[turboNath]

During our formative years, we were made to sit through hour long Geography lessons which encompassed varied landforms, rivers, lakes and the Oceans. If you prod your brain a bit, you might also remember another geographical term - 'ox-bow lake'.

For those who are having a 'deja-vu', here's a quote from Wikipedia - "An oxbow lake is a U-shaped lake that forms when a wide meander of a river is cut off, creating a free-standing body of water". Cool.

Our geography text book back in school explained ox-bow lakes in an extremely prosaic and unimaginative way with a couple of black and white pictures. But there's an acre of a lush green field in between what the text books teach you and what life shows you (especially when you travel). My first brush with a real world ox-bow lake happened way back in 2018, when we rode to Purbasthali, a small village near Katwa in West Bengal. I had read a lot about the place and almost memorized all the different migratory birds that visited the region during the winter. I was pleasantly surprised to find a full fledged ecosystem thriving on the good old black and white pictures from my Geography text book. The biodiversity was absolutely splendid and it seemed like we had rediscovered one of the hidden gems in West Bengal !

Fast forward to 2021.

We had heard a lot about the recent sightings of Ospreys in Purbasthali and we finally decided that it was now or never !
For the uninitiated, Ospreys belong to the bird-of-prey fraternity and are counted as one of the most efficient and accurate 'fishermen' in the birding world. Their speed and accuracy are legendary when it comes to catching fish from rivers and streams. They are extremely adaptive and are distributed across all continents except Antarctica !

Purbasthali (also known as 'Chupir Chor') is an ox-bow lake situated at around 150kms from Kolkata and can be reached via multiple routes. It sees a congregation of thousands of migratory birds every year during the December-February. Google Maps shows it like this :

Hand propelled boats are the only means to traverse the murky depths of the marshland and a full day trip takes somewhere between 6-9 hours minimum to photograph and observe the prized offerings of Purbasthali. Since bird activity is maximum at dawn, we decided to start the boating journey sharp at 6am. This meant we had to depart from Kolkata at an ungodly 2:30 am for an 'ultra short' 150kms drive !

The drive was smooth except for a few rough patches (nearing Purbasthali) and at 5:30am we reached Purbasthali railway station and stopped for a quick tea break. Since this was during the second week of January, it was damn chilly outside the warm confines of our 'Silver Surfer'. We called up our boatman and informed him about our location. He quickly guided us down to the parking lot at the jetty. Very soon we found ourselves on the wooden contraption that would be our home for the next 9 -10 hours. The weather was extremely foggy and visibility was very low. Everything lacked contrast and we couldn't help but wish for a 'sunny side up' asap !

As the boat meandered on our eyes adjusted to the dim lighting conditions and we started noticing the high bird activity around.
At the very first turn, we spotted hundreds of Egrets sitting together as if at a conference.

As we ventured a little closer, the egrets took the skies in one whooshing yet smooth movement. Their wings flapped but it was almost eerily silent. By this time the sun had come up but was hidden behind a thick veil of clouds & fog.

A little Grebe was busy foraging near the banks and happily obliged us with a shot.

Further on, an Asian Open bill Stork had just started its morning routine and was in the market for a fresh catch of mollusks !

Speaking of storks, a big sized Stork billed Kingfisher, perched on top of a bamboo pole, was waiting patiently to catch hold of an unlucky fish.

Our final destination was still a couple of hours away as we needed to reach the middle of the Ganges river which served as the actual Osprey territory. We spotted a group of barn swallows flying around excitedly and one was kind enough to pause for a smile at my camera !

As we progressed towards Osprey territory, we were constantly pestering our boatmen for real time weather prediction but they were clueless since the weather had been perfectly clear till the day before. When we finally reached the end of narrow channel which connected the ox-bow lake with the main Ganges river, we started scanning the sky for signs of raptors. Plenty of black kites were flying around but that unique combination of brown and white was missing. Our boatman finally spotted him in what looked like a pole located almost a kilometer away ! It was a small black spot in the horizon even through our binoculars but he could spot it very easily. This is exactly why you need the trained eye of an experienced guide in hitherto unknown territory for quick spotting !

There were four boats in total and one decided to row close to the bird. This would incidentally make the bird fly away to a favorable (and probable) spot. 15 minutes later, we noticed that the bird had taken flight and was headed towards a nearby pole. Our boatman swiftly rowed, following the bird's flight direction and we managed to click a single picture of him resting on a wooden pole and gorging on a fish before it decided to fly away into the distant horizon.

And thus began our infinite wait for him to finish his meal and show up once again. Meanwhile, we decided to get down from the boat and capture the other resident species of birds.

A sandpiper came up to investigate our camera gear. Thankfully I could manage an eye level shot along with the morning dew drops.

A little further away a River lapwing, a Little ringed plover and an Oriental Skylark were busy foraging near the river bank. Not wanting to miss a close up shot, I immediately got down on the mud and started firing away to my heart's delight.

After a short while we came back to the boat and had a quick breakfast. The sun was nowhere in sight and the chill in the air seemed to increase exponentially with each passing gust of wind on the Ganges. Meanwhile another boat had tracked the bird at the next river bend and they came back bearing good news that the Osprey was coming back with a catch. We immediately went into stand by mode and asked our boatman to position accordingly. After a wait of 10 more minutes we finally caught a glimpse of his majesty, busy gulping down a large sized snakehead fish. This time it gave us a few more moments to get a bit close to the pole before taking off , yet again !

Look closely how it clutches the fish with two legs for added grip and flies head first to reduce drag

The weather was progressively getting worse and all our hopes to click decent shots vanished into the mist along with the last traces of light. We were a bit disappointed because we got to witness such a brilliant action in such a poor light condition. The photographs look at least 100 times better than the scenery through our eyes. Imagine the kind of haze and fog and mist which clouded our vision! But we were relentless in our pursuit. We again decided to follow the bird's flight direction based on the intuition of our boatman. After rowing upstream for sometime, we could make out it's outline on a pole far away. The wait was long and tough before one of the boatmen suggested that he will try to go close to the bird's perch. Since we were already at a favorable position (incase the bird decided to fly past us), we resolved to stay put and remain on standby. Soon enough as the boat got near to the pole, his majesty started flying towards us ! His massive wingspan seemed to get bigger and bigger with each passing stroke of wings. It was truly a magical sight!

By this time, we had already been trailing the Osprey for a little over 2 and a half hours and it was nearing 11:30 on the clock. We decided to stay back for another hour incase the light condition turned a bit better during midday.
The most important resource you can allocate to bird watching is not your optics but your dedicated time and attention. It always pays off if you have a bit more patience. Sadly, we are always short on time and aim to cover as many species as possible in a little window. As a result, there are disappointments and heartbreaks.

The next 1 hour wait proved to be miraculous indeed and we suddenly caught a glimpse of the predatory Osprey heading towards us. A few shots later, we realized that his legs were empty !

Was he coming back for another catch ? We held our breath and used our continuous shutter judiciously. As the bird started losing altitude, we tried to figure out why. And then this beautiful thing happened.

He stooped really low and touched his feet on the surface of the water.

And then slightly lowered his beak as if skimming the surface.
(Miracle, eh ?!)

He then lowered his belly in a bid to wash away the last traces of the snakehead and purge his sins, maybe !

Just like an airplane, he started taking off. Notice the angle between his belly and the water surface.

And with a sweeping stroke of his gigantic wings, he was ready to retract his landing gear and resume his flight.

We were completely mesmerized by his actions and captured each and every moment. He repeated this action three times and then vanished from our eyesight. We sat there for a bit , sinking in the miracle that we had just witnessed and captured. While we went through the shots and exclaimed with joy, our boatman started rowing back to the jetty. It's true that the light condition was extremely deplorable but the sight that we had just witnessed got engraved in our minds with crisp and everlasting detail.

[turboNath]

Purbasthali is famous for the flocks of Red crested pochards which frequent the lake during winter. Often dubbed as 'the king of Purbasthali', the males are absolutely stunning to behold. Here are a few shots of them in flight and at rest !

Very soon, the red crested pochards were joined by their relatives, the Ferruginous pochards. These are dark brown in color with a whitish eye.

As we meandered on, a little Grebe had wandered a bit too close to our boat and hurriedly ran past, leaving behind live footprints on the water surface.

Yards away, a lesser cormorant was having a gala time showing off his prized catch to the world.

A grey headed lapwing was calling for our attention multiple times and we obliged him with a single take.

As we got busy in clicking few of the migratory birds, an egret decided to steal our attention with a slow flight over the lake. Although it is an extremely common bird, it still looks enchantingly beautiful when it spreads its wings giving tough competition to a lot of 'foreigners'.

And then we spotted an unusual raptor circling in the sky. It was very far away from our boat and it was tough to id the bird. Thankfully it changed it's mind and came a little closer. From the initial shots, it seemed like we had seen the Marsh Harrier or a Pied Harrier (juv) and we were extremely happy ! (After talking to a lot of birdwatchers, the id was confirmed as a juvenile Pied harrier, which has the nickname 'Ghost of the Marshland' due to its black and white appearance)

As we were busy photographing the raptor, a flock of cotton pygmy geese were wading nearby and suddenly decided to fly past us.

Before heading back to the jetty we managed to capture another raptor in the form of Black winged kite !

My father decided to use the full zoom range of his P900 in a bid to capture this portrait shot with the piercing red eyes

A few parting shots later, we were ready to head back to Kolkata.

For us, Purbasthali has been a blessing in the disguise of 'raptors' and we decided to come back again next year to revisit our dear old friend, the Osprey ! If you're planning to visit Purbasthali, I will definitely suggest you to plan your trip between mid December - early February to maximize your chances of sighting the migratory species. With the ever changing environmental conditions, it is tough to predict whether they will be coming back to an extremely delicate ox-box lake ecosystem threatened by farming, poaching & rapid habitat loss.

But I hope that we will be able to protect their winter home and they will come back. Time and time again.

[BlackPearl]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to Travelogues section. Thanks for sharing!

[Rajeev1]

Beautiful pictures @Turbonath. Can you please share more details on your itinerary and camera equipment. Your wonderful camera skills have virtually transported me to Purbasthali.

[haisaikat]

Superb narrative Atreya clubbed with excellent pictures, reminds me how close this is like those BBC documentaries on wildlife and nature. This time 5 star for both narrative and the photos. You have become the resident Salim Ali of TBHP.

We had planned for a visit here along with Mayapur and Krishnanagar but that did not materialize. Hopefully next winter we will make it.

Keep more of these coming.

[turboNath]

Originally Posted by Rajeev1

Beautiful pictures @Turbonath. Can you please share more details on your itinerary and camera equipment. Your wonderful camera skills have virtually transported me to Purbasthali.

Thank you Rajeev ! I use a Nikon 200-500mm f5.6 paired with a D7500 for birding. If you want to capture the birds, I will definitely recommend you to reach the jetty by 6:30-7am(at max). The journey from Kolkata takes between 3-4 hours depending upon the time of the day and traffic conditions.

Incase you want to spend 6+ hours on the boat, you should definitely carry some dry food items and plenty of water. Lunch will be arranged by your boatman (on request). There are cottages near the lake and I have heard good reviews about them as well. You can definitely plan 1N 2D trip to Purbasthali during the winter months. Hope this helps

Originally Posted by haisaikat

Superb narrative Atreya clubbed with excellent pictures, reminds me how close this is like those BBC documentaries on wildlife and nature. This time 5 star for both narrative and the photos. You have become the resident Salim Ali of TBHP.

We had planned for a visit here along with Mayapur and Krishnanagar but that did not materialize. Hopefully next winter we will make it.

Keep more of these coming.

Thanks so much haisaikat for the kind words ! 'Resident Salim Ali of tbhp' is indeed a great honour for a complete amateur like me !
Mayapur is pretty nearby and on clear days you will be able to see the temple from the boat itself (as you approach the Ganges).
Hope to meet you soon !

[Samba]

Brilliant will be an understatement. Rated 5*.
Breathtaking pictures.

& thanks a lot to you for guiding me to visit Purbasthali. On your recommendation, I took a longer boat ride till the Ganges, just to click the majestic Osprey.

Sharing few of my clicks.

[turboNath]

Originally Posted by Samba

Brilliant will be an understatement. Rated 5*.
Breathtaking pictures.

& thanks a lot to you for guiding me to visit Purbasthali. On your recommendation, I took a longer boat ride till the Ganges, just to click the majestic Osprey.

Sharing few of my clicks.

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Thanks Samba ! Glad to help
The majestic Osprey makes the long boat ride complety worth it.
Absolutely stunning flight shots Samba. My personal favourites are the Purple heron & Purple Swamphen. Just brilliant !

[TheHelix0202]

Brilliant thread! Enjoyed the lovely pics! But I wonder why we never learned about ox-bow lakes in Geography, haha! I did enjoy the subject very much back in school though.

[kanishka88]

WHAT A THREAD! Thanks for making this friday a bit more bearable

Here is 1 from my humble 70-300mm lens on a wintery morning at Van Vihar in Bhopal

[sportymonk]

Congratulations for your new Designation in Team BHP. The kudos you earned are worth the hardship you went through during and after the Journey.

[ottocycle]

Wow. Truly mesmerizing shots. How much zoom have you used for shooting these pictures?

This thread is tempting me to invest in a super zoom lens for my xt20.

[Reinhard]

What a wonderful thread! Just popped up in hot threads - and enjoyed it to the core. Loved each picture in each of the posts. Thanks for sharing folks. Just what one needed after a hectic work-week. Nature's soothing artwork in action. Nice shutter speed too there . Rating the thread 5 stars!

[nav2111]

Great shots turboNath and a day well spent! Going by the number of posts on Instagram, Purbasthali seems to be the place for all the Osprey action. The fact that you can row a boat here is key. At Asan barrage in Dehradun boating is banned during the migratory season so the bird watchers have all the fun but nothing for us photographers

[Highh5]

Simply Wow, mesmerized and spellbound by your photos.
Believe me, I always find wildlife photography most challenging and the way you captured the shots looks like a cakewalk for you, I bet wouldn't be one but you certainly made it look like that.

Thoroughly enjoyed the narration as well. Thanks for sharing it with us. Rating this thread 5 Stars for the sheer effort and indeed talent.