Bar-headed Geese descend on the Basai Wetland in large numbers

Yesterday when I visited the Basai Wetland, I spent a lot of time looking in the wrong direction for the Bar-headed Geese that I had gone to photograph. It was after about an hour or so of patiently waiting for the birds to arrive that I heard some noise behind the weeds right behind me. When I explored further, I was in for a surprise! There, right in front of me were the Bar-headed Geese, and surely they were a noisy lot!

I had taken a lot of risk in visiting the wetland since the weather was not right, but then, there was a window as the weather had cleared and I got just what I wanted! To add to it was the chance of photographing the Geese while approaching to land. They were not perturbed by my presence and they went about their duties without any hesitation.

It was a joy to see these graceful birds gliding in for a landing on the wetland. Since the lighting was fair enough, I could use a lower ISO setting and thus avoid grainy photographs.

When the birds were not landing in groups, they would be in pairs, the lead bird, probably the male leading the female to the landing. 

It seems that the Bar-headed Geese have been favouring the Basai Wetland as opposed to the Sultanpur National park, probably because of the abundant water in the low-lying areas. It surely makes one wonder why the area is not labelled as a wetland. That, I guess is for National Green Tribunal to decide! To enjoy the beauty of these birds, one needs to get as close to them as possible, and for that, you definitely need a good zoom lens!

Bar-Headed Geese in Gurgaon

It is amazing how far Bar-headed Geese travel in order to reach their breeding spots in Northern India. Last Sunday when I visited the Basai Wetland in Gurgaon, I was in for a pleasant surprise! The vast numbers of Spot-billed Ducks, Northern Shovellers and Pintails were replaced by a large number of Bar-headed Geese. Since it had been a foggy morning and it was really cold, I decided to visit the Wetland rather late, well after ten in the morning.

Usually, waterbirds leave their nesting grounds by eight in the morning, but then, I guess the low temperature and the accompanying fog had probably delayed their departure in time for me to spot them. The recent reports of bird flu, however, did not look evident in the birds that I saw since there were no bird-carcasses to be seen and they seemed to be in great form!

Bar-headed Geese are graceful yet powerful birds that travel huge distances and over great heights from central Asia to the Northern plains of India. Their migratory patterns and endurance have been a subject of scientific study. Scientists speculate that some of these birds might even have travelled all the way from Mongolia to India! 

Bar-headed Geese can often be heard before they are seen. They make a lot of noise while flying which is why one might get ready to photograph them well in time. I have also frequently found them taking off in the direction of the rising sun in the mornings, though this might be a coincidence. 

I have been photographing Bar-headed Geese for quite some time now and have noticed that the number of birds visiting the Basai Wetland in Gurgaon has grown immensely. This is probably because of the heavy rainfall in the month of January which has resulted in the filling up of low-lying shallow areas in the wetland. We have rarely had such heavy rainfall in the month of January before.

To appreciate the beauty of these majestic birds, the reader is requested to zoom into the photographs as much as possible. These are certainly marvels of nature and they deserve a good look!

...And if you thought they were simply blundering off into the blue, well, all I'd say is that you need to see them take off at one go. There is a sense of drama in their actions. They literally fly at you and you  are left wondering if it had taken you by surprise.

Large Flock of Bar-headed Geese Spotted at the Basai Wetland

Finally, a large flock of Bar-headed Geese was spotted at the Basai Wetland today. Unfortunately, the flock spotted was less than half the size of the one spotted in the year 2017. There is an apparent change in the migratory patterns of Bar-headed Geese headed towards the plains of India which is prompted by a reduction in the availability of food and the steady disappearance of Wetlands and other Biodiversity hotspots. 

This flock of Geese was preceded by a pair early in the week of December. Looking at the lone pair of Bar-headed Geese earlier I was under the impression that no more would be coming to the Basai Wetland in Gurugram. Apparently, I was wrong! It was a great relief to see a large flock of about fifty birds on the ground. I have always looked forward to spotting the annual visitors to the wetland every year. 

Bar-headed Geese are known to be among the only birds that can fly at an altitude of 20,000 feet, a feat that is remarkable especially because few birds can survive without Oxygen at such heights. Moreover, Bar-headed Geese have remarkable navigational skills since they land up in the same spot year in and year out. The Basai Wetland incidentally is a stopover for these birds that migrate to the warmer climate in the Northern plains of India for the purpose of breeding from the months of December to March.

Bar-headed Geese are also spotted at the Sultanpur National Park at some distance from the Basai Wetland, however, I haven't been to the National Park since the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic. Bar-headed Geese are a noisy flock that advertise their arrival long before they are seen. I have seen them alight on the drier grassy parts of the Basai wetlands. In all probability, they'd rather feed on insects and small crustaceans left behind in receding waters. At the Sultanpur National Park, however, I have seen them settle on the water itself.

The Bar-headed Geese that visit the Basai Wetland in Gurugram are very shy in nature and it is often very difficult to get close to them without startling them. Additionally, they can be found only in the early mornings from seven to eight. The early morning mist rising from the wet ground can often make it a challenge to get clear photographs of them.

I hope to see these birds return to the same spot next year though I don't see that happening with all the draining of the water of the wetland and the filling up of low-lying areas for development-related purposes. The construction of a flyover close by and the Dwarka Expressway will change the very shape of the Wetland.