<p>While bird migration in Bengaluru begins in September, experts like ornithologist M B Krishna say the numbers of many species peak midway through the season, making January and February a good time for birding.</p>.<p>Nature lovers like 23-year-old Amoghavarsha Gampalahalli are already out in the field, spotting and photographing migratory birds. The wildlife content creator has been visiting lakes across Bengaluru since late December and has so far sighted rosy starlings, Blyth’s reed warblers, and northern shovelers. He has been birding since his teens.</p>.<p>Ulhas Anand, a member of the Birdwatchers’ Field Club of Bangalore (BWFCB), says these birds travel thousands of kilometres from Siberia, passing through Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to escape frigid winters and reach warmer regions closer to the equator. This route is known as the Central Asian Flyway.</p>.155 species of birds spotted at Karnataka's Ankasamudra sanctuary.<p>However, Anand says the overall numbers of migratory birds have declined by over 90% since the late 1990s. “Where we once recorded around 52,000 ducks in Bellandur lake alone, today there may not be more than a thousand ducks in bigger lakes,” he says. Shrinking shrub and tree cover, and eroding lake shorelines and reed growth are some reasons why these numbers have crashed. “Rare birds will always appear, but what keeps the local ecology running is a stable population of migratory birds. We need them,” explains Krishna, adding that to truly appreciate the scale of the migration, Bengaluru residents today must travel at least to Channapatna, about 55 km away.</p>.<p><strong>Good spots</strong></p>.<p>Krishna breaks it down by habitat. Woodland areas attract paradise flycatchers, brown flycatchers, grey drongo, and many warbler species. These include Lalbagh Botanical Garden or Cubbon Park, or, if accessible, tree-rich institutional campuses such as Bangalore University, the Indian Institute of Science, and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. Blyth’s reed warblers and greenish leaf warblers are frequently seen in such campuses.</p>.<p>Lakes such as Saul Kere, Hesaraghatta, Jakkur, and Doddakallasandra are another set of birdwatching destinations. “In open waters, you can spot ducks like garganey, pintail, and shoveler. Wader varieties such as common sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, marsh sandpiper, and greenshank stay along the shorelines. Also keep an eye out for birds flying over lakes to forage, such as the common swallow,” Krishna says.</p>.<p>On Sunday, Bijoy Venugopal led a BWFCB walk at Saul Kere. The group of over 40 participants recorded about 70 species. “We didn’t see as many migratory ducks, especially dabbling ducks, or flycatchers as previous years, but there were plenty of black-winged stilts and wood sandpipers,” he says. Among the more exciting sightings were common snipe (hard to spot because of the camouflage), lesser whitethroat, grey wagtail, Western marsh harrier, barn swallow, ashy drongo, and taiga flycatcher.</p>.<p>Anand notes that lakes such as Hoskote and Varthur have been attracting rare species. And just last month, at Hesaraghatta, he spotted several raptors, or birds of prey, and at The Valley School, the birding group he was out with recorded about 55 species, including a migratory eagle. He says that Nandi Hills and areas around Bannerghatta National Park, at opposite ends of the city, also attract winged visitors. “Even large school campuses can be good places to start observing birds,” he adds.</p>.<p>According to Krishna, agricultural areas are another favourable refuge for such birds. Leaf warblers can be seen along the trees on the edges, while reed warblers frequent the crop land.</p>.<p><strong>Photography tips</strong></p>.<p>According to Kakul Paul, a birder and amateur photographer, beginners should use DSLR cameras in aperture priority (A/Av) mode. The setting controls depth of field and allows the camera to capture maximum light. It is useful during bird walks that begin at twilight and move continuously in and out of varied landscapes, such as dense foliage, open areas and forest trails. Shutter priority (Tv/S) mode works better for photographing birds in flight. She suggests using a DSLR for close-up shots of birds, and a mobile phone camera for wider shots of their habitat. “Go out early in the morning, just as the sun is rising. Although the light isn’t ideal, bird activity is at its peak. Avoid using flash,” she says.</p>.<p><strong>Free walks</strong></p>.<p>BWFCB has been conducting free birdwatching walks across the city for over 50 years. Walks are held every Sunday, and recently they have added the Turahalli forest to their programming. Visit blrbirders.com</p>.<p><strong>Apps to use</strong></p>.<p>Anand recommends eBird and Merlin Bird ID for identifying and logging bird sightings. Both are free and available as websites and mobile apps. “On eBird, you can look up Bengaluru’s birding hotspots and see which locations have higher number of birds. In the Merlin app, you can press its microphone button to listen to bird calls and identify bird species in real-time,” he says. He also suggests keeping handy a digital copy of 'Birds of the Indian Subcontinent', a field guide by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp.</p>
<p>While bird migration in Bengaluru begins in September, experts like ornithologist M B Krishna say the numbers of many species peak midway through the season, making January and February a good time for birding.</p>.<p>Nature lovers like 23-year-old Amoghavarsha Gampalahalli are already out in the field, spotting and photographing migratory birds. The wildlife content creator has been visiting lakes across Bengaluru since late December and has so far sighted rosy starlings, Blyth’s reed warblers, and northern shovelers. He has been birding since his teens.</p>.<p>Ulhas Anand, a member of the Birdwatchers’ Field Club of Bangalore (BWFCB), says these birds travel thousands of kilometres from Siberia, passing through Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan to escape frigid winters and reach warmer regions closer to the equator. This route is known as the Central Asian Flyway.</p>.155 species of birds spotted at Karnataka's Ankasamudra sanctuary.<p>However, Anand says the overall numbers of migratory birds have declined by over 90% since the late 1990s. “Where we once recorded around 52,000 ducks in Bellandur lake alone, today there may not be more than a thousand ducks in bigger lakes,” he says. Shrinking shrub and tree cover, and eroding lake shorelines and reed growth are some reasons why these numbers have crashed. “Rare birds will always appear, but what keeps the local ecology running is a stable population of migratory birds. We need them,” explains Krishna, adding that to truly appreciate the scale of the migration, Bengaluru residents today must travel at least to Channapatna, about 55 km away.</p>.<p><strong>Good spots</strong></p>.<p>Krishna breaks it down by habitat. Woodland areas attract paradise flycatchers, brown flycatchers, grey drongo, and many warbler species. These include Lalbagh Botanical Garden or Cubbon Park, or, if accessible, tree-rich institutional campuses such as Bangalore University, the Indian Institute of Science, and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore. Blyth’s reed warblers and greenish leaf warblers are frequently seen in such campuses.</p>.<p>Lakes such as Saul Kere, Hesaraghatta, Jakkur, and Doddakallasandra are another set of birdwatching destinations. “In open waters, you can spot ducks like garganey, pintail, and shoveler. Wader varieties such as common sandpiper, spotted sandpiper, marsh sandpiper, and greenshank stay along the shorelines. Also keep an eye out for birds flying over lakes to forage, such as the common swallow,” Krishna says.</p>.<p>On Sunday, Bijoy Venugopal led a BWFCB walk at Saul Kere. The group of over 40 participants recorded about 70 species. “We didn’t see as many migratory ducks, especially dabbling ducks, or flycatchers as previous years, but there were plenty of black-winged stilts and wood sandpipers,” he says. Among the more exciting sightings were common snipe (hard to spot because of the camouflage), lesser whitethroat, grey wagtail, Western marsh harrier, barn swallow, ashy drongo, and taiga flycatcher.</p>.<p>Anand notes that lakes such as Hoskote and Varthur have been attracting rare species. And just last month, at Hesaraghatta, he spotted several raptors, or birds of prey, and at The Valley School, the birding group he was out with recorded about 55 species, including a migratory eagle. He says that Nandi Hills and areas around Bannerghatta National Park, at opposite ends of the city, also attract winged visitors. “Even large school campuses can be good places to start observing birds,” he adds.</p>.<p>According to Krishna, agricultural areas are another favourable refuge for such birds. Leaf warblers can be seen along the trees on the edges, while reed warblers frequent the crop land.</p>.<p><strong>Photography tips</strong></p>.<p>According to Kakul Paul, a birder and amateur photographer, beginners should use DSLR cameras in aperture priority (A/Av) mode. The setting controls depth of field and allows the camera to capture maximum light. It is useful during bird walks that begin at twilight and move continuously in and out of varied landscapes, such as dense foliage, open areas and forest trails. Shutter priority (Tv/S) mode works better for photographing birds in flight. She suggests using a DSLR for close-up shots of birds, and a mobile phone camera for wider shots of their habitat. “Go out early in the morning, just as the sun is rising. Although the light isn’t ideal, bird activity is at its peak. Avoid using flash,” she says.</p>.<p><strong>Free walks</strong></p>.<p>BWFCB has been conducting free birdwatching walks across the city for over 50 years. Walks are held every Sunday, and recently they have added the Turahalli forest to their programming. Visit blrbirders.com</p>.<p><strong>Apps to use</strong></p>.<p>Anand recommends eBird and Merlin Bird ID for identifying and logging bird sightings. Both are free and available as websites and mobile apps. “On eBird, you can look up Bengaluru’s birding hotspots and see which locations have higher number of birds. In the Merlin app, you can press its microphone button to listen to bird calls and identify bird species in real-time,” he says. He also suggests keeping handy a digital copy of 'Birds of the Indian Subcontinent', a field guide by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp.</p>