Where : Yerwada Bird Watching Point, Left of Smashan Bhumi.
Date : 20.01.14,
Team : Jyotirmayi Banerjee and Debarpan Banerjee
Weather : Sunny with clear skies. Bit of a chill in the air.
Gear : Canon 600D with 70-300IS USM Canon lens and Sony HX-100V.

We were at Pune for our cousin's wedding on 20th January. The birder in me couldn't resist a chance to explore Pune Birds and so I turned to Google Maps determined to zoom in on at least one spot nearby to our hotel accommodation where some birding could be afforded. While I got a lot of hits on locations outside Pune, birding spots within the city were few and it seemed almost all were public parks or gardens. I now consider myself lucky that I came across the details of Yerwada birding point, less known as Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary-PUNE (mentioned in a few Google search results, although this may be incorrect) mentioned by Pune based birder Mr. Amod Phadke in his blog “Bird View India”. His location details and directions were pretty accurate and quite conveniently I found it a 10 minutes ride from Hotel Parc Esteque, Phoenix Junction.

Armed with whatever info we could gather about this nondescript location near the river bank and a few hazy location pictures Deb and I, set out on an Auto Rickshaw from Phoenix Junction to Yerawada Smashan Bhumi. Just after entering the gate we took the road to the left that passed through some garbage dumps and then further into a wooded forest path. As Amod rightly described in his blog, entrance to the path was littered on both sides by decaying carcasses and animal bones, however the path became clearer further on. Must add here that this is not a path for the faint hearted, who may best turn back at this point. Those who are up for some challenge and are brave to take a few risks may march ahead for the trail may look deserted but is frequented by local vagabonds. Not safe for couples and best visited in group (It was only later that we realized what a great risk we had taken, but I won’t digress now and come back to this later).

We could hear the river on the right and the characteristic “did he do it” call of the lapwings promised the presence of other water-fowls, though they remained obscured by the boundary wall that ran parallel to the path. But as we moved deeper, the river came into view. We were greeted by the calls of sunbirds and Great Tits that were skirting around the foliage unmindful of our presence. We were able to get some excellent pics at this point. Further on the trail widens and the boundary wall disappears so that you can get a clear view of the bank below and the river beyond it.

We took off the trail to get onto the bank when we were accosted by three very ruffled roufous colored fowls that fit the description given in Wikipedia of Red Spurfowls "Overall reddish-brown, large partridge -like bird has a somewhat long tail" (In absence of photographic evidence and from the description I can only hazard a guess but not a concrete ID, therefore I am not adding them on the list). All the three fluttered away above our head with great protest. We hadn’t any clue that these frail creatures were hiding among the bushes. We were however distracted from following the fowls by the magnificent view awaiting us. Just along the edges of the bank were a flock of spotbilled docks all in pairs basking in the sun while a couple of Ruddy Shelducks played vigilante.

The Jacuzzi formed by the looping river seems to be favored by many other water birds. We were able to spot sandpipers, red wattled lapwings, black headed ibises, and black winged stilts, common coots all at the same spot. A common kingfisher was busy shuttling to and fro across the banks.

I was contemplating on skimming near to the bank but was dithered by a sudden movement from the corner of my eye. I spotted a water snake literally flying above the ground in its haste to catch a rat that was running for its life. What exemplified this moment was the shrill screech of a Booted eagle that was circling above the mouse and the snake in tighter circles perhaps deciding on which was a more worthy breakfast!! All this commotion however got the attention of the Rudy Shelducks that flew away trumpeting our presence to their kith and kin. And that's how the birding by the bank ended for us.

Deb was hoping to explore the woods flanking the banks a bit more. May be we could find those spurfowls we missed earlier….However all we could manage to find were few Jungle babblers, Oriental Magpie Robins and a lone Pied bushchat male and a lot more endemic birds. A Red-breasted fly-catcher was playing hide and seek among the thorny bushes. I suddenly experienced a deja vu and had a very bad vibe that I took as a signal to get away from the place. Since Deb wanted to stay for a bit longer he escorted me back to the main road and then went back to the spot. However half an hour later he was back at the hotel recounting how he was warned by a local youth not to venture any further and to turn back immediately saying it was unsafe.

He had had an altercation with a group of derelicts who were knocking bats out of their perches on the trees using stones. He witnessed a few dead bats scattered below the trees. When asked why they were killing these bats they said they were killing them for sport as they found it funny that they were hanging up-side down....How gross!!. While returning back he saw a couple of men smoking something from a newspaper which they later set on fire and carelessly threw it on the dried up underbrush. As you can see from the location pictures, even a small splinter may rapidly set ablaze the entire park.

All seen and considered ,we are left with a feeling that we might have underestimated the risk and that we had escaped by a hairs breath!! A place such as this should have been better conserved. The dumping for one needs to be stopped, rotten carcasses all across the river bank needs to be cleared and the place made safe and secure for the public.

View of the trail while returning.

Press coverage and conservation initaitaives in relation to this sanctuary:

Press Coverage:

‘Yes, bird sanctuary is used as garbage dump’

Ms. Ketali Latkar, Journalist associated with Pune Mirror has written about this blog post and my first-hand account of the habitats dilapidated condition and in her article in Pune Mirror.

http://www.punemirror.in/article/62/2014012920140129102452234566c3d18/%E2%80%98Yes-bird-sanctuary-is-used-as-garbage-dump%E2%80%99.html