Flamingos
Flamingos
Once I was
in Odisha on assignment and during cover of the story moving around the deep
forest of that state such as Niyamgiri mountains range, Dhingcanal, Kala Handi areas,
and during that I came to know about the presence of colorful and attractive large birds Flamingos,
at Chilka Lake which is about 60 Kms
away,1 hour drive from Bhubaneswar, it is a vast brackish water lagoon in Asia and 2nd largest coastal
lagoon in the world covering Puri, Ganjam and Khorda districts of Odisha state,
on the Eastern coast of India. It is covering about 1,100 sq Kms flowing into
the Bay of Bengal. This lake fetches large numbers of migratory birds during
winter and it become heaven for
Flamingoes and it is also home of number endangered species of plants and
animals also hotspot of biodiversity in our country. This popular lagoon is
pear shaped and 64.5 Kms long with the width of 5 to 18 Kms and is connected to
the Bay of Bengal by 32 Kms long and 1.5 Kms wide which runs parallel to Bay of
Bengal and separated by a narrow channel.
As my
assignment in Odisha was almost over and I was about to return, but my heart
and mind was hammering to do a photo feature on those beautiful migratory
birds, so I hesitantly asked my Delhi office about that and luckily got the
green signal. So in this way I was in Chilka Lake got an accommodation in a
cozy and comfortable Government Tourist Bunglow. As I had my new gadgets of
Canon highly professional equipment with 400 mm lens, so for birding shoot it
was sufficient. In the process I hired a boat which took me to other end of
Chilka lake taking two hrs one way with my camera and lenses ready for shoot, in
the mean time the boatman sighted the birds from a distance and alerted me, so
with high shutter speed and FPS, I aimed at the lovely creatures and went on
shooting spree and got some beautiful frames.
As the
boatman was a locale guy and was very much familiar with the lake, birds and the
surroundings he chatted with me and told lot of things about lake birding. As
he told me that --
1.
Flamingos
are considered as Raj Hans due to its size and attractive pinkish color.
2.
Flamingos
get its pink color through its food,
3.
They
are filtered feeders and turn their head upside down while eating.
4.
They
live in groups and that is called Flamboyance.
This is highly gregarious bird with
graceful neck, large wings and short tails and range from 3 to 5 feet tall.
This bird wades in shallow and tropical waters and for food downturn the long S type neck and bird is also famous for
their bright pink color feathers, stilt like legs. These birds are also famous
for its beauty, balance (ability to stand at one leg), potential and romancing frequently,
and also a fastest flying bird in the world.
In parts of
Africa, Asia, and Europe Greater flamingos are found, they are the largest and
tallest flamingo species and in our country they are mostly found in Chilka
Lake of Odisha state during winter creating a magical spectacle for the people.
Text and Photos by- Ashok
Karan,
Ashokkaran.blogspot.com
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Thanks
Great shots.
जवाब देंहटाएंExcellent knowledge.
जवाब देंहटाएं