Pune: Monsoon has turned the city and its surrounding forests into hotspots for birdwatching, with nature enthusiasts heading to locations such as Pashan lake, Khadakwasla dam, Sinhagad fort, Tamhini ghat and Bhigwan bird sanctuary for weekend birding trails.“It is the best time of the year to spot birds like the Asian paradise flycatcher, Malabar whistling thrush, Indian cuckoo, grey-headed canary-flycatcher and colourful kingfishers which become more active during this time,” said Apurva Jadhav, a birdwatcher and resident of Aundh.“We have planned to visit locations like Wai and Saswad to check out the birding activity there. This year, there seem to be an abundance of birds in these areas,” said Mahesh Nimbalkar, a photographer, birder and resident of Kothrud.Gaurav Shelar, who owns Shelar Farms at Pangare village, said, “There are more than 500 photographers who have already visited the area to catch a glimpse of the famous Vernal Hanging Parrot. It is one of India’s smallest parrots and known for its habit of sleeping while hanging upside down. We have an abundance of them in the area and they usually come during this season.”Sandip Nagare, a conservationist and bird guide from Kumbhargaon near Bhigwan, said, “There is plenty of birding activity in the area. Birdwatchers and photographers are booking boat and jeep safaris to spot different species. We are seeing many rain quails, owls, Painted Francolin and the native bunch of flamingos too.”Tamhini ghat also transforms into a birders paradise in the monsoon. “Breeding activity, bird calls and species that are difficult to spot during the drier months can be seen in the monsoon. Some commonly spotted birds in the area include Indian pitta, sunbirds, Malabar whistling thrush, barbets and many more,” said Yug Bapat, bird watcher and resident of Wanowrie.Additionally, some areas within the core city like the tekdis and the forest areas are seeing good birding activity. “Areas near NIBM are a surprisingly rich mix of woodland, scrub and grassland birds. The white-throated kingfisher, red whiskered bulbul and black drongo can be seen in the monsoon,” said Fatima Sheikh of Undri.
