Okhla Bird Park with the Pied Crested Cuckoos !

The EPL was starting, i wanted to watch Arsenal's first game, they won it style 6-1, by the time i slept it was 1 am.

But we woke up again at 5 am to go to Okhla Bird Park, with the Delhi Birders to check on the birds.

I also wanted to see the kind of destruction some politicians had done to the neighbouring areas in making all kind of statues of themselves, it all looked so weird like some Hooded Entities. It did look gross & sick.

Initially it was all Pied Bush Chats & a Coucal up close.............

then Green Bee eaters busy as ever !!

Then a stunner !!

It was the Pied Cuckoo !!

Here are some details about this very beautiful bird ..........

The advent of the monsoon has for generations been associated with the appearance of the Pied Cuckoo in many parts of India (Ali & Ripley 1987). The strong association between the Pied Cuckoo and rain is part of Indian folklore, in which this species is described as a harbinger of the monsoon. Ancient Hindu poetry refers to Pied Cuckoos as 'chatak', who live on drops of rain.

This one migrates to large areas across northern India around the Monsoon and has often been called the "rain visitor". It is one of the few migratory birds that come to the Indian subcontinent from Africa to breed. They move across the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean to reach India in May or June; records from Oman, Saudi Arabia and the Seychelles have been reported during the migratory season. Some believe that the bird uses monsoon winds to assist its flight during this migration. It breeds during June-August and leaves the subcontinent in September/October.

More details of migratory patterns can be found at Migrant watch

There were many Ashy Prinias........

A few Spot Billed Ducks !! What are they doing here in summer ????.......... well; may have missed the flight !!

Black Ibis, Black Winged Stilts, Black Bitterns etc were flying by.......... a lone Darter, a hungry King fisher & i did see a fleeting glance of a Golden Oriole.

It was a pretty short birding trip................ hope to go there again in a months time !!

Save Okhla Bird Park

Okhla Bird Park is something which makes Delhi unique. No city in this world has the kind of birds which we see in Okhla......... but sadly this one small, tiny heaven is also again under
threat.

Readers do please sign this petition created by delhi birder Shri Anand Arya.

Thanx !!

Protect Okhla Bird Park

This is what Anand(uncle) Arya of Delhi Bird Group has written :

"........... As you are aware that Okhla Bird Park & Wild Life Sanctuary (OBP-WLS) is a Protected Area and home to almost 400 species. More than 100 species found here are known to breed in the area. The number of birds can exceed 25,000 at the peak of migration in winters. Such a rich diversity is generally not found at most places and that too in a very small area. Nairobi is the other known place to show a very high concentration of bird species. OBL-WLS is under serious threat of being destroyed in double quick time because of a massive construction project that has been undertaken by the Government of Uttar Pradesh just adjacent to the eastern boundary.

I, along with another resident of my sector, have filed a petition with the CENTRAL EMPOWERED COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT CONSTITUTED BY THE HON'BLE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA. (CEC)

I NEED SUPPORT.

A Petition has been uploaded here.

It would add to significant level of support and be heard more loudly at the CEC if there are more than 500 person showing their support..............."

So dear readers; please do sign the petition !