Bird walk at Pakhibitan, Eco Park, Kolkata

Eleven birders gathered at Pakhibitan in Eco Park, Kolkata, on 3 October for a rescheduled walk led by local guides Sudipta Ghosh and Sounak Dutta, in collaboration with Nature Mates. The group began at the bird hide, a wonderful space filled with information on the species found in the park, their nests and their feathers, and where birds can be watched quietly in the calm of the hide. From there, they watched the activities of bitterns and munias around the hide, and the White-rumped Munia, with its neat brown and white plumage, was a special delight. The walk then moved into the tropical forest area of the park, where the group met a variety of urban birds and migrants such as wagtails, and the Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker drew admiring looks as it worked along a trunk. The waterbody was a good place to watch waterbirds such as cormorants, and across the morning the group recorded 46 species. A moment of great excitement came when a raptor flew through the sky carrying a kill, and on examining photographs closely, the group thought the bird looked like a Peregrine Falcon, known as the fastest bird in the world. The walk also included a visit to the butterfly dome, where participants observed several butterfly species along with their larval and pupal stages, adding a fascinating dimension to the morning. Everyone shared valuable feedback and expressed their keen desire to join more such walks. The morning was a beautiful example of how an urban eco park can bring together birds, butterflies and people in a shared celebration of nature.