Powai Lake, Mumbai, May 2014

Powai Lake was my outing of choice in Mumbai this week. 7kms from the airport, it was the easy option on a trip that has an inconvenient schedule. We didn't get out of the airport until nearly midday which is not a good time to brave the traffic to Borivali  and the heat of India in May is not conducive to long walks. All in all an early evening stroll along the promenade at Powai was the best prospect.

As usual, water birds featured strongly. The Ardea family was particularly well represented with egrets, herons and pond-herons easily seen.

Bronze-winged Jacanas, Purple Gallinules and White-breasted Waterhens picked through the floating weed that had piled up against the near bank.

The sky was filled with Black Kites and House Crows. A few Whiskered Terns were seen towards the west end of the lake.

For the first time in my experience, the peninsular park (Google Earth ref; 19 07 18.25N 72 54 06.58E) was open. It extends for about 100m into the lake and allows a better view and an improved light angle as the sun sets.

I have seen crocodiles in the lake before now and was concerned to see local chaps wading in the water, fishing.

List for Powai Lake;

Lesser Whistling Duck 4, Indian Spot-billed Duck 4, Little Cormorant 15, Grey Heron 1, Purple Heron 6, Great Egret 25, Intermediate Egret 4, Little Egret 30, Indian Pond-heron 8, Black-crowned Night-heron 5, Black Kite 25, White-breasted Waterhen 1, Purple Swamphen 6, Red-wattled Jacana 1, Bronze-winged Jacana 8, Whiskered Tern 8, White-throated Kingfisher 3, House Crow 250, Ashy Prinia 5, Oriental Magpie Robin 1, Common Myna 40, Asian Pied Starling 15, House Sparrow 5.

For previous posts from Powai Lake, see the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2010/02/powai-lake-in-mumbai.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/powai-lake-mumbai-india.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/powai-gardens-mumbai-india-sept-2011.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/mugger-at-powai-lake-mumbai-march-2012.html

Visit the dedicated India page for more posts from Mumbai, including Sanjay Ghandi National Park.

Birding, Birdwatching, Mumbai, India.

Mugger at Powai Lake, Mumbai, March 2012

If ever anyone travels with me in a taxi, anywhere in the world, they quickly get a sense that my attitude to cab drivers (may they all burn in Hell) is, at best, antagonistic; at worst, it is downright rude and distrustful. I know that taxi drivers will try to rip me off and I hail them in anticipation of a confrontation, so I was pleased to meet Surendra (may he be feted at God’s table), who charged the going rate first time.

A fringe of Water Hyacinth clung to the shore at Powai Lake. It had never occurred to me before to wonder what sustains a Purple Swamphen, but if they like Water Hyacinth, they are in the right place. After a quick check, I find that they do indeed like vegetative matter and the act of holding the food item while eating it is common.

Indian Pond Herons show a lot of white in flight, but as soon as they settle, the brown coverts allow them to disappear very quickly.

On previous visits to Powai Lake I have watched fishermen wading through the shallows or floating in an inner tube through the deeper parts, but today I noticed, for the first time, signs warning of crocodiles.

I had been trying to get a scenic picture of a single palm on a tiny island when I noticed a strange corrugated pattern at water level. Closer inspection revealed it to be a Mugger Crocodile. A biggun.

It remained absolutely still and I began to wonder if it was a dummy. A dredger working along the shoreline, pulling out the choking weeds, approached very close to the island before it eventually slipped into the water.

House Crows and Black Kites were of course plentiful, chasing each other around as soon as one found a morsel of food.

A small island out in the lake held Black-winged Stilt, Lesser Whistling Duck, and a Grey Heron. Great Egrets and Little Egrets stalked through the water hyacinth with the density of the weeds holding their weight provided that they kept moving. A Cattle Egret prefereed a more reliable perch considering what may be lurking beneath.

Birds seen; 14

Grey Heron 1, Great Egret 3, Little Egret 6, Cattle Egret 40, Indian Pond Heron 20, Black Kite 25, Lesser Whistling Duck 5, Purple Swamphen 10, Bronze-winged Jacana 5, Black-winged Stilt 8, Asian Palm Swift 4, House Crow 500, Common Myna 8, Asian Pied Starling 2

There are more posts from Powai Lake at the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/02/powai-lake-in-mumbai.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/09/powai-lake-mumbai-india.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2011/09/powai-gardens-mumbai-india-sept-2011.html

Visit the dedicated India page for posts from Bangalore, New Delhi and more from Mumbai, including Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

Powai Lake, Mumbai, Bombay, Mugger Crocodile,

Powai Lake in Mumbai

A trip to Mumbai would normally be the cue for a visit to Borivali (Sanjay Gandhi) N.P. But on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, it was likely to be so busy that I decided to try somewhere new instead.

A couple of birds that you would put money on to find would be the ubiquitous House Crow and the Black Kite. Both birds are widespread and abundant around habitation. Before I set out, I looked from my hotel window at the ITC Maratha, across a small garden that I had not previously known to exist. Just outside, at the top of a palm sat a Coppersmith Barbet. I missed him, but managed a shot of an Asian Koel with his vivid red eyes.
I found Vihar Lake on Google earth and liked what I saw. What I failed to see was the guarded control gate manned by a policeman who would not let me through. Vihar Lake has been closed to the general blogging community since 1993 it would appear.
Still, not to worry, I had the indomitable Dalbir Singh driving me who hastened to Powai Lake and suggested a look there.
The Renaissance Hotel overlooks Powai Lake, I had stayed there once before so knew of the lake, but not from this angle. A large road passes it at a tangent and Dalbir happily pulled over and parked. The lake-side was clogged with water hyacinth and rafts of it drifted gently further out in the lake. The rafts made good floating islands for the birds and straight away I could see communities on each one.
On the first, a Little Egret fished while a Bronze Jacana picked among the hyacinth.
Close in there were a few Indian Pond Herons and a couple of Pheasant-tailed Jacanas flushed further along the shore. The Purple Swamphen was very common too.
Indian people are inquisitive; especially with westerners whom they regard as curiosities. The sight of an Englishman out in the midday sun is bound to draw attention. I was creeping up on a dragonfly, moving very slowly and carefully moving my camera rig into position. My concentration was on the dragonfly, not what was going on behind me. Just as I had manoeuvred myself into a good position, a shadow passed across the dragonfly and scared it off. I stood up and looked behind me to see 12 men craning to watch this fascinating piece of street theatre. They would have been unable to see the dragonfly from where they were and must have been perplexed to see someone apparently stalking and taking pictures of the ground.
Don’t forget to visit www.redgannetsdragonflies.blogspot.com
As I moved on, some of the spectators followed. Others joined in and were updated on what had happened so far. Eventually they lost interest and I was left alone with Dalbir who discretely held back and allowed me room. He even carried my rucksack and passed stuff to me.
This pond heron was perched on a piece of corrugated plastic and I was able to approach quite closely. I was following a rough road that looked as if it may be a precursor to some development of the lakeside. It led around a promontory and then stopped.
From here I could see more of the hyacinth islands. One was supporting a Grey Heron, an Asian Openbill, some Black-winged Stilt, and more Bronze Jacana. Another counted a Glossy Ibis amongst it’s inhabitants. A small number of Gull-billed Terns crossed low over the water, fishing.
In conversation with an Indian colleague on the return flight, I discovered that Lake Powai has a reputation as a hot-bed for wife-swapping. I shall bring mine with me next time. I wonder what I will get for her?
Here is a tip if you are staying in an international hotel in India. A bottle of Kingfisher beer can cost up to IR500 by the time service charges and taxes are added. From a stall outside, they cost IR75. So, in buying 2 on the way back and bringing them to the lounge, I saved enough money to pay Dalbir who was asking IR700 for 3 hours.
Dalbir Singh, Damesh Cool Cab Service, 9892021794

Bird species; 22

Indian Pond Heron 20, Grey Heron 1, Purple Heron 1, Little Egret 16, Great Egret 4, Asian Openbill 1, Coppersmith Barbet 1, Asian Koel 3, Rose-ringed Parakeet 20, Asian Palm Swift 5, House Swift 30, Purple Swamphen 14, Bronze Jacana 8, Pheasant-tailed Jacana 2, Black-winged Stilt 30, Gull-billed Tern 6, Black Kite 15, House Crow 400, Asian Pied Starling 8, Common Myna 20, Barn Swallow 6, Yellow-bellied Prinia 1.

Powai Lake, Mumbai, Bombay, BOM, India