A TRIP FULL OF SURPRISES

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

05/XI/2024

A drive to a few nearby lakes springs surprises every time. There would always be a new bird or an animal which is sited making the drive worth it.

(Peacock sitting on an Electric Pole)

My sister-in-law and family were here and requested me to visit the lake where the Demoiselles Cranes come to roost in winters. There was no way I could refuse it. My tripod too had been resting for a while. It was time to air its legs.

The drive to Guda Lake doesn’t take more than 20 minutes from where we stay. The biggest landmark on the way is a life size ‘Black Buck’ statue that the Bishnoi clan has erected on a pedestal in memory of the deer for which our friend ‘Sallu Baba’ keeps visiting the Sun City. We stopped to pose with the statue and moved to the lake.

(Yours truly with the statue of the Black Buck)

Moment, we alighted, very familiar sounds greeted us. They definitely were the cranes. My pace hastened to get the first glimpse of them. Lo and behold, the first lot of about a thousand had already arrived. The caretaker informed us that they started arriving a week back. The main group would be here soon, he confirmed.

(Demoiselles Cranes)

There were many other water birds too. Here a click, there a click, everywhere a click-click began immediately. We sat on the parapet of the mandir and started to enjoy the company of birds.

(Egret)

As I was scanning the far end of the lake, a bird caught my attention. I didn’t know its name. It appeared to be a big vulture like bird sitting high up on a tree, grooming itself.

Without wasting time, I zoomed in and my-my what did I observe. There was some movement at the base of this bird's feet. There had to be chicks hatched recently. One could see their heads bobbing up and down begging for food.

(Wooly Necked Stork)

Just then the other partner arrived. It had something in its mouth. The first impression was that it must be food but it was not when I peered through my lens. It was ‘nest repair material’ in the form of twigs. It was holding a cluster of them. Slowly, it lowered his beak and handed rather beaked them over to its partner who was minding the chicks.

The pair seemed to be in love. They kissed and groomed each other like lovers. I was sure that they would love their chicks the same way. They flapped their wings and then settled down in their nest.

The cranes by now had got used to our presence and after a short retreat they started to return to the feed which had been spread for them on the ground close to us. A series of clicks of the birds made my day.

Other water birds, especially the grey pond heron and the white egret and other ducks kept frolicking around eating algae and whatever they could find. Surprisingly, the level of the water was quite high compared to last year. Obviously, this year it had rained quite well in the catchment area.

(Pond Heron)

(Duck)

(Sandpipers and Lapwing)

We wound up our short tour and drove down to our favourite highway eating joint for piping hot aloo parathas with dahi and Chaach. Just then we realised that the famous Luni Rasgullas must go to Hyderabad. We took a detour.

(Luni Ragullas)

On our way back we found another lake in a village called Shikarpura. The cranes were here too. What caught me by surprise was the presence of tortoises and frogs in the lake. A pair was basking in the sun, while a few of them kept swimming. On one side a flock of goats came to drink water and a wag tail posed for me.