few hours in Purbasthali
It was a cool Friday morning when we found ourselves feeling a little frustrated due to the lack of birding opportunities for the past month. Just then, a spontaneous suggestion to visit Purbasthali lit up our faces, knowing it was long overdue. In just under an hour, we swiftly packed our bags, preparing ourselves for the marshland adventure. The journey itself was delightful, surrounded by good friends, multiple tea breaks, and animated chatter about the forthcoming exploration of the marshlands. We took the Kalyani Expressway to our destination and, despite a few hiccups, the road was good enough. We reached our destination, Pakhiralay in Purbasthali, at about 2 PM. After having a mediocre lunch, we contemplated our venture into the marshland. Unfortunately, the day was very cloudy, reducing visibility for good photographs, but we decided to take a chance. By late evening, we had captured some moderate shots of kingfishers, small pratincoles, cotton pygmy geese, red-crested pochards, black bitterns, and other ducks. Returning to our rest house, we discussed plans for the next day's birding, had an early dinner, and retired for the night. The following day, with clearer skies, we set out for the osprey after a brief discussion. Prior to that, we enjoyed capturing images of other birds, bringing us much satisfaction. Luck was on our side as we spotted the osprey at the river basin after almost two hours on the boat, providing us with fantastic photography opportunities that filled our hearts with content. After another two hours, we returned to the starting point, deeply fulfilled by the day's sightings. With content hearts and a good lunch, we began our journey back to Kolkata.
Osprey with fish
whitebreasted Kingfisher with a fish
Osprey with fish kill