Flight of the Wire-Tailed Swallows

Swallows are rather playful little birds, always chasing each other, dragging long wire tails behind them even as they are buffeted by the wind. At this time of the year, the Basai Wetland is taken over by Wire-Tailed Swallows, after of course the exit of the larger variety of migratory birds like the Bar-Headed Geese, the Sheldon Ducks and the Spot-Billed Ducks.

When I visited the Basai Wetland today, I found a solitary Spot-Billed Duck, left behind by its family, no doubt! It was a pleasant surprise, however, to find the diminutive Swallows playing around. The colour combination of blue, white and a rust-coloured head covering, rather like a skull-cap along with the two wires sticking out of the tails of some, made for an interesting hour of photography. I was able to take quite a few photographs of the birds in flight, I was assisted, no doubt by the strong wind that made them sort of hover in the air.

Besides the cavorting Wire-Tailed Swallows, I was also taken aback by the almost Human bickering of the Myna Birds. A whole flock of these birds had perched on top of a tree and they were all looking in the same direction even as a rather severe-looking large Myna bird seemed to be the leader of the group. It was clear that the argument was going nowhere, and the Senior Myna bird seemed to have lost control. In the end, everyone seemed to be snapping at the Senior bird!

Most of the Wetland was covered with weeds making it difficult to spot water-birds, nevertheless a Crow-Pheasant or Greater Coucal did spring a surprise stepping out of the bushes to leap into the air, though not being able to fly a long distance.

As if the flight of the Crow Pheasant was not surprising enough, after some distance I was again startled by a Purple Heron which decided to make a break flinging itself into the air like a lumbering giant. I was reminded of a heavily laden aircraft trying to unstick itself from the runway.

The Basai Wetland is sure to spring pleasant surprises for birders who are patient and willing to walk the extra mile. It is always a clever idea to carry a zoom lens along with a decent enough DSLR. I personally don’t like carrying a tripod since it hampers movement. The Basai Wetland is easily accessible to cars and motorcycles. It is located near the Water Treatment Plant on the Gurgaon Jajhar Road. After descending from the flyover just before the water treatment plant, you need to take the first cut to the right on to a narrow lane that seems to lead to nowhere. Just at the beginning on the right, you will come across a Gas Agency godown.

Swallows love hanging on together, even if it means making space for the odd one!

As a coup de gras, I would like to share a couple of snaps of an amorous pair of what I believe are dragonflies attached to each other in matrimonial bliss!