males and females are however not readily distinguishable.

Bee-Eater.
As the name suggests, Bee-Eaters predominantly eat flying insects, especially bees and wasps, which are caught in the air by sallies from an open perch.They are characterised by richly coloured plumage, slender bodies, and usually elongated central tail feathers. All are colorful and have long downturned bills and pointed wings, which give them a swallow-like appearance when seen from afar.

Other commom visitors here are:
Red-vented Bulbul

Yellow-vented Bulbul

White-cheeked Bulbul












Night Herons.

Greater Flamingos.

While the photography of wild life is in session we take turns to entertain Diya.

Finally a sunset.