The second destination at Bhitarkanika is famous for its National Park spread over 145 square kilometres. It is surrounded by the Wildlife Sanctuary that is spread over 672 square kilometres. Gahirmatha beach and Marine Sanctuary are to the east, separating the swamp region and mangroves from the Bay of Bengal. The park and the sanctuary are overwhelmed by the rivers Brahmani, Baitarani, Dharma and Pathsala. It’s the second-largest Mangrove ecosystem in India.
Our host here was Bijoy Das. He has a simple homestay about 500 metres from the National Park called Mangrove Pitta Homestay. The boat rides provide an excellent opportunity to spot and get close to some 7 different species of Kingfishers. We did spot all seven but managed to click only 6. This trip takes my tally of KFs to 8. Four more and I can continue the legacy of one Mr. VM and bring out a revealing calendar at some point.
At the national park, I got about 7 lifers. They are not great shots, hence not adding them to this blog. They are updated in my record list here.
Following are images from the three sessions we managed to pack in about 28 hours here.
The common KF looked bright in the harsh afternoon light, also managed to get some prawns for a snack.
Previously, I hadn’t gotten a decent shot of the Pied KF. Managed a few this time around.
The Black-capped KF seemed the most shy among the 7 we found here. Hard to get a closer shot of these bright fellows.
Got lucky with a few action shots of this one including a Pond Heron chasing one from a perch.
The Collared KF is a muted beauty that can be lost among the greenery. Or, when a Striated Heron decides to photo-bomb.
The one that’s the boldest or the least shy is the Brown-winged KF. We could shoot this with our phones. Hence, managed a whole lot of them including some with a meal.
Apart from KFs, one could also spot other species including Whimbrels and Striated Herons.
Some of the other non-feathered ones were curious about our presence too.
Why not end the trip with signature sunset profile shots?
See you later…Crocodile.
Lovely photos!Agree with you about using bird calls I think it should be made illegal to use taped recordings of bird calls.one thing you didn’t mention doesn’t it also at times make other birds think it’s safe when there is a predator in the area.