It was the winter of the year 2002, I was making a garden close to the sewree bay when by sheer chance I climbed up to the top of the building to get a birds eye-view of the plantation. What I saw stunned me, There was a sea of Pink just beyond the container yard covering the bay. Flamingoes!
The mud flats here experience a big tidal variation between low and high tide exposing a vast feeding ground for the birds. Local fishermen can be seen gathering shellfish riding on planks of wood as the place is inaccessible to anyone on foot.
Timing the tides and turning up at the right times of the year are important not to be disappointed. It is now important to check if access to the area is open to the public, as of late there are restrictions.I have made innumerable trips with many birdwatching friends spending countless hours watching the great diversity of birdlife. As the monsoon recedes winter migrants, both passage and those that will spend the winter here start arriving. The earliest to arrive are common sandpipers and black headed gulls who have just finished breeding in Ladakh. Next we start seeing Redshanks and then the doors open. Sewree bay there on is host to many species taking advantage of the abundance of food.
Its Lesser flamingoes that have been seen in very large number estimated to be as many as ten thousand during some year that has been the main attraction for most city folks. Flamingo watch events have been organized by the BNHS over the years that has many takers. In all these years its only been once that lesser flamingoes were not seen here in numbers, we were disappointed but thankfully it was only a aberration rather than the rule. There is always a sprinkling of Greater flamingoes too. Flamingoes can be seen usually from the end of november upto a time they begin to migrate to their breeding grounds before the arrival of the monsoon.
Being an inter tidal zone mudflat a multitude of waders make it their home from November to April when they begin to migrate out. The interesting part is that when these waders arrive they are skittish but still in partial breeding plumage, also the time they are leaving they have already begun their displays and are into energetic arial displays, They are now beginning to don their breeding plumages. So there is opportunity to watch them in different stages of their breeding plumages.
Black headed and brown headed gull are common sightings, Slender billed Gull is also found. A rare sighting of one of the larger Heuglins gulls is possible. Amongst the terns the Gull-billed erns are very common, also whiskered terns, and caspian terns are regular.
Many species of Heron are to be seen along with Ibis on a very regular basis. Also four species of Kingfishers may be seen.
Amongst birds of prey it is not uncommon to come across a Osprey or a Peregrine Falcon, There is always a abundance of Black Kites and Brahminy Kites.
A search in the mangroves will reveal Bulbuls, orioles, drongoes, warblers etc.
There is a lot more for people who are also interested in other areas of natural history.
A spotting scope is very important when visiting Sewree unless one only wishes to watch only Flamingoes.
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