Ranganathittu - Group Photo

Ranganathittu – revisiting an old birding haunt

Ranganathittu, with its wealth of breeding birds year-round, should seem like the quintessential birders’ haunt. To my surprise, I have come across many birdwatchers who tend to diss and shun this riverside bird sanctuary, the largest in Karnataka. Apparently they are turned off by the crowds, the un-challenging photographic pickings, and the apparent artifice of the environs. Each of these complaints has merit, and each deserves dissection.

Ranganathittu - Group Photo
A quintessential Ranganathittu group photo. Don’t miss the croc in the foreground – it’s the only one looking at the camera!

Ranganathittu, being on the busy Bangalore-Mysore highway and close to Srirangapatna and Sangam, gets a lot of tourist traffic. The boat rides in the river offer many people some of their first glimpses even of common birds like Herons, Cormorants and Spot-billed Ducks, but in a dramatic setting these sightings become memorable. In a sense, crowds are good for Ranganathittu, as long as they are managed, entertained and informed. If at least one in twenty tourists return slightly sensitised (am I being delusional?) we consider that a win. One hopes, however, that the boatmen/guides would not fib so much about where the birds migrate from – that needn’t be the selling point. At random, I was informed that Spoonbills come from New Zealand and that Painted Storks come from… where else but Siberia, that most maligned of birding El Dorados! Out of courtesy (and the fact that boatman was in control) I restrained myself from calling his bluff by gently suggesting that most birds are locally migratory and that not all need to come here from far away.

AsianOpenbill-002
An Asian Openbill stork makes a pretty portrait at Ranganathittu
AsianOpenbill-003
Asian Openbills at a roost
An Asian Openbill incubates on its nest at Ranganathittu
An Asian Openbill incubates on its nest at Ranganathittu

Now, about photographers finding these subjects dull. It’s trying enough having to travel with photographers and their phallic lenses on wildlife safaris. The birds at Ranganathittu offer great nesting shots. The nests are often exposed, as are the chicks. This shouldn’t pose a big ethical quandary for the birder. This being a sanctuary, one imagines that the disturbance caused to the birds is minimal. Stepping off the boats onto the islands is prohibited, and that keeps the hungrier photographers from getting adventurous. Usually, groups of ten tourists get their own boat. For a little extra, the boatman will take you to the far corners of the river as a bonus.

An Indian Cormorant at Ranganathittu
An Indian Cormorant at Ranganathittu
Little Cormorants at Ranganathittu
Little Cormorants at Ranganathittu

The islands in Ranganathittu are reinforced by sand-filled plastic sacks. Some of these are exposed and diminish the aesthetics and ‘natural’ quality of the landscape. An eyesore, yes, but perhaps a necessary one. During the monsoon, excess water in the Krishna Raja Sagar reservoir is released into the river, often causing floods. Serious flooding tends to erode the islands and wash away nests. In recent years, some terrible avian casualties have been recorded here.

That much said, Ranganathittu continues to be a great destination for birders. Can you think of getting that close to the near-threatened Great Thick-knee anywhere else? Or being able to observe Black-crowned Night Herons nest and roost and hatch their improbable-looking young? Or to marvel at the mystery of marsh crocodiles as they swim and bask. On the bank, the gardens offer the chance of intimate encounters with Stork-billed Kingfishers, Tickell’s Blue Flycatchers and Indian Grey Hornbills.

Rose-ringed Parakeet at Ranganathittu
A female Rose-ringed Parakeet at Ranganathittu
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Stork-billed Kingfisher
Tickell's Blue Flycatcher
Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher – this one’s a regular on the riverbank

I was at Ranganathittu last weekend after eleven years. I was glad to see the Eurasian Spoonbills, which seem to thrive only in riverine habitats such as this. The nesting Spot-billed Pelicans and River Terns made for splendid viewing. And, just as a bonus, the boatman rowed us past the mud nests of the Streak-throated Swallows.

Here’s a link to my eBird checklist of birds seen at Ranganathittu last week.

Adult Eurasian Spoonbills are rather regal in appearance
Adult Eurasian Spoonbills are rather regal in appearance
The adult stood out against the nursery of little ones
The adult stood out against the nursery of little ones
An adult Eurasian Spoonbill in breeding plumage shows its yellow breast patch
An adult Eurasian Spoonbill in breeding plumage shows its yellow breast patch
Young spoonbills, almost fledged, at the nursery
Young spoonbills, almost fledged, at the nursery
A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron surveys its little fiefdom
A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron surveys its little fiefdom
Black-crowned Night Heron
Okay, make that two
A reedy whistling gave away the location of this Greater Thick-knee, also known as Great Stone-Curlew
A reedy whistling gave away the location of this Greater Thick-knee, also known as Great Stone-Curlew
Great Thick-Knee - a pair
And then its mate emerged from behind the rock. There are eight known nesting pairs of this bird, classified as Near-Threatened
The Spot-billed Pelicans were nesting
The Spot-billed Pelicans were nesting
The nests of the Streak-throated Swallow
The nests of the Streak-throated Swallow
A marsh crocodile watches from the river
A marsh crocodile watches from the river
A river with reed beds always inspires poetry
A river with reed beds always inspires poetry
The last boat ride before the closing bell
The last boat ride before the closing bell
Painted Storks were also ready to nest
Painted Storks were also ready to nest
Painted Storks always look like European dignitaries, don't they?
Painted Storks always look like European dignitaries, don’t they?
The Great Egret is a picture of grace
The Great Egret is a picture of grace
Beej
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