Agnipankh - The pink beauties of Bhigwan !

Bhigwan, also known as "Bharatpur of Maharashtra" is a must-visit place for every bird enthusiast and wildlife photographer in Maharashtra during the migratory months (Dec-Mar). I have heard a lot about this place in various birding communities, especially about the Greater flamingos (Pink beauties) that migrate here mostly from Africa but never managed to visit the place. This time I was continuously keeping an eye on these tours from the beginning of the year. As the water levels start to get down in February, the number of these migratory birds increases drastically and we get a good opportunity to see and photograph them closely. Finally, I got to know about a photography tour organized by a well-known photography group in Pune called "Impressions photography workshops and expeditions". It was a full-day tour with boat rides in the morning as well as the afternoon so we can capture these beauties in different lighting conditions. The tour also had a small birding walk in nearby areas and photography critique/discussion sessions.  That's exactly what I was looking for so without any second thought, I decided to join them.

On 18th March, we started very early from Pune at around 4 am so that we can reach the place on time and get the early boat ride during the golden hour. We were a group of 6 people along with 2 group leaders, Sarang Mhaskar and Manasi Chaphalkar who are instructors from the Impressions photography group. It was around 2 Hrs drive from Pune (approx. 115 Km) to reach the "Agnipankh Flamingo Point" at Kumbhargaon village in Bhigwan. This is a small village at the bank of the backwaters of Ujani dam which is home to a variety of resident and migratory bird species. One can find around 30-50 unique bird species in this area and hence it's called the bird paradise.

As we reached the jetty point where the boat ride begins, the just-risen sun above the wall of the dam spread a tinge of orange all over the water and golden rays of sunlight lit up the scene. This was the perfect start for our tour. We set up our cameras, did some basic settings under the guidance of group leaders, and positioned ourselves into the boat. Photographing these birds from the continuously moving boat itself was a challenge but we were prepared and all set for this exciting journey.

Boats are all set for the ride. 

It was a beautiful morning at the lake and the melody of birds from all corners made the atmosphere lively. As we started to go deeper into the lake we realized that this place is not just about the Flamingos but it is a wintering home for a variety of other migratory and resident bird species as well.

Grey heron standing still on one of the rocks with full concentration on fishing caught our attention and became our first photographic subject. We did some trial and error with different camera settings to adjust the light and got some good shots. As we moved further, we could see there were many small islands got created due to lower water levels, and most of them were crowded with Asian open bills busy finding their food in the algae and mud. As the boat approached them, they just keep flying from one island to other. This gave us a good opportunity to click some action shots as well. We could spot different types of ducks like Spot-billed ducks, Little grebes as well, but the Common coots were the highest in number. There were a few black-headed ibises as well peeping out from the large groups of Asian open bills.

We could also see a lot of common water birds like Black-winged stilts, brown-headed seagulls, and River terns at the edge of the water and we could capture a few of them with reflections as well. Our leaders were constantly guiding us about the settings, compositions, and other aspects of photography. We were really enjoying this boat ride. It was really a treat to see these many species of birds sharing the same habitat and still not fighting for food. That's the magic of Nature.

Grey heron, Black-headed ibis, and Asian open bill

Slowly and steadily we were approaching the most awaited area where The greater flamingos, our main attraction of the tour spends most time of the day. Our boatman pointed us in the right direction and we could see the pinkish color line along the water near one of the bigger islands. This site brought a lot of excitement to the group. Everyone was extra careful in adjusting their camera settings to capture these pink beauties in the best possible way. 

After reaching a certain distance from birds, boat engines were stopped and our boatmen started paddling the boat to go as close as possible without disturbing them. We also sat down or laid down silently in the boat so that they don't get disturbed and we could get good eye-level shots. One large flock of flamingos was foraging close to us in the shallow water and another was foraging on the grass on the island at a distance. A perfect golden light falling on their wings added an extra charm to their beauty.  It was a memorable experience to see more than 100-200 flamingos at a time from such a short distance and when all of them stretch their necks and look upwards at the same time, It makes the scene picture perfect. We could not resist ourselves, capturing each and every movement of these magnificent birds. Some of the individuals in the flock periodically flutter their wings and the bright pink and black color pattern on their fully spread huge wings looks magical and that is why they are rightly called Agnipankh - The Wings of Fire. 

We spent around an hour watching all of their activities including their famous march, their rhythmic dance (by tapping their feet on the riverbed in a rhythmic manner for finding their food), and the heart shape formations by some of the couples in the flock. The flight pattern of these birds is also unique. The whole flock starts running on the ground for some distance and once the leader makes a call, all of them take off together opening their huge wings and putting the sky on fire. Photographing these pink beauties in the beautiful golden light for such a long time was really a lifetime experience and I would definitely make this tour a ritual for every winter season. As we were running out of time and wanted to explore other parts of the lake as well for some more migratory birds, we left the flamingos alone and went ahead.

Agnipankh - The greater flamingos in action

We were lucky to spot the group of Bar-headed geese on another island nearby. They are other famous migratory birds here that travel all the way from Siberia. They are known for their high flights and some of them are recorded to be flying over Mount Everest as well. They are similar to ducks in size but have prominent black bars on their heads. We got some nice shots of these in a group with a nice lush green foreground. It was around 9 o clock when the sun started to get brighter, it was time to find some Raptor activities. Our boatman was master at this and he already saw some action happening at a long distance. and started moving the boat quickly in that direction. As we came closer, we saw a full-grown Marsh harrier male sitting on the ground and he was having a kill in his mouth. Again, seeing a raptor with the kill was a perfect photographic opportunity and we were lucky to get some closeup shots as well. 

To make things interesting, a Greater spotted eagle came flying from nowhere and took away the kill from the harrier. All of this action happened in no time and we could not even move the focus of our cameras to him while he stole the kill. We just managed to click a few flying shots of the eagle with the kill and some ground shots when he landed on another island nearby. After witnessing all this drama for around 15-20 mins, it was time to head back to the jetty. We all were quite happy and pleased with this fruitful and action-packed boat ride and got back to our hotel hoping for another thrilling boat ride in the evening.

A group of Bar-headed geese (Winter migrants)

After having a good breakfast, we had some leisure time before lunch so we decided to roam around the banks of the lake on foot to explore the wildlife around the lake. We walked through the fields in the nearby area and across some small grasslands as well. We could see some small bird species like larks,  wagtails, pipits, etc. Different types of Egrets, stilts, and lapwings were also present in large numbers in the shallow waters near the lake. Due to the harsh light, we could not get very good photographs but we managed to get some record shots. We could see a group of Painted storks flying around as well but could not find their roosting place to photograph them. After walking for an hour in the sweltering heat, we were a bit tired and we came back to our hotel for taking some rest and preparing for the evening ride. 

Before having lunch, we had an interesting photo critique session as well where our group leaders, Sarang and Manasi evaluated the pictures we took in the morning ride and gave us some very good suggestions and areas of improvement. It was a nice interactive session that addressed many on-filed challenges we had and some ways to overcome them. While we were having our lunch at around 2 PM, the weather started changing suddenly and in no time, the rain started pouring like anything. The rain was so heavy that everyone was worried if we would be able to do the evening boat ride but Sandeep (the owner of the Agnipankh flamingo point) was quite sure that it was just a passing shower and it won't last long and that's what happened. In the next 45 mins, the rain stopped completely and we started seeing clearer skies. We all got charged up again, prepared all our gear, and with high hopes, we started the evening boat at around 4 PM.

Raptors in action from a morning boat ride

The main focus of the evening ride was to capture the flamingos with the sunset and try some dramatic compositions with sellouts. As we had plenty of time before sunset, we decided to explore a few more parts of the lakes that we missed in the morning. This place is full of wonders, you just need to learn where to look. Soon we were able to spot another famous resident species of this area, A Painted Stork. There was a group of 3-4 painted storks scanning through the waters in search of their meal. They were so focused that they did not even bother to look at us when we were so close to them. We waited there for some time hoping to see some action and capture them with the catch of fish but it did not happen and we could get only still photos. While moving toward the sunset point, we saw a group of Asian Spoonbills which are known for their unique spoon-shaped bills. We came across an interesting and cute behavior from them where a couple of birds were preening to each other with their bills. This might be their way to show love and affection for each other. There was a pair of Black-tailed godwits as well nearby foraging on the grass. The male in full plumage was getting all the attention because of his attractive colors. We shot them for a while and moved further. The list of birds here is unending and bird enthusiasts can fill their hearts capturing them for the whole day but as we wanted to capture the sunset, we had to hurry.

Highlights from the evening boat ride

As we reached the sunset point, there were a few boats already positioning themselves so that they could get photos with the correct angle and light. A flock of flamingos was there on the island in front of us but this time it was not as close as it was in the morning. It was probably the last hour of light, and still, the light has not improved much. It was still a bit dark and cloudy due to the showers in the afternoon. As this was our last opportunity in the day to photograph flamingos, we all were hoping that they will move to another island nearby which had a very good backdrop and it was closer to us but we were not lucky this time. The birds continued to stay in the same place until sunset which also happened a little earlier than usual because of the cloudy weather. Even though we did not get many photographic opportunities (We could capture a few shots with the setting sun), it was a pleasure watching them again in different light conditions in different surroundings. 

Waiting at sunset point to capture flamingos with the setting sun

With a little heavy heart, we ended the boat rise and came back to the hotel, had some refreshments, and started packing for the return journey. Although our evening safari did not go the way we wanted, our trip was successful and the experience we got throughout the day was memorable. After thanking Mr. Sandeep and his team for being wonderful hosts and expert guides, we left the place at around 7.30. All of us were feeling so happy and satisfied and were cherishing the best moments throughout the return journey until we reached Pune at around 9.30 PM. 

It was truly an amazing combination of a Birding experience and an on-field photography workshop and it was perfectly arranged by Sarang, Manasi, and the Impression photography group so a big thanks to them. Looking forward to more such experiences.

Happy Birding and keep Clicking !!!

Here is the list of bird species we spotted during the tour:

Here are some pointers for the people who are planning this tour

• Contact Agnipankh flamingo point for a boat ride and other arrangements (https://goo.gl/maps/AqZx9WS8h95Z7Mz46)

• Distance from Pune is around 115 Km that is a 2 -2.5 Hr drive.

• Plan your trip when the water levels become low (Mostly after Feb 15 to March end)

• Try to reach early morning and start the boat ride around 6.30 - 7 to get the best light. 

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