Flamingo - Mahul Boat ride

2nd May Morning 7:30am started from Mahul Jetty in a motor boat.

Flaming watching was the main objective.
Saw them all along the side of creek near the mangroves right upto sewri jetty.

We went almost upto the sewri jetty and came back by 9:30
Could see around 1000+ lesser flamingoes.
There were very few greater flamingoes though.

We could see flamingoes feeding, wading, swimming, taking off and dancing.

Flamingoes Feeding





Greater Flamingo (observe the pink beak)



While swimming they almost look like swans.






Flamingoes displaying



It was interesting to watch them takeoff. First they lift their body by flapping the wings and then do like walk on the water and then take off straightening their legs almost like an airplane ..:-)

One interesting observation : First the Flamingoes sitting at the back of the pack eg in the photo below the ones which were on the rightmost end started flying first and then the last ones to takeoff were the ones at the front.
Will upload a video too later.



Another snap of takeoff.








Takeoff



In Flight



In flight



In flight



In flight



Along with Flamingoes also came across many other birds.
Slender billed gulls, black/brown headed gulls, gull billed terns, whiskered terns, a flock of 8-10 lesser whistlings ducks, a flock of sand plovers and curlew sand pipers in breeding plumage and eurasian curlews.

Whiskered Tern (Breeding plumage - observe the black belly) Also observe that just a white path remaining below the eye giving the effect of a whisker.


Little Egret (Breeding plumage - observe the plume)


Lesser whistling duck


Gull Billed Tern in flight


Group