Have you ever thought you could spot over 250 (resident and migratory) birds in a crowded concrete jungle? It may surprise even committed ornithologists to know that amidst the concrete, pollution and bustling crowd in Haryana, exists a bird paradise—the Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary (BBS).
In Jhajjar, this sanctuary is only a two-hour drive away from New Delhi. With its shallow marshes, scrub jungle, greenwoods, and golden grassland, it plays host to birds from Central Asia and Siberia. Come December, this bird refuge will be flocking with fish-eating birds, Sarus Crane, along with other migrants—waterfowl, waders, passerines, ducks and raptors.
Bhindawas is a man-made wetland constructed to store the excess water of the Jawaharlal Nehru canal. A 12-km vehicle track goes around the lake, which is used by birders for counting the species and conducting scientific studies.
The embankment is dotted with acacias and eucalyptus species and other wild bushes. It is a treat to see ducks of various colours, shapes and size dot the lake. Here, size matters as Samurai like comb ducks scout the river and bully the little ones. The black beauties’ of the duck species— common coots, swim the periphery of the lake. Migratory species have arrived; the ancestor of domestic geese, greylag geese can be seen patrolling the area with their Kiyaa-ga-ga call.
Climb up the machans and you can be at eye level with them. Or simply watch the purple swamphens, also known as the lipstick birds for their red beaks, play hide-and-seek. It is a delight to see birds sharing the space and living in harmony. Apart from anything else, it’s just amazing to know that so many species are present in an area with a large human population.
The sanctuary is also a place to watch the “tigers” of the bird world—imperial eagle, greater spotted eagle, peregrine falcon and shikra.
You can also see nilgai herds taking a stroll and running away at the slightest sound. The Delhi Bird Club on Salim Ali’s birthday (November 12) did a count in Bhindawas and the group spotted close to 50 species. The sanctuary is facing a big problem in the form of the weed ‘water hyacinth’, which has choked large sections of the lake.
So, just pack in your perseverance, bird book, binoculars and book yourself a place at the rest house. Bhindawas has a Forest Rest House with two rooms and can be booked through DFO, Rohtak or Chief Wildlife Warden of Haryana, Panchkula. Amenities are basic and it is recommended that you can carry provisions such as milk, vegetables and water.
If you want to stick to Delhi, then you can do a spot of birding at the Okhla Bird Park, Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, Yamuna Biodiversity Park, Asola and the Delhi Zoo.