Martin Swallows Red-naped Ibis

A Red-naped Ibis in the company of a Lapwing stares at the lens

I am sure the title must have piqued the reader's curiosity, however, before I go ahead with a description of another of my visits to the fast disappearing wetland in Gurgaon, I would like to state that this is not a about the importance of using punctuation marks, it is just a description of the bird species spotted at the Basai wetland. I visited the wetland on the 30th of August and was glad to spot Martins, Wire-tailed Swallows and the Red-naped Ibis. What drew my attention was the playful behavior of  the Martins. While all of them had their beaks wide open, the others kept flying on to perches on narrow stems of tree branches.

A solitary Martin perches precariously on a thin stem

Apart from the large number of Martins, I was also able to spot a few Wire-tailed Swallows. These, rather colorful birds have a pair of long wire like spikes sticking out of their tails. I was able to get a few shots at them before they flew away. Wire-tailed Swallows are some of the most colorful birds that have always fascinated me. Their metallic blue plumage literally shimmers in the sunlight.

A Wire-tailed Swallow poses for the camera at the Basai Wetland

The larger birds, apart from the Ibis are yet to arrive at the wetland. Fortunately, the recent rains have filled up all the low lying areas with abundant water, a suitable environment for most of the migratory birds that arrive at the wetland during the winter months. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to visit the Sultanpur National Park because of the Covid-19 pandemic for almost two years now and hope that the lack of noisy visitors will have  attracted a larger number of visitors to the place.

A Wire-tailed Swallow calls out to its mate perched close to it.

It is indeed a matter of amazement to see how wildlife continues to thrive in spite of all the developmental activities we undertake, and one of the best examples is the Basai Wetland. A flyover is nearing completion that dissects the wetland into two halves. Soon, traffic movement on the flyover will create a disturbance for all the birds arriving at the wetland. In addition to this, traffic on the adjacent  Dwarka Express Way will also affect the arrival of migratory birds like Bar-headed Geese.

A Martin looks at the lens with curiosity even as another one takes off

The Basai Wetland in Gurgaon continues to host a large number of species of birds, migratory and native throughout the year. While the winter months see a large number of birds including ducks, bar-headed Geese, and even Flamingos arriving at the wetland, the warmer months see native species of birds flocking in. The native species including Baya Weaver birds, Starlings, Pied- Kingfishers, White-throated Kingfishers and sometimes even Sarus Cranes can often be spotted in the absence of the ducks, cranes and storks.

A Red-naped Ibis spotted at the Basai Wetland, Gurugram