Last visit of Kole wetlands.

This blog post originally published at kerala.birds.watch

Today is my last visit of paddy fields. Yesterday I was looking to map and thinking about main point of watching. My decision was the wet meadow, where I saw Red Munias, with the purpose to take photos of better than last visit quality. During the road I noticed some birds which confirmed the principle of inevitable second record of the once seen birds. Yesterday I saw Barbet, today Indian Golden Oriole. But today I noticed two very little birds sitting in wires, but they flew away as quickly so I couldn’t neither to watch not to take photo. I should to expect these birds in future.

Marsh is the good habitat. If you stay motionless and soundless, you can notice the movement of birds. Today I found Common Snipe and Pacific Golden Plover. When I understood that no more new movements, I go to the wet meadow, the main purpose of the day.

In the meadow the grass is tall, almost man-height. Birds are more hearable than visible. Very rare birds are perching in top of grass, mostly inside of tussock. Munias are very small and quite careful birds. I watched red males mostly when they tear off feather grass (looks like feather grass). But last time I saw how they teared off the long grass. Nesting time? About half an hour I was in waiting of Munias near feather grass tussock. This time I also saw two dark-brown Munias, I think Black-throated. I tried to approach them, because I watched them from a long distance and birds were behind the grass, but Munias flew away. Some time I was unsuccessfully waiting, then go to forest. Another principle of photo birdwatcher: take first photo as good as you can to do it, then improve if you can. But the first photo you must to take as good as you can in the first moment (behind the grass, opposite sun, no matter). But I tried firstly to improve position, and finally nothing to have. But I hope I will watch this Munias in future.

When you stay in wet meadow with tall grass, you are out of breath. After the wet meadow I feel fresh in the shadow of forest. Some time I just stayed in shadow and looked to the paddy fields. I saw the immature Brahminy Kite with the stick in legs. Due to my unknowing the biology of local birds I suggested the breeding. But Manoj Karingamadathil later explained this behavoir like just playing. The flock of small Ducks flew by. I thought to Lesser Whistling Ducks (flying no whistling), but later in photo saw Garganeys. Last days I often remembered Ducks, because Ducks must be common visitors of water-covered fields in my opinion. I didn’t see Ducks, perhaps just not season.

The number of Black-headed Ibises is increased, today I saw about 100 birds in local spot. The agricultural situation in fields changes every day, therefore the amount and the diversity of birds change everyday too.

A little sad to leave the Kole which was my almost everyday birding place. But such changes are inevitable. I should to go to Kottayam.

1. Pacific Golden-Plover (Pluvialis fulva)